| OCR Text |
Show L riiii ii - i 'I'i Utah plans entire year of Centennial celebrations By Dalene Bavelas SignM)st features writer Utah reached 100 years of history with the new year, and has begun the celebration in grand style. The evening of Jan. 2 started the festivities with a banquet held in Filmore, the first capital of Utah. Many state officials and dignitaries came to celebrate. RoydonJulander,chairmanof the Weber State University political science department, has been involved in helping create the celebration of the Centennial. Julanderwaschairmanof the religious services committee andamem-ber of the centennial week committee. The religious services committee found there were 16 churches at the time statehood occurred. "We contacted each of these churches and invited them to participate inmultidenomi national services for the evening of Jan. 3," Julander said. Everyone was asked to attend a service other than their own regular church, Julander said. Jan. 4, at 7:30 a.m., mere was a flag ceremony using the original flag. "At 9:13 a.m. that was the exact minute, there was a reenactment of the telegram announcing statehood. People were dressed up as newspaper boys, and people were dancing on State Street," Julander said. At 10 a.m., Salt Lake City held a parade replicating the one in 1896, down to the pet bear that someone had owned back then, Julander said. At noon, there was an abbreviated reenactment at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Actors played the parts of officials who spoke in 1896, then present-day leaders spoke for the people of today, Julander said. In the evening, a gala was held at the Delta Center. Entertainers who got their start in Utah, like the King family, the Osmond family and the Lettermen family, provided entertainment for the event. I mw7 " a 1 if. If i CARRIE CLUFF THE SIGNPOST On Jan. 4, an elementary school choir sang in the Salt Lake Tabernacle while students from Layton High School carried Utah flags down the aisles. An invitation was given to the crowd to join the choir singing the national anthem. At the end of the gala, fireworks exploded over the state capitol. Centennial festivities will continue year round. Each county was allocated a grant from the Centennial Commission to provide a major project for the state. Weber County is sponsoring a baseball tournament this summer and every county will have abaseball team. The summer of 1996 will be busy with many other celebration plans as well. The Utah Centennial Commis-sion is sponsoring a wagon trainstart-ing in Logan and winding down to Cedar City in the month of June. "Anyone that has a wagon and horse can join this the wagon train. Arrangements have been made each night for one town to host them," Julander said. Many other WSU staff members are working with the Centennial. Kathryn Mackey, a professor from the history department, has done extensive research on women's suffrage for the Weber County project. An exhibit was created celebrat-inglOOyearsofwomen'svotingrightsin Utah, which came 25 years before women were given voting privileges by the federal government. The exhibit began Jan. 5 at the Weber County Library, with Judge Chris tine Durham, who spoke as part of the opening ceremonies, Mackey said. "The exhibit will travel throughout the state, then in August, the National Exhibit from the Smithsonian of 75 years of women's suffrage will be coming to Weber County Library as well," Mackey said. Richard Sadler, dean of the social science department, and Richard Roberts, a professor from the history department, were appointed by Weber County Commission to write about Weber County history in the Centennial. Utah has many exciting months ahead for 1996. The public will have much to enjoy and learn this Centennial year. rTT C""V r: h if t J f $ r i . K'A "f. 4 f) 4M V' V :l- I WW ? i f Many speakers in the reenactment of the inauguration, dressed in the late 1800's style, recited the speeches of U.S. national figures, such as Pres. Grover Cleveland and Gov. Heber M. Wells. Quest for statehood presented in KUED documentary By Kristie Nielsen Signpost features writer A KUED five-hour documentary titled "UtalvThe Struggle for Statehood" aired Jan. 3 and 4 in conjunction w ith statewide celebrations honoring the 100th anniversary of Utah being admitted to the union. The documentary explained the political, social and religious atmosphere of the 1800s, and how it affected the growth of Utah and its quest for statehood. It focuses on the Mormon pioneers, the circumstances that led them to cross the plains and wha t they faced when they arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley. "Utah-The Struggle for Statehood" was directed and narrated by KenVerdoia. It featured numerous historical quotes readby prominent Utah politicians, business leaders and broadcast journalists, such as Orrin Hatch, Jon Hunsrman, Jr., Phil Riesen, and Kimberly Perkins. Period photos, music and quotes from journals and letters told aboutsignificantevents leading to Utah's statehood. Highlights of the documentary include background information on what led Mormon Church President Brigham Young to choose the Great Salt Lake Valley, the immigration of thousands of Mormon converts y 5 1 t from the Eastern United States and Europe and relations with the native Utah tribes. Also covered is the cricket invasion on the crops in 1848, the Mountain Meadow Massacre in 1857 and the arrival of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. Tensions wi th federal government officials and troops in Utah territory, the national campaign against polygamy and the union of church and state in Utah are covered extensively as well. Polygamy and the union of church and state were by far the biggest roadblocks to Utah receiving statehood. Problems began in 1852 when the Mormon Church made public the practice of polygamy, which they called celestial marriage and held as a sacred religious practice. Not until 1890, when Mormon Church President Wilford Woodruff gave his speech, now referred to as The Manifesto, could statehood be pursued. It declared churchmembers should adhere to the laws of the land for the "temporal salvation of the Church." Government leaders demanded the abolishment of polygamy and a separation of church and state before granting statehood to Utah. See Quest page 7 . 4 . . f 7.;' ' ! l 7 V sr.. nut - i A v .- CARRIE CLUFF THE SIGNPOST Utah's fight brought back to life By Alisa C. Rasmussen Signpost news editor It was the year 1896 when a new star was seen flying over the United States. It was in that year, on Jan. 4, that Utah officially received statehood, becoming the 45th state of the union. A crowd of 15,000 people from all over Utah gathered in and around the Tabernacle, the largest building in Salt Lake City at the time , to celebrate in honor of the new state. Last Thursday, on Jan. 4, 100 years later, Utahns again celebrated Utah's statehood in centennial style. Many people again gathered in and around the Salt Lake Tabernacle, located on Temple Square, to see the reenactment of the inauguration. As trumpets from the 26th Army band heralded the beginning of the program, Utah's flag, as well as the U. S. flag, were brought down the aisles ceremoniously.The speakers on the stage were dressed in 1800's style, portraying prominent figures on that day. With the beginning of the national anthem, the crowd was invited to sing along with a large elementary school choir. A flag was then pro-See Fight page 7 |
