Pioneer Jubilee Exhibit – Utah State Archives and Records Service

Anyone who has spent a summer in Utah has known about Pioneer Day (July 24).

Every year the people of the United States of America celebrate Independence Day on July 4th to remember the founding of our nation and all the sacrifices made by our first citizens to create the world we live in today.

In Utah, just 20 days after the national celebration, Pioneer Day invades our cities with celebrations as big as any 4th of July. Utah’s celebration mirrors that of the nation in many ways: Banks and offices close for the holidays, families gather for parades and picnics, and many cities even host a fireworks display. The sentiment behind the celebration is also more of the same. It is a day to remember the founders of our state and the sacrifices that were made to create the world we live in today.

This brief exhibit examines the records of Utah’s Pioneer Jubilee Celebration, upon which today’s modern Pioneer Day celebrations are based. If we can understand that first celebration, perhaps we can understand how the way we view the pioneers and founders of our state has changed.

Visitors to the exhibition can take a guided tour through the images by selecting the « Start Here » button at the bottom of this page.

« May the Historical Society of Utah…stand as a beacon in the history of our progress and a star of promise for those who will come after us. » Dr AS Ellen B. Ferguson

Credits

The images in this exhibit are part of two sets of documents held in the Utah State Archives. The Book of the Pioneers (Series 14107) and The State Historical Society Administrative Files (Series 3192).

Images digitized by Rod Swaner and the J. Willard Marriott Library. They were made available in the Utah State Digital Archives by Gina Strack, Digital Archives Manager.

Exhibition interpretation provided by Rae Gifford.

Originally released in July 2017

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