Utah is commonly known as the “Beehive State”, symbolizing hard work and industry.[1] Utah spans an area of approximately 84,916 square miles, making it the 13th largest state in the U.S.[2] As of 2023, the estimated population of Utah is estimated to be 3.4 million.[3]
Utah’s economy is diversified, covering industries such as tourism, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, information technology, finance, and petroleum production.[4] The state has a significant presence in the manufacturing of transportation equipment, machinery, electronics, rocket engines, and metal products. In terms of mining, Utah is consistently one of the top U.S. states for the production of nonfuel minerals like beryllium and copper.[5] Tourism plays a significant role in Utah’s economic success. Recent data shows that visitors spent a record $12 billion in Utah in 2023, generating 159,800 direct travel-related jobs and $2.35 billion in direct state and local tax revenue.[6][7]
Attractions Utah is renowned for its natural beauty and outdoor recreational activities. The state boasts five national parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. These parks, along with numerous state parks and monuments, make Utah a popular destination for tourists. The state is also known for its winter activities and has seen an increase in tourism since the 2002 Winter Olympics. Salt Lake City, the state capital, is also a major attraction.
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History of UtahHistory of Utah
European Discovery and Occupation The first known European to enter Utah was Juan Antonio de Rivera, a resident of New Spain, which comprised most of North America. The governor sent him to explore the area north of Santa Fe in an attempt to find silver. Rivera entered the southwestern area of Utah in 1765, discovered the Colorado River, and claimed the whole area for Spain.[8] By the time Europeans came to Utah, the Puebloans had disappeared from the area. The Navajo, Utes, Paiutes, and Shoshone peoples had taken up residence across modern-day Utah.[8]
However, the first significant European settlements were established by fur trappers in the early 19th century. Jim Bridger was the first settler to report seeing the Great Salt Lake in 1824.[8] In 1843, he established Fort Bridger in the Wyoming Territory as a station for those following the Oregon Trail.[8] The colonization of Utah by pioneers of European descent commenced in July 1847, when Brigham Young, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, led the Saints to settle what is now Salt Lake City. This group consisted of 143 men, 3 women, and 2 children.[9]
The establishment of settlements in Utah took place in four stages. The first stage, from 1847 to 1857, marked the founding of the north-south line of settlements along the Wasatch Front and Wasatch Plateau to the south, from Cache Valley on the Idaho border to Utah’s Dixie on the Arizona border.[10] The first in this southward extending chain of settlements was Utah Valley, immediately south of Salt Lake Valley, which was settled by thirty families in the spring of 1849.[10] Within a year the population had grown to 2,026 people.[10]
Utahns began petitioning Congress for admission to the Union in 1849, but statehood was not achieved until 1896.[11] Utah became the 45th state of the United States on January 4, 1896.[12]
Utah’s participation in the Civil War was minimal. When the Civil War began, the Army left the Utah Territory. Several Indian tribes started raiding the mail trails in the territory. Brigham Young offered to provide soldiers, and Lincoln agreed to the creation of a thirty man cavalry company for ninety days.[13]
Following the arrival of the first settlers in 1847, it is estimated that 80,000 crossed the plains to settle in Utah.[14] The influx of settlers transformed the state from a wilderness to established settlements by the early 1900s.[10] The arrival of the transcontinental railroad quickly made Utah cities centers for merchandise and industrialization.[15] [16] Mining became a major industry in Utah andf rom statehood in 1896 to around 1910, Utah’s economy moved from one of villages and scattered mines to one based on mining, commercial farming, and smelting.[17] By the end of the 20th Century, Utah had been transformed from a state dominated by small farmers to urbanization.[18]
Demographics of UtahDemographics of Utah
The demographic distribution of the Utah population is as follows:[19]
- White: 83.7%
- Two or more races: 5.64%
- Other race: 5.2%
- Asian: 2.34%
- Black or African American: 1.19%
- Native American: 1.03%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.9%
Most common surnames in UtahMost common surnames in Utah
Researching family history in UtahResearching family history in Utah
The National Archives at Denver has valuable federal records from Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City has the largest collection of genealogical records in the United States. The Utah State Archives and Records Service has state records beginning in 1850. The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers has extensive records of the early settlers in Utah. The universities in Utah have special collections libraries with important original documents many of which are valuable genealogically. Utah's Online Library has an extensive collection of online resources. There are many more genealogically valuable resources in the local and county libraries.
Utah county listUtah county list
Utah has 29 counties.
| Beaver | Box Elder | Cache | Carbon |
| Daggett | Davis | Duchesne | Emery |
| Garfield | Grand | Iron | Juab |
| Kane | Millard | Morgan | Piute |
| Rich | Salt Lake | San Juan | Sanpete |
| Sevier | Summit | Tooele | Uintah |
| Utah | Wasatch | Washington | Wayne |
| Weber |
See alsoSee also
Explore more about UtahExplore more about Utah
MyHeritage.com has 35 collections of important genealogical records from Utah including the Western United States, Marriage Index, 1838-2016, Utah, Voter Registrations, Utah Burials, Utah Newspapers, 1850-2003 and Utah Marriages, 1887-1999. There are many other records in the Utah Collection Catalog.
References
- ↑ 7 Nicknames for Utah and the Stories Behind Them
- ↑ Physical Geography of Utah | History to Go
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Utah
- ↑ Economy of Utah Statistics and Data Trends: GDP ranking, unemployment rate, and economic growth | USAFacts
- ↑ List of Products Made in Utah - AllAmerican.org
- ↑ 'The outlook is optimistic': Utah's tourism industry still buzzing after record $12B year
- ↑ Utah Tourism Public Dashboards (Updated - Internal)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Utah’s Road to Statehood: The Earliest Utah Settlers
- ↑ Emigration Canyon: The Arrival of the Saints
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Colonization of Utah | History to Go
- ↑ Statehood | History to Go
- ↑ Utah Historical Society | The Utah Historical Society is a division of the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement
- ↑ A Question of Loyalty: Utah & the American Civil War · Utah Stories from the Beehive Archive
- ↑ Religious pioneers settle Salt Lake Valley
- ↑ Golden Spike National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)
- ↑ A World Transformed: The Transcontinental Railroad and Utah
- ↑ Industry & Immigrants in Turn-of-the-Century Utah | Utah Historical Society
- ↑ Utah's Demographic Transformation: A View into the Future
- ↑ Utah Population 2024 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)
- ↑ Most Common Surnames in Florida, With Meanings