Utah History: Building Connections Throughout the State

Founded in 1897, July 2022 marked the 55th anniversary of the Utah Division of State History and the 125th year since the organization’s creation. Approaching these milestones, we at the Utah Division of State History are experiencing a number of exciting developments, which we hope will allow us to continue to preserve and share Utah’s history for generations to come. 

In April of 2022, our agency started a holistic strategic planning process that will help map out the next five years of our organization’s future and the long term trajectory of public history in Utah. A big piece of this puzzle includes gathering and processing community feedback in a variety of ways. In May, we launched a public survey in both English and Spanish to hear how the Utah Division of State History can help to foster curiosity and excitement for learning about the past. This survey is twelve questions long and will provide our team insight from community members across the state. Please take a look at the survey and add your thoughts here.  

In addition to the survey, staff from the Utah Division of State History are traveling the state hosting Community Listening Sessions. Our team is hosting networking and one-on-one organizational meetings in cities and towns throughout the state to assess specific community needs and build relationships over the next several months. Community Listening Sessions started the first week in August and will continue through September. Everyone is welcome to attend, and the Division encourages anyone with any interest to please come to the listening session held nearest to their community. Feedback from these sessions will help shape the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan and influence our programming moving forward. 

The following is a list of dates and locations of where Community Listening Sessions are being held: 

August 1st: Moab Museum, 5:30-7:00pm 

August 2nd: Bluff Community Center, 7:00pm-8:30pm 

August 11: Brigham City Museum of Art & History 5:30-7:00 pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

August 16th: Uintah County Library 5:30-7:00 pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

August 24th: McQuarrie Daughters of the Utah Pioneers 5:30-7:00 pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

August 25th: Frontier Homestead State Park 5:30-7:00 pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

August 30th: Utah Cultural Celebration Center (UCCC) 5:30-7:00 pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

August 31st: Tooele Library 5:30-7:00 pm.  CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

September 6th: Ogden Union Station, 5:30-7:00pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

September 7th: Cache Valley Historic Courthouse, 6:00pm-7:30pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

September 8th: Ephraim Co-Op, 5:30-7:00pm. THIS HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED.

September 28th: Museum of Mormon Mexican History, 5:30-7:00 pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event. 

October 6th: Vineyard Town Hall, 5:30 pm to 7 pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event.

October 11th: Ephraim Co-Op, 5:30-7:00pm. CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this free event.

Additional sessions across the Salt Lake Valley, Wasatch Front, and Central Utah will be added over the next few weeks. If you would like to host a session at your organization or would like to suggest a location, please contact Jennifer Ortiz at jenniferortiz@utah.gov