Archives News

Our hearts are hurting as we received word that Val Wilson, a former colleague and friend to many of us at the State Archives, passed away last month.  Val began his career at the State Archives in 1969 and remained on staff until his retirement in 2005—over 36 years! Val was an excellent reference archivist and had an incredible working

What Happened The Mountain Meadows Massacre occurred in September 1857 in a highland valley roughly 35 miles southwest of Cedar City. The Baker-Fancher emigrant party, traveling through Utah on their way from Arkansas to California, was attacked by members of the local Iron County Militia and purportedly some local Paiute Indians. The emigrants fought back and a five day siege ensued. On the

While not as well known or celebrated as Route 66, Highway 89 is a defining artery of tourism and exploration in the western United States. Traveling from the high mountains of Montana to the low deserts of Arizona, Highway 89 passes through (or is adjacent to) seven national parks, including Saguaro, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and

Our State Government Team has been providing assistance to the Department of Corrections as they work to move the State Prison from its current site in Draper to the newly constructed site west of the Salt Lake International Airport in 2022. With so much history, and lots of official records, this is a massive project that we are excited to

November 24, 2022 will mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Colorado River Compact. In the eleven months between January and November of 1922, multiple meetings were held between federal and western state representatives that resulted in the Colorado River Compact. Over the course of its history, the legal framework that has emerged to manage development of the

As we end another year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect and share some of the good work that our team at the Utah State Archives and Records Service did in the past twelve months to ensure the ongoing care and management of the public records that we hold in trust for the citizens of Utah. In 2021…

This is the third (and final) in a series of blog posts that will explore records held by the Utah State Archives that help illuminate the story of Utah’s role in the larger western movement to tame and develop the Colorado River as a vital resource in the arid west. ENVISIONING THE CENTRAL UTAH PROJECT Due to circumstances of geology and

This is the second in a series of blog posts that will explore records held by the Utah State Archives that help illuminate the story of Utah’s role in the larger western movement to tame and develop the Colorado River as a vital resource in the arid west. UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN COMPACT With the passage of the Colorado River Compact

This is the first in a series of blog posts that will explore records held by the Utah State Archives that help illuminate the story of Utah’s role in the larger western movement to tame and develop the Colorado River as a vital resource in the arid west. THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN The Colorado River originates in the high Rocky

As the keeper of Utah’s permanent government records, we at the Utah State Archives and Records Service keep tabs on the ongoing shuffle of offices and agencies within government that takes place on an annual basis. Knowing the structure of government is critical to providing effective records management services, while also holding together the story of who created permanent records