| What makes it historical? |
After leaving Fort Bridger in Wyoming, the Mormon pioneers passed through the Uintah and Wasatch Mountains until they came upon the Salt Lake Valley, as scouted by Jim Bridger! Woodruff Wilson was the first to glimpse the valley from the mouth of Emigration Canyon on July 24, 1847, but it was Brigham Young who made the decision that “This is the place!”
This park commemorates the beginning of Utah’s settlement with period replicas from across the state, including early banks, meeting halls, and the Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI). There are even sheep and donkeys and horses!
The famous 60-foot monument at the park’s entrance features bronze statues of Mormon leaders, mountain men, and even members of the Dominguez-Escalante expedition that scouted central Utah on their way to Monterey, California! It was designed by Brigham Young’s grandson, Mahonri, and dedicated at the centennial in 1947! |
