Jeffrey D. Nichols History Blazer, March 1995 Wherever American workers struggled to improve their conditions of labor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mary Harris Jones was likely to be there. A tireless champion of workers’ rights, Mother Jones, as she was called, was involved in the great railroad strike of 1877, the Haymarket riot of 1896, and …
World War I Heroine Maud Fitch Lived in Eureka, Utah
Miriam B. Murphy History Blazer, April 1995 Maud Fitch won recognition for her valor near the front lines in France during World War I. A native of Eureka, she was one of many Utah women whose efforts helped the Allies succeed in defeating Kaiser Wilhelm’s war machine. Born in November 1882, Maud was one of five children in the family …
World War I and Utah
Allan Kent PowellUtah History Encyclopedia, 1994 Known as “The Great War” until the outbreak of World War II, World War I began on 1 August 1914 and ended with armistice on 11 November 1918. The two warring sides were the Allies—comprised of Russia, France, Great Britain, Italy, United States, Japan, Romania, Belgium, Serbia, Greece, Portugal, and Montenegro; and the Central …
How Utah Lost One of Its U. S. Senate Seats in 1899
Jeffrey D. Nichols History Blazer, March 1995 The crowded room was expectant but not hopeful. As the night wore on the long list of names was read aloud nine times, but the results barely changed. Finally, just after midnight, the last count ended. Some in the crowd seemed relieved and excited, while others were disappointed. On the 60th and last day …
Clarence E. Allen Was Utah’s First Congressman
Miriam B. Murphy History Blazer, December 1995 In November 1895 Utahns elected Clarence Emir Allen, the Republican candidate, as their first congressman. He took his seat in the House on January 7, 1896, some days before the new state’s two senators, Frank J. Cannon and Arthur Brown, were elected by the legislature. Although Utah had been represented in Congress during …
The First Large Factory in Utah
Sharon S. Arnold Beehive History 6 The Golden Spike was barely driven when pioneer leaders chose a likely site for a large factory. With the coming of the railroad, the massive machinery needed to start large-scale manufacturing could be shipped to the territory, and local products could be sold from coast to coast. LDS church leaders had a specific plan …
Charcoal Kilns and Early Smelting in Utah
Becky Bartholomew History Blazer, May 1996 Beginning in the 1860s mining has been an important industry in Utah. Tooele County has long been a leading producer of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. But because the first claims were staked by U.S. soldiers who did not stay in Utah and left few records, little is known about early mining techniques …
Governors of the State of Utah
Heber Manning Wells First Governor of the State of Utah from 1896–1905 Republican Party When Utah achieved statehood in 1896, 36-year-old Wells, a Salt Lake City native, became the first Governor of the State of Utah and the youngest governor to date. A former tax collector, city recorder, and secretary of the 1895 Utah Constitutional Convention, Wells was later involved in banking. He set …
Territorial Governors of Utah
Brigham Young First Governor of the Territory of Utah from 1850–1858 Brigham Young, first Governor of the Territory of Utah, from 1850–1858 Named governor in 1850 by Millard Fillmore, he was reappointed in 1854 by Franklin Pierce when Lt. Col. Edward J. Steptoe refused the post. Young as territorial executive was concerned with organizing the territorial government, selecting the location of the …
Utah’s Uranium Boom
Raye C. Ringholz Beehive History 16 It was the winter of 1949 in Houston, Texas. Charles Augustus Steen was twenty-eight years old. Fired as a geologist by the Standard Oil Company of Indiana for “rebellion against authority” and blacklisted throughout the petroleum industry, he was working as a carpenter to support a pregnant wife and three toddlers. But all the …