Celebrate July 24th with Utah

Handcart Pioneer by Sam Lawlor

Every year Utahans celebrate July 24th with parades, fireworks, BBQs, rodeos and more.  It was on July 24, 1847 that Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley and announced the this would be the place that the mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) would call home.



The mormon pioneers came to Utah seeking religious freedom. They were chased out of Ohio, Missouri and Illinois by severe prosecution.  They had to leave Missouri in a hurry because of an extermination order that Governor Bogg's had put out against the LDS people.  Many of the families were forced to leave their homes in the middle of the winter.

"The first company of pioneers, which left Winter Quarters in April 1847, was led by Brigham Young. The group included 143 men, 3 women, and 2 children. These pioneers had 73 wagons and 93 horses, 66 oxen, 52 mules, 19 cows, 17 dogs, and some chickens. The oxen pulled the covered wagons across the plains. Oxen are large, strong cattle, but they are very slow. The pioneers also took along a boat and a cannon. As the pioneers traveled along the Sweetwater River toward the Salt Lake Valley, they met several trappers. One day they met the most famous trapper in the West, Jim Bridger. Bridger told Brigham Young that he did not think crops would grow in the Salt Lake Valley, and he offered $1,000 for the first bushel of corn the pioneers could raise there.Brigham Young had heard that California and Oregon were beautiful places where the soil was rich and crops grew easily. But he knew that thousands of people, including some enemies of the Church, were already moving to these places. The Saints needed to settle where they would not be persecuted again. Brigham Young knew that Heavenly Father would help the Saints make the Salt Lake Valley a beautiful place. 

Brigham Young and the rest of the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley on 24 July 1847. Brigham Young was very sick and was riding in Wilford Woodruff’s carriage. Brother Woodruff turned the carriage so that President Young could look at the valley. The Lord had shown President Young a vision of the place where the Saints should settle, and after gazing at the valley for a long time, Brigham Young said, “It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on!” (quoted in B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church, 3:224)" (Info from LDS.org) Read more info on the pioneers here or here

 Following are resources to about Utah:

Download this great worksheet pack all about Utah
Stories of Pioneer Mormon Women
Utah Coloring Page
Pioneer Games
Currlick is one of my favorite resources for curriculum.  They have a ton of options for studying Utah, so be sure and check them out.

Utah State Song

Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked and Walked

A is for Arches

The Utah Story

This Is The Place!

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Currlick  - One of my favorite places to look for curriculum options. You can also find many free items and live classes.

Educents - Another of my favorite places to visit.  Educents offers so many great deals such as Life of Fred books.