Utah Trivia & Tidbits - Page 8

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

Everett Ruess disappeared from the area around Escalante (pop. 818) in 1934. The 20-year-old artist, who felt a deep connection with the natural world, was never seen again although his burros were found near his camp. Ruess left a remarkable collection of letters, poems, essays, watercolors, drawings and wood-block prints portraying his Western experiences. His life and work are commemorated during Everett Ruess Days, celebrated each October in Garfield County.

first appeared: 1/30/2005

The LOTOJA—Logan, Utah, to Jackson, Wyo.—bike race covers one day, three states and 203 miles, making it one of the nation’s longest single-day events. Fewer than 10 cyclists took part in the inaugural event in 1983; hundreds now participate in the annual September race, which begins in Logan (pop. 42,670), courses through Idaho and usually finishes in Jackson eight to 12 hours later.

first appeared: 1/16/2005

For 50 years, rancher Waldo Wilcox protected a secret archaeologicalsite that had been home to the Fremont Indians 1,000 years ago. The undisturbedarea, which includes pit houses, grain storage vaults and rock art panels, waspart of his family's 4,200-acre ranch southeast of Price (pop. 8,402) and isnow owned and managed by the state as the Range Creek Wildlife Management Area.

first appeared: 1/2/2005

The state’s worst mining disaster occurred on May 1, 1900, when an explosion ignited coal dust in the No. 4 Mine at Winter Quarters near Scofield (pop. 28), killing at least 200 miners. Surrounding towns sent rescue crews; communities as far away as San Francisco raised money for bereaved families; men arrived from Provo to help dig graves; and Salt Lake City children gathered flowers for the caskets.

first appeared: 12/19/2004

At 220 feet high and 31 feet wide, Sipapu is the largest of the three natural rock bridges in Natural Bridges National Monument, located west of Blanding (pop. 3,162). First named "President," and then "Augusta," the bridge gained its final name in 1909. Sipapu is a Hopi Indian word that means "the place of emergence."

first appeared: 12/5/2004

First called Big Springs or Warm Springs after the local water source, and then Omni after a prophet in the Book of Mormon, Richfield (pop. 6,847) gained its final name from the area's fertile soil. Each man who owned a city lot in town in 1865 was required to build one rod—or 16.5 feet—of wall for the local fort.

first appeared: 11/21/2004

Covering 106 acres with a single root system and estimated to be a million years old, a stand of quaking aspen trees in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains holds the title of the world’s largest living plant.

first appeared: 11/7/2004

The Purple Heart monument at Hill Air Force Base in Layton (pop. 58,474) was dedicated "to the men and women wounded in all our wars" on Aug. 7, 2004—the same date in 1782 that Gen. George Washington established the award. The memorial will eventually bear the names of all Purple Heart recipients from Utah.

first appeared: 10/24/2004

By the late 1950s, Peter and Celestia Peterson of Fairview (pop. 1,160) had been married for more than 80 years, making theirs one of the state’s longest marriages. They inspired a statue by Avard Fairbanks, given by the artist in the early 1960s to the National Shrine to Love and Devotion at the Fairview Museum of History and Art.

first appeared: 10/10/2004

The town of Thurber, founded in 1875, was named after early explorer Albert King Thurber but later changed its name when Thomas Bicknell—an educator and author from Rhode Island—offered to give 1,000 books to a town that would name itself after him. Thurber’s residents agreed, and the town became Bicknell (pop. 353) in April 1916.

first appeared: 10/3/2004

Perception Park was built in the mid-1980s to provide accessible camping and picnicking facilities for the disabled. Located east of Huntsville (pop. 649), the park features tables, grills, water fountains, riverside fishing sites and paved walkways that all accommodate wheelchairs.

first appeared: 9/19/2004

It’s reported that Annabella (pop. 603), in Sevier County, was named for two of its first women settlers: Ann S. Roberts and Isabella Dalton. Isabella was the wife of Harry Dalton, who arrived in the Sevier Valley in 1871, and Ann was married to another early settler, Edward K. Roberts.

first appeared: 9/12/2004

Muley Twist Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park—headquartered in Torrey (pop. 171)—earned its name because its narrow width and hairpin bends are enough to “twist a mule.” Beginning in 1881, Mormon pioneers used the canyon as a wagon route through the 100-mile-long Waterpocket Fold.

first appeared: 9/5/2004

The Abajo Mountains west of Monticello (pop. 1,958) are home to the Abert’s squirrel, which is gray and white with distinctively tufted ears. Found in ponderosa or yellow pine areas, the squirrels live almost entirely in the trees, building their nests in the branches, and eating pine tree bark, seeds, buds and flowers.

first appeared: 8/29/2004

Completed in 1995 at a cost of $23 million, and located in a box canyon of red rock cliffs near Ivins (pop. 4,450), the Tuacahn Amphitheatre and Centre for the Arts includes a 1,920-seat outdoor theatre designed as the home of the musical UTAH! Tuacahn is a Mayan word that means “canyon of the gods.”

first appeared: 8/22/2004

Scientists recently discovered two rare posterior imprints left behind when a dinosaur rested beside a 100-mile-wide lake some 200 million years ago, near present-day St. George (pop. 49,663). The 20-foot-long dinosaur is believed to have sat, then stood up and walked a few paces before sitting down again.

first appeared: 8/15/2004

George Edward Wahlen, who was born in Ogden in 1924, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry while serving as a pharmacist’s mate with the 5th Marine Division on Iwo Jima in March 1945. Although wounded several times and under constant enemy fire, Wahlen consistently rendered medical aid to his comrades, demonstrating both self-sacrifice and valor.

first appeared: 8/8/2004

Defensive tackle Merlin Olsen, who was born in Logan (pop. 42,670) on Sept. 15, 1940, was named to the Pro Bowl for 14 consecutive years during his 15-year NFL career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Olsen also is known for his TV appearances as a broadcaster and actor, and for his role as spokesman for FTD Florists.

first appeared: 8/1/2004

It is reported that in 1863, when a whirlwind blew off the top of the buggy belonging to early settler Erastus Snow, he exclaimed, “Well, that was a hurricane, we’ll name this the Hurricane Hill.” Hurricane thus became the name of several prominent features in the area, including the hill, the local geological fault, a canal and the community of Hurricane (pop. 8,250), founded in 1906.

first appeared: 7/25/2004

Settled in the late 1870s, Castle Dale (pop. 1,657)—the seat of Emery County—is named for the castle-like geological formations in the area. The community was supposed to have been Castle Vale, but the post office listed it as Castle Dale, and the name stuck.

first appeared: 7/18/2004

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.