69 Extraordinary Utah History Facts For Every History Buff

Utah is a geographically rich state in the USA.

It is the second dryest state in the United States. Utah is surrounded by four state provinces.

The importance of Utah lies in the fact that it has unique geographical features. Rocky mountains that run across northeastern Utah, the Colorado Plateau, and the Basin and Ridge form the three major parts of the Utah map.

The California seagull is the national bird of Utah. The sego lily is the state flower of this state.

Wyoming and Idaho border Utah to the north, Arizona to the south, Colorado to the east, and Nevada to the west. The southeastern Utah junction connects Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, making it the only area in the US connecting four states.

Utah is a pioneer in aerospace technology and defense system. Today the capital Salt Lake City has medical surgeons in a number greater than any other city in the United States. The land of Utah has the largest open-pit copper mines and copper is the state mineral.

History Facts About Utah, the Beehive State

It is believed the history of Utah state dates back to the era of dinosaurs. The civilization left behind by Fremont cultures and the Ancestral Puebloan is indicated, with evidence of their existence, discovered in pictographs on the rock walls and the residence sites of villages.

Besides, few Native American nations continue to donate to Utah's rich artistic inheritance. Listed below are some historical facts about Utah.

• Utah's name is derived from the word Ute (people of mountains), which is the Native American tribe that lived on this land.
• The land of Utah was first invaded by Spanish explorers in 1776.
• The mountain men, trappers, and traders followed closely following the Spanish invasion.
• In 1821, Utah was retrieved by Mexico from Spain and Utah got its independence.
• In 1847, associates of the Church of Jesus Christ, Mormon pioneers, the Latter-day Saints reached Salt Lake Valley and based concessions throughout the west intermountain.
• In 1848, New Mexico was defeated in the Mexican-American War and as an element of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico surrendered Utah to the United States.
• Thus in 1896, Utah evolved as the 45th state of the United States.
• After 12 years, immigration to the province rose tremendously when the first transcontinental railway was constructed in Utah near the Golden Spike National Historic Site.
• Native American tribes originated here for thousands of years, including the Paiute, Goshute, Navajo, Ute, Bannock, and Shoshone. Some of their descendants still live in the state.
• All these facts and early cultures laid a foundation for Utah's rich cultural tapestry.
• This state is the 30th most populated state in the US and is also the 13th most expansive state in the US.
• On Utah’s state seal appear the dates when Mormon immigrants arrived in 1847 and when Utah evolved as the 45th state in 1896.
• Utah’s state seal also has sego lilies embedded, as they stand for serenity and are the state flower.

Famous Historical Events Of Utah

The state of Utah is not only beautiful but is but also a historical city. The period of its evolution involves plenty of events. Mentioned below are a few historical facts about Utah.

• In 1821 Mexico claimed Utah from Spain.
• 1847 the first group of Mormon pioneers reached Salt Lake Valley.
• The Mormons choose Utah to take shelter in and to escape from racial discrimination.
• In 1848 the US defeated Mexico and they had to surrender Utah to the US.
• The Constitutional Convention proposed the state of Deseret which was the area covering the Great Basin in 1849.
• In 1850, the US Senate approved the bill equipping the association of Utah Territory.
• The Grasshopper Plague of 1854 created a menace for crops.
• In 1869, the completion of the world's first transcontinental railway was marked at Promontory, where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railways (the Golden Spike National Historic Site) met on May 10, 1869.
• Utah became the 45th state of the US in 1896.
• The Rainbow Bridge was discovered in 1909, and in 1915 the state capital reached completion.
• In 1919, the Zion National Park and the First Salt Lake Chapter were established as two new national parks.
• Next followed the inauguration of Bruce Canyon in 1928.
• The most unexpected event in the history of Utah was the tornado that ripped Salt Lake City in the year 1999, causing damage to houses and property.
• In 1848, the California gull rescued Mormon pioneers by attacking the crickets that were destroying their crops. This is why the California gull is the state bird.
• Salt Lake City was called the Great Salt Lake City until 1968.

Tourist Attractions Of Utah

Utah facts and history form the cultural heritage of the state. Yet the importance of the city lies in the fact that it has many scenic spots that attract tourists. The naturally carved city is also called Little Hollywood.

• The Zion National Park, also called Hikers Paradise due to its vertical walls, is only three hours away from Las Vegas.
• It is home to Utah's spectacular scenic view, Zion Canyon's scenic valley, which, along with Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, stand as two of the most beautiful spots of this national park.
• Arches National Park is so-called as it is home to 2000 stone arches. The backdrop of the La Sal Mountain's snow-capped peaks adds to the beauty.
• The Grand Canyon of Utah is in the Canyonlands National Park.
• Mormon Church and Salt Lake City are what Utah is well-known for and they carry the cultural heritage of the state.
• Utah's great Salt Lake City is the hub of winter activities and skiing.
• Park City is often associated with ski resorts; the Utah Olympic Park, which was the venue of the 2002 Olympics, is located here.
• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is full of arches, waterfalls, hills, forest, and scrubland.
• Dead Horse Point State Park is the best spot to get a spectacular view of Utah with viewpoints of the Colorado River.
• Bryce Canyon, full of plants with colors of pink, cinnamon, orange, and cream is a scenic view one cannot miss as this place stands out in the state of Utah.
• Bonneville Salt Flats appears to be an unassuming area of flat land until the eye catches sight of the edge.
• The highest pinnacle of the Rocky Mountains and Utah is Kings Peak which is 13,528 ft (4,123 m).
• Talking about tourist attractions, the Great Salt Lake must be mentioned, as this is the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere.
• The Rainbow Bridge of Lake Powell is the world's largest natural bridge.
• Utah owns one of the weightiest organisms on earth; The Trembling Giant, or Pando. Found in the Fishlake National Forest, it comprises 47,000 genetically similar trees on a single root structure.
• The heavily guarded Mount Ogden can be visited via the Ferrata Route or Iron Road.

Famous People From Utah

Utah, the Beehive State, became the 45th state of the USA 100 years ago. Utah's capital, Salt Lake City, is the largest city to host the Olympics. Besides being famous for its history and geography, this state is home to many celebrities as well.

• Roseanne Barr, a famous actress and well-versed comedian, is from Utah.
• The inventor of TV, Philo Farnsworth, hails from this place.
• Singer and dancer, Julianne Hough, was born in Utah.
• Also native to Utah state is the songwriter from Jewel.
• Utah proudly is also home to the originator of the Marriots group, J. Willard Marriott.
• Football players Merlin Olen and Steve Young, and basketball player Byron Scott are all from Utah.
• Joining the list is also actor James Wood, and Marie and Donny Osmond, who were singers.

Apart from this, Utah is known to be home to the most generous individuals in the country.

A few more miscellaneous facts about Utah:

• The Capital, Salt Lake City, lies at the center of the state.
• Salt Lake City was established keeping in mind the expansion, growth, and religious freedom of the state thus was appropriately chosen to be the state capital.
• Utah is famous as the best skiing spot in the country.
• Utah is famously known as the Beehive State as the early pioneers regarded themselves as hardworking bees.
• The federal government in Utah holds 65 % of Utah land.
• The Fishlake National Forest is home to what is arguable the oldest tree in the world; a giant Aspen tree.
• The Desert Bighorn sheep is uniquely adjusted to existing in dry and hot climates.
• Salt Lake City is the leading manufacturer of rubber chickens.
• The Great Salt Lake, freshwater Utah Lake, and saline Sevier Lake are the major leftovers of Lake Bonneville.
• Utah Jazz is the state's professional football team based in Salt Lake City.
• Bingham Canyon Mine is regarded as the most prominent man-made cavity globally.
• As Utah stands at a high altitude, the weather here is desert-like with powdery snow. The state is known to have the greatest snow on Earth.
• Artificial ponds in Moab, Utah, deliver potassium chloride, which is utilized in medicines, food, and fertilizer.
• Bonneville Salt Flats contains 30,000 densely packed salt pan acres.
• Utah is the only state in which every county contains a national forest.
• 60% of Utah’s residents are Mormon, earning it the name of the most religiously-homogeneous state in the country.
• Cottonwood Canyons is one of the most frozen sites on earth, obtaining 551 in (13 m) of snow each year.