Utah's first Jubilee celebration in 1897 was "a pageant of magnificence never before approached in the West," proclaimed the Deseret News.
Six days of parades were climaxed in a procession described as "miles of beauty and glory." Utah had been a state for 18 months - since Jan. 4, 1896 - and the Union's baby kicked up its heels in a consuming celebration of its pioneer beginnings. The 100,000 spectators who lined downtown streets for the culminating parade were "filled with astonishment and delight and realized as they had never done before what a grand state is the youngest member of the Union," the Deseret News reported.Surviving pioneers of the great migration from 1847 to 1869 received gold badges and were hosted at a number of gala events. Earlier in the month, the names of those intrepid founders had been engraved on a copper plate and buried in the cornerstone of Pioneer Monument near Temple Square.
The city, only a half century removed from its log cabin and adobe hut beginnings, was hosting a presidential candidate during the Jubilee celebration. William Jennings Bryant, poet/politician, was in the West to promote silver as the American monetary standard. He ultimately lost to gold supporters. While in Salt Lake City, he was hosted at "a quiet reception at the Alta Club" and given a place of honor to observe the Jubilee events.
A discreet ad urged "pioneers and all other visitors" to "inspect the various departments of ZCMI." Home Talent, a store at 134 Main St., enticed shoppers to "come and hear the talking machines. Choice songs and band pieces."
Tucked into a News column was the advisory that an eloper who had run off with the daughter of a wealthy Salt Lake family had been arrested in Fairfield, N.J.
At the Salt Lake Theater, people not watching parades could watch "pioneer plays by pioneer players," while at the competing Lyceum, a musical play, "Joseph Smith," promised quality entertainment.
The city was aglow with the wonders of the "electric age . . . Standing near the Pioneer Monument and gazing southward, one is dazzled and amazed at the intricate network of incandescent lights, blue, green, yellow and red, fantastically interwoven . . . "
Store fronts (and the temple itself) were draped with bunting and ablaze with lights. Police eight abreast were interspersed in the parade lineup to clear the way for the floats and bands.
The News presented an array of drawings representing the many parade floats:
"A barge in which sat Cupid and Psyche represented the voyage of a soul plighted by love." " `Anticipations more than Realized' represented a crocodile in the act of swallowing a fisherman. The mighty jaws of the crocodile were moving and the legs of the victim still protruded."
" `Mining' was a magnificent float representing all stages of the industry: the tunnel, the tramway, the car and the dump. Of course, a beautiful young lady presided over it all."
Beautiful young ladies, in fact, had a busy week. They were on floats with such titles as "The Serpent at Bay," "Friends of Fifty Years," "Utah Lake (which carried a whole boatload of beautiful young fisherwomen)" and other fanciful names. The Deseret News entry was especially enhanced by the addition of red lights, the paper reported.
Behind each float came a band.
A "cowboy tournament" drew contestants from many of the states and territories west of the Mississippi, the News said. Wild horses from the range 40 miles from the city were in the railroad stockyards waiting to test their resistance to the skills of the riders. Five ropers from Utah were to vie with five from Idaho in an interstate competition.
A Pony Express re-enactment was under the direction of Dr. H. J. Faust, a "veteran station keeper and rider of the early '60s." Many of the riders of the historic Express era were in Salt Lake City to bring the service back to life temporarily.
A wagon decorated with sunflowers and drawn by two black ponies won the Shetland pony contest.
Notables were abundant: "The cheering began when the Nauvoo organization came into view. It became deafening when President (Wilford) Woodruff's carriage was seen." Prior to the parade, President Woodruff had ridden around "inspecting the pioneer exhibits in the mustering ground and was everywhere received with marks of affection."
The real stars of the celebration, those who claimed true pioneer status, marched four abreast in 52 files. "About a third were women. The love and veneration of the spectators went out to them in prolonged cheers all along the line. Not the least of the lessons that will be impressed by the Jubilee upon the present generation is the lesson of respect and veneration for old age, which is everywhere accorded to the survivors of '47."
Children participated in races and games at local parks, and at Calder Park there were horse races. Erma, D.A., Elmac, Possum, and Old Dominos competed for a purse of $75. In a spurt for the wire, Erma overtook a close second to win the race.
The harried News reporter assigned to cover it all threw a personal observation into his story: "After seeing the rehabilitation of the pioneer emigration and knowing what is expected of him, the reporter throws down his pencil in despair. It can never be told . . . "