Pioneer Day in other Western States
Pioneer Day, celebrated on July 24, commemorates the arrival of Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and is recognized not only in Utah but also in several surrounding Western states with significant Mormon populations. The holiday's roots trace back to the early efforts of Brigham Young and his followers, who attempted to establish a broader settlement known as the provisional state of Deseret, which encompassed parts of modern-day Utah, Nevada, and regions beyond.
In states like Idaho, where Mormon settlers established communities, Pioneer Day is marked by religious services and community festivities such as speeches, songs, and family gatherings, reflecting the cultural heritage of these early settlers. While Idaho continues to have a strong observance of Pioneer Day, there are also sporadic celebrations in Arizona, Nevada, and Wyoming, where the Mormon influence persists. This day serves as a reminder of the resilience and communal spirit of those who sought to forge new lives in the American West, emphasizing values of family and community.
Pioneer Day in other Western States
Pioneer Day is celebrated not only in Utah but also in the surrounding states, some of which have a large Mormon population. As emigrants from the eastern United States and abroad (especially from England and Scandinavia) swelled the Mormon ranks in and around Salt Lake City, Brigham Young organized his aggressive theocracy into the provisional state of Deseret. Deseret means “honeybee” and is a word taken from the Book of Mormon. Young's projected empire embraced what is now Utah, Nevada, and parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wyoming. Young's ambitious plans for Deseret were doomed to failure, however, for Congress set up the much smaller territory of Utah in 1850. Nevertheless, Mormon colonists spread out into the areas once claimed as part of Deseret.
The first Mormon attempt to expand northward beyond Utah was made in May 1855. Brigham Young dispatched twenty-seven men under the command of Thomas Smith to set up a mission and colony in the Lemhi River Valley of Idaho, then a twenty-two-day trip from Salt Lake City. After three years of hardships, the settlers gave up and returned home. In June 1860 a second, more successful band of Mormon settlers established a permanent agricultural settlement at Franklin in the southeastern section of the present state of Idaho. These Mormons who left Utah took with them the custom of celebrating July 24 as Pioneer Day. To mark the anniversary, they held morning religious services and a program of speeches, songs, and recitations, followed by a round of family or community banquets, races, and games. Pioneer Day is still observed by Mormons in Idaho. There are sporadic observances in Arizona, Nevada, and Wyoming as well, where the Mormons also settled.
Crane, Eli. "Perspective: The Pioneer Spirit in Northern Arizona." Deseret News, 20 July 2023, https://www.deseret.com/2023/7/20/23800936/pioneer-day-utah-northern-arizona-latter-day-saints/. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Turner, Jeffrey. "Utah’s Pioneer Day Celebrates Mormons’ Trek West--But There’s a Lot More to the History of Latter-day Saints and Migration." The Conversation, 22 July 2022, theconversation.com/utahs-pioneer-day-celebrates-mormons-trek-west-but-theres-a-lot-more-to-the-history-of-latter-day-saints-and-migration-186099. Accessed 1 May 2024.