This Is The Place Heritage Park
Encyclopedia
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, USA at the foot of the Wasatch Range
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
and near the mouth of Emigration Canyon
Emigration Canyon
Emigration Canyon is a CDP, township and canyon in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, located east of Salt Lake City in the Wasatch Range. Beginning at the southern end of the University of Utah, the canyon itself heads east and northeast between Salt Lake City and Morgan County. The boundaries...
.
History
The location of the park is where, on July 24, 1847, Brigham YoungBrigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
first saw the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
that would soon become the Mormon pioneers' new home. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that Young had a vision shortly after they were exiled from Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
. In the vision, he saw the place where the Latter-day Saints would settle and "make the desert blossom like a rose" and where they would build their State of Deseret
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas. Some synonyms for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in other countries include “tick typhus,” “Tobia fever” , “São Paulo fever” or “febre...
and was riding in the back of a wagon. After exiting Emigration Canyon
Emigration Canyon
Emigration Canyon is a CDP, township and canyon in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, located east of Salt Lake City in the Wasatch Range. Beginning at the southern end of the University of Utah, the canyon itself heads east and northeast between Salt Lake City and Morgan County. The boundaries...
and cresting a small hill, he asked to look out of the wagon. Those with him opened the canvas cover and propped him up so he could see the empty desert valley below. He then proclaimed, "It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on." The words, "this is the place," were soon heard throughout the wagon train as the Mormon pioneers descended into the valley, their long journey having come to an end.
However well known this story is amongst the inhabitants of Utah, there is little to no recollection of this phrase in contemporary journals until Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
recorded it later in a personal journal.
Over the next several years, tens of thousands of Mormon pioneers emerged from Emigration Canyon and first saw their new home from this same location. A Utah state holiday, Pioneer Day, occurs each year on July 24 to commemorate the Mormon pioneers' entry into the valley.
Monument
In 1917 B. H. Roberts and a Boy ScoutBoy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
troop built a wooden marker identifying the spot where Brigham Young's party had first entered the valley. In 1921 this was replaced by a white stone obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
that still stands east of the 1917 monument.
Development of the monument began in 1937 when sculptor Mahonri M. Young, a grandson of Brigham Young, was commissioned by the State of Utah to design and create a new, larger monument. In 1947, on the 100th anniversary of the entry of the pioneers into the valley, This Is The Place Monument was dedicated at a ceremony attended by nearly 50,000 people. In 1957, a group of private citizens bought much of the land now contained in the Park and gave it to the State of Utah to preserve it from commercial development. One of the previous uses for the land was an artillery firing range for nearby Fort Douglas
Fort Douglas, Utah
Camp Douglas was established in October 1862 as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, for the purpose of protecting the overland mail route and telegraph lines along the Central Overland Route. In 1878, the post was renamed Fort Douglas. The fort was officially...
. The state Parks and Recreation Division was charged with the responsibility for maintenance and improvement of the property.
Deseret Village
The village began around 1959, when a small visitors’ center was constructed near the Monument; it featured a large mural by local artist Lynn FausettLynn Fausett
Lynn Fausett was an American painter.Born in 1894 in Price, Utah, Fausett studied at Brigham Young University, University of Utah and the Art Students League. In addition, he spent time in France studying art. He was awarded a Meritorious Service Award for his work as an art director in the Special...
. Well-attended, the monument convinced the legislature in 1971 to appropriate $100,000 to prepare a master plan for the creation of a living history museum. Following the appropriation of $1M for land acquisition and development, the Park was expanded to include 450 acres (1.8 km²). In 1974, an additional $1.7M was appropriated for the construction of underground utilities.
In 1975, began the restoration or replication of historical buildings from Utah’s history. Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
’s Forest Farmhouse was moved in 1975 from the Forest Dale
Forest Dale Historic District
The Forest Dale Historic District is located in the southeastern part of Salt Lake City, Utah and is roughly bounded by 700 East, Interstate 80, Commonwealth Avenue, and 900 East...
area in the central valley to the Park for restoration.
In 1979, five original pioneer homes were donated to the Park and restored; a small bowery was constructed. The 1980’s included a replica of the original Social Hall, located in downtown Salt Lake City, two adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
homes, two frame homes and one log cabin were relocated to the Park. The blacksmith shop also was completed.
1992 through 1995 was a period of major expansion in which the Manti
Manti, Utah
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile...
Z.C.M.I store was dismantled and reconstructed in the Park, a pioneer dugout home was constructed, 15 replica structures were built and the Hickman Cabin was relocated from Fairview to the Park The Utah Statehood Centennial Commission adopted the Park as its living legacy project. The legislature appropriated $2.4M for a new visitors’ center. In 1996, the park was designated This Is The Place State Park by the State Centennial Commission. In 1998, the state legislature approved the creation of a private, non-profit This Is The Place Foundation that would manage the Park.
2000 through 2004 – Another expansion of the Park included construction of a large parking area east of the Monument and a plaza between it and the new visitors’ center. Other construction completed during this period involved the Cedar City Tithing Office, Snelgrove Boot Shop, John Pack home, William Atkin home, Brigham Young Academy, Heber C. Kimball
Heber C. Kimball
Heber Chase Kimball was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Latter Day Saint church, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his...
home, P.W. Madsen Furniture Company and the Deseret Hospital. With this significant construction boom, the park’s finances were challenged, and the state legislature made an emergency appropriation to keep the park afloat. In 2006, the management of This Is The Place Foundation was changed, and with it the direction of the Park. Emphasis was placed on expanding the programming and access to the Park.
With this emphasis on programming, two replica trains were acquired to aid in accessibility and entertainment. A new logo was adopted and all printed materials were upgraded. The Emery County Cabin
Emery County Cabin
Emery County Cabin is one of the last few historic frontier post offices still known to exist in the United States. The cabin was constructed in 1879, and became the official post office of Muddy Creek , Emery County, Utah in the 1880s...
was dedicated under this new programming emphasis, as well as Native American displays were made. The Monument Café was opened, as were a new Pioneer Playground and Petting Corral.
See also
- Mormon BattalionMormon BattalionThe Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States military history, and it served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 559 Latter-day Saints men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular...
- Mormon handcart pioneersMormon handcart pioneersThe Mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the migration of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Salt Lake City, Utah, who used handcarts to transport their belongings...
- Mormon TrailMormon TrailThe Mormon Trail or Mormon Pioneer Trail is the 1,300 mile route that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled from 1846 to 1868...
- Pioneer Day (Utah)
- Pioneer Village (Utah)Pioneer Village (Utah)Pioneer Village is located inside of the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. Meant to be a “living museum", Pioneer Village is intended to make the history of Utah come alive. It was founded in 1938 near Salt Lake City by Horace and Ethel Sorensen...
- Utah, This is the PlaceUtah, This is the PlaceUtah, This is the Place is the state song of Utah. It was written in 1996 by Sam and Gary Francis for Utah's centennial celebrations. It replaced Utah, We Love Thee as the state song in 2003 after 4th grade students at Cook Elementary wanted a "More modern state song"...