Utah Trivia & Tidbits - Page 2

Looking for Utah trivia? Try our list Utah little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

—In 1893, the Mormon Church built Saltair Resort, an amusement park north of Magna (pop. 22,770) that was designed by architect Richard Kletting, who also designed the Utah Capitol building. The park’s initial popularity—especially for swimming in the Great Salt Lake and dancing—waned during the 20th century, particularly due to a series of fires, but it was restored and rededicated in 1993.

first appeared: 1/11/2009

—The two steam locomotives that operate seasonally at the Golden Spike National Historic Site, northwest of Brigham City (pop. 17,411), are replicas of the two steam locomotives that converged on the site on May 10, 1869, to mark the transcontinental railroad’s ceremonial completion. The original locomotives were scrapped in the early 1900s; the replicas were completed in the late 1970s.

first appeared: 12/29/2008

—The landscape within the Fiery Furnace, an area of Arches National Park near Moab (pop. 4,779), is so complex that there are no marked trails. Those who wish to hike through the maze of narrow passages and canyons bordered by orange-hued sandstone fins must join a ranger-guided hike or obtain a special permit issued to people experienced in the canyons.

first appeared: 11/30/2008

—Utah State University in Logan (pop. 42,670) first began producing ice cream in the basement of the Animal Science Building in the early 1920s, thanks to professor Gustav Wilster. Today, Aggie Ice Cream, which still is produced on campus, is one of the university’s most famous symbols.

first appeared: 11/16/2008

—The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, which courses through Zion National Park, includes a 1.1-mile tunnel, opened in 1930, that was blasted through the side of a sandstone mountain. During construction, workmen on the tunnel used scaffolding to cope with 800-foot drops to the canyon below and railcars to remove debris. Today, oversize vehicles that use the tunnel near Springdale (pop. 457) are required to have an official escort.

first appeared: 11/2/2008

—Once used by American Indians, the sulfur-rich Pah Tempe natural hot springs near Hurricane (pop. 8,250) and LaVerkin were purchased by Thomas Judd in the late 1880s. Through the early 20th century, the springs, as hot as 108 degrees, were used for bathing, sheep dipping (to protect against scabies) and baptisms. The resort’s current owner hopes to reopen the springs to the public.

first appeared: 10/19/2008

—In May, Hill Air Force Base, near Clearfield (pop. 25,974), dedicated four of its streets and a memorial park, including a black granite monument, to four airmen from the base—Tech. Sgt. Timothy Weiner, Special Agent (Tech. Sgt.) Ryan Balmer, Senior Airman Elizabeth Loncki and Senior Airman Daniel Miller Jr.—who lost their lives in Iraq in 2007.

first appeared: 10/5/2008

—Built from poured, reinforced concrete and advertised as fireproof, Peery’s Egyptian Theatre in Ogden was built on the site of the Peery family’s pioneer home, and opened in 1924 as the “showplace of the West.” The theater, which has been fully restored, was designed to resemble being seated in an Egyptian courtyard under twinkling stars in a desert sky.

first appeared: 9/21/2008

—A statue of Old Sorrel the horse stands at Southern Utah University in Cedar City (pop. 20,527), celebrating the animal’s heroic feat in 1898. Old Sorrel pushed its way through snowdrifts up to 15 feet high to bring logs back from the sawmill at present-day Brian Head (pop. 118), thus helping to keep construction on schedule to retain the school’s state funding.

first appeared: 9/7/2008

—The James V. Hansen Wildlife Education Center opened two years ago at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City (pop. 17,411). The facility offers interactive exhibits, a wetland diorama and other displays featuring information about the birds of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, including those that visit the refuge.

first appeared: 8/24/2008

—Born in St. George (pop. 49,663) in 1958, left-handed pitcher Bruce Hurst entered professional baseball on April 12, 1980, when he was selected by the Boston Red Sox. He made three post-season appearances in his career, including the 1986 and 1988 American League Championship Series and the 1986 World Series. He also was an All-Star selection for the 1987 American League.

first appeared: 8/10/2008

—The Willard Peak Road Scenic Backway courses about 14 miles from Mantua (pop. 791) to Willard Basin, and then to a scenic lookout near Willard Peak known as Inspiration Point, which offers excellent views of the Great Basin. The rugged road, which is best suited for four-wheel-drive or off-road vehicles, rises in elevation some 4,000 feet.

first appeared: 7/27/2008

—In August 1889, Mormon settlers from Hawaii arrived in the Skull Valley in Tooele County (pop. 40,735) and named their new community Iosepa, wich means “Joseph” in the Hawaiian dialect, in part to honor Joseph F. Smith, who served as a Mormon missionary in the Hawaiian Islands. The community endured until 1917; by then, many residents had returned to Hawaii after a Mormon church was erected there.

first appeared: 7/13/2008

—Located next to the San Juan River and the Navajo Nation, Bluff (pop. 320) reportedly gains its name from the nearby 300-foot-high sandstone bluffs. The community was founded in 1880 by the “Hole in the Rock” expedition of Mormon pioneers—who used dynamite to blast their wagons’ passage through an area of rock on the arduous trail—and today features historic sandstone and wood frame houses.

first appeared: 6/29/2008

—West Jordan native Gene Fullmer was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991, after a 64-bout career that saw him win 55, lose six and draw three fights, with 24 knockouts. He became the middleweight champion in 1957 when he beat Sugar Ray Robinson.

first appeared: 6/15/2008

—High West Distillery, which is renovating a century-old livery stable in Park City (pop. 7,371) to serve as its headquarters and a ski-in visitors center, has released its first whiskey: Rendezvous Rye. Named for annual summer “rendezvous” of mountain men to exchange pelts for supplies, the rye is a blend that offers notes of cinnamon, caramel, honey, mint and vanilla.

first appeared: 6/1/2008

—Artist and sculptor Avard Tennyson Fairbanks, who was born in Provo in 1897, created many works of art during his lifetime, including the original “ram” radiator ornament for the Dodge automotive company. He also sculpted the Angel Moroni that appears on many Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temples, and a tribute to the Pony Express for the 1947 Utah Centennial.

first appeared: 5/18/2008

—Grey’s Anatomy actress Katherine Heigl married singer Josh Kelley in Park City (pop. 7,371) last Dec. 23 in a ceremony whose guests included cast mates Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight, plus Kate Walsh of Private Practice. Heigl, who wore an Oscar de la Renta gown, met Kelley when she starred in the music video for his song “Only You” in 2005.

first appeared: 5/4/2008

Salt Lake City native Jan Bucher grew up as an ice skater, but switched to freestyle skiing’s ballet event as a result of injuries. She became one of the sport’s best, winning a silver medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, where the sport was an exhibition event. Bucher earned gold at the World Cup Ballet Championship in 1986 and 1989.

first appeared: 5/4/2008

—The 500-acre Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele (pop. 22,502), which features a 4.5-mile main racing circuit and 0.9-mile karting track, earned the 2006 Motorsports Facility of the Year award from the Professional Motorsports World Expo. The facility also includes the Ford Racing Performance Training Center, Freddie Spencer’s High-Performance Riding School, the Larry H. Miller Auto Museum and a 22,000-square-foot clubhouse.

first appeared: 3/9/2008

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.