Archives News

Featured image for “Remembering the Castle Gate Mining Disaster”
March 7, 2021

Remembering the Castle Gate Mining Disaster

On March 8, 1924, explosions within a Castle Gate coal mine changed the lives of over one hundred families in Carbon County, UT. A headlamp ignited methane gas, which in turn incinerated airborne coal dust and caused an explosive chain reaction killing 172 men. There were no survivors. The disaster left 110 widows with 264 dependent children. The Red Cross
Featured image for “Utah’s Road to Statehood: The Earliest Utah Settlers”
February 25, 2021

Utah’s Road to Statehood: The Earliest Utah Settlers

Indigenous Americans The earliest settlers in modern Utah were, of course, the Indigenous Americans. The Ancestral Puebloans lived in the vicinity of Utah from 500-1300 AD. They were commonly known as ‘Anasazi,’ an exonym coined by the Navajos, and not preferred by the Puebloans, which means ancient enemies. The Puebloans occupied the southeastern portion of Utah, as well as portions
Featured image for “A Glimpse into Ogden’s Black Community”
February 19, 2021

A Glimpse into Ogden’s Black Community

Among records recently transferred to the Utah State Archives from the Ogden School District were two seemingly unremarkable 1960s-era photo albums from Pingree Elementary School. Despite the plain covers, the photos in the album revealed that Pingree Elementary was not just another school. The photographs provide a striking and human window into one of the important Black communities in Utah
Featured image for “Kaysville-Layton Milling Company: a Trademark Story”
February 17, 2021

Kaysville-Layton Milling Company: a Trademark Story

Many small towns settled in the nineteenth century in Utah had their own flour mills. Kaysville, Utah was no exception, with its first mill built in 1866, about fifteen years after the first families started building a city center that largely still exists today. Kaysville is located in Davis County, about 16 miles north of Salt Lake City.  Early families
Featured image for “New Transcription Project: The State of Utah vs. Joe Hill”
February 4, 2021

New Transcription Project: The State of Utah vs. Joe Hill

Do you know the story of Joe Hill? Did you know that the Utah State Archives has a rich collection of records that illuminate the case of Joe Hill, the international controversy it engendered, and the worldwide response and publicity his trial and subsequent execution generated? Joseph Hillstrom (also known as Joe Hill) was born in 1879 in Gävle, Sweden
Featured image for “Highway Maps Online”
January 11, 2021

Highway Maps Online

Before we had GPS and phones with map apps, people used folded paper maps. Across the United States, transportation departments distributed free highway maps both as a public service and a way to promote tourism, including here in Utah. The Utah State Archives is pleased to announce that a collection of Official Highway Maps from the Utah Department of Transportation
Featured image for “Utah’s Road to Statehood: 125 Years”
January 4, 2021

Utah’s Road to Statehood: 125 Years

One hundred and twenty-five years ago, President Grover Cleveland issued the proclamation that officially welcomed Utah into the Union as a state on January 4, 1896. Utah had been working towards this goal since 1849, when newly-arrived white settlers first petitioned Congress for statehood. They petitioned a total of seven times over those forty-five years. This year the Utah State
Featured image for “Utah Women in World War I: Stories of Utah Women”
December 29, 2020

Utah Women in World War I: Stories of Utah Women

When World War I started in 1914, the U.S. started with a strict policy of neutrality. The policy was tested when German U-boats sunk the Lusitania in 1915, killing 124 Americans. The U.S. demanded that Germany stop engaging in unrestricted warfare, and Germany agreed, allowing neutral ships with non-military passengers to pass without attack. However, in 1917 Germany resumed unrestricted
Featured image for “Connecting the Dots: A Look at How State and Local Processes Interact”
December 23, 2020

Connecting the Dots: A Look at How State and Local Processes Interact

An 1851 law passed by the territorial legislature required that the state government keep a “fair and faithful record of all marks and brands” indicating ownership of livestock. These brand books recorded the mark or shape of the brand, whether the brand was located on the livestock’s body or on their ear, the name of the person applying for the
Featured image for “Poll taxes in Utah?”
December 17, 2020

Poll taxes in Utah?

Poll taxes, or fixed sums levied on any eligible individual, are uncommon these days. Historically, they are usually discussed in conjunction with civil rights and disenfranchisement. So it might be a bit surprising to come across a record like this, a poll tax register from Spring City. We often hear about poll taxes in the Deep South, but here in