A begins with Maurice Abravanel, Maude Adams and African Americans in Utah. Z finishes up with Zion National Park and Zions Cooperative Mercantile Institution. In between are some 500 entries detailing the history and personality of Utah.
As one of the first of the centennial projects to reach fruition, the Utah History Encyclopedia takes on an overwhelming task - to reduce the history and character of state to a series of alphabetical listings. And for the most part the book succeeds very well. Not intended as an overview history but as a convenient reference tool, it takes a topical rather than a chronological approach. Entries range from personalities to cities and places, events, ethnic groups, state symbols, industries and much more.As Powell notes in his introduction, some might quarrel with what was left out - considering that the committee started with 2,000 possible topics and had to reduce it to a more manageable 500. The most difficult decisions were made in the people area, he said. But overall there don't seem to be any major gaps.
An impressive list of contributors donated their efforts to the project. They were, notes Powell, "given free rein of what to include, how to organize each essay and how to present it. There was no mandate of a rigid structure or a dry, data-filled chronicle. Rather, an interpretive, essaylike quality was encouraged."
This approach results in a bit of unevenness; some entries are naturally better than others. But as the book is not intended to be read straight through but rather used as a reference or for browsing, that shifting of voice is not a major concern. And a lot of interesting, useful information is presented in readable fashion.
For example, Dave Blackwell details the early days of the Utah Jazz; S. George Ellsworth takes a look at the care and keeping of Utah history; Powell takes us through every presidential election since 1896 to provide a brief overall view of politics in Utah; Richard H. Jackson provides a concise geologic and geographic assessment of Great Salt Lake; Doran J. Baker presents the history of Providence; Leonard J. Arrington discusses the history of coins and currency.
In all, 269 authors - from Douglas D. Alder to Robert F. Zeidner - are included, matching areas of expertise with subject matter to give the book breadth and depth.
Many essays include references for more information. The 250 photographs from the files of the Utah State Historical Society also add interest. Particularly nice is the two-page spread of photos that makes up the "Life in Utah" section. (Except that you wish for two or three more pages of these windows on the past.)
All in all, this is a great way to kick off our centennial celebration. It's a tool that will be useful for years to come.