This Is the Place Heritage Park
This is the Place Heritage Park | |
---|---|
Type | State park |
Location | Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
Coordinates | 40°45′12″N 111°49′00″W / 40.753320°N 111.816594°W |
Area | 450 acres (1.8 km2) |
Established | 1957 |
Owned by | Government of Utah |
Status | Active |
Website | www |
This is the Place Heritage Park is a Utah State Park that is located on the east side of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, at the foot of the Wasatch Range and near the mouth of Emigration Canyon. A non-profit foundation manages the park.
History
The location of the park is where, on July 24, 1847, Brigham Young first saw the Salt Lake Valley, which would soon become the new home for the Mormon pioneers. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe Young had a vision shortly after they were exiled from Nauvoo, Illinois. 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. As the account goes, Young was very sick with Rocky Mountain spotted fever and was riding in the back of a wagon. After exiting Emigration Canyon 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. The statement was first attributed to Young by Wilford Woodruff more than thirty years after the pioneer advent.[1]
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,
Monument
In 1917,
Heritage 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 Fausett. 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.[2]
In 1975, restoration or replication of historical buildings from Utah's history to was begun to make a
1992 through 1995 was a period of major expansion in which the
From 2000 to 2004, another Park expansion 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
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. In 1996, the Staker Cabin tinsmith shop was added creating a new historic trade in the park. The Emery County Cabin was added as well as Native American displays were made. The Monument Café was opened, as were a new Pioneer Playground and Petting Corral.[2]
In 2011 the Park had a great setback as the executive director, Matthew Dahl, embezzled over $300,000 from the park.[6] He pled guilty and paid back the stolen funds.[7]
A splash pad called Irrigation Station was added to teach about water use in Utah.
See also
- Mormon Battalion
- Mormon handcart pioneers
- Mormon Trail
- Pioneer Village (Utah)
- Utah…This Is The Place
References
- ^ Utah Pioneers (Salt Lake City, 1880), p. 23, quoted in Leland H. Creer, The Founding of an Empire (Salt Lake City, 1947), p. 302, n. 913. Cited by Poll R. Dealing with Dissonance: Myths, Documents and Faith. Sunstone, 1988 p. 17, available online at sunstonemagazine.com
- ^ a b c d e f This is the Place Heritage Park promotional literature, 2009
- ^ State of Utah markers and monuments database Archived 2012-07-09 at archive.today
- ^ Young, Brigham Restored Farmhouse at 740 East Ashton Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah
- ProQuest 351333297.
- ^ March 7, John Hollenhorst | Posted-; P.m, 2011 at 6:00. "Charges expected in misuse of funds at This Is The Place park". www.ksl.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Romboy, Dennis. "Former director pleads guilty to stealing money from park".