A time traveler from today’s Utah would find much that seems familiar if he or she observed Pioneer Day celebrations during almost any time in history since 1847.
Take 1897, for instance. It was the 50th anniversary of the day pioneers first set foot in the Salt Lake Valley, and the Salt Lake Herald was filled with information about that day’s big parade, its route and its entries. (Access to old newspapers was obtained through newspapers.com.)
“It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on,” the day’s account began, quoting Brigham Young when he first saw the valley.
“Fifty years ago today Brigham Young stood on the summit of Big mountain at the head of Immigration Canyon and used these words,” the Herald said. “Before him was a wilderness of sand and sagebrush. Today it is the garden of the Lord.”
“A thriving city nestles in the valley of the Great Salt Lake, and on all sides of it are farms and orchards pouring their products in upon the markets of the world. … Today a hundred thousand people assemble in this city to celebrate the arrival of 150 pioneers 50 years ago.”
Why we have traditions
Traditions and anniversaries are marked in order to remember important events. As an essay on the Chapman University website put it, “In such celebrations, as we grieve and rejoice with others around us, we feel the social nature of our individuality. Each of us begins to sense, in the words of Desmond Tutu, that: ‘My humanity is caught up in yours.’
“However we may go about calling to mind our ancestors, we are engaging in the power of collective memory to connect us with each other across time, space and difference.”
In the case of Pioneer Day, Utahns and others around the world recall the tremendous faith of those who braved incredible hardships to reach a faraway valley where they could freely exercise their religion.
Not all who live in Utah or who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can trace their lineage to the pioneers who settled the Salt Lake Valley, but they can honor others in their line who overcame challenges or endured hardships to bring their offspring a better life.
The 24th of July in Utah is an important expression of community identity. It is important not only to the state’s origin story but as a reinforcement of its pioneering spirit — a spirit that will help the state overcome its current challenges, including dwindling levels of the Great Salt Lake in the face of a persistent and severe drought.
Pioneers of all kinds
As we observed once before, “Pioneering in any area, from crossing the wilderness to entrepreneurial endeavors, scientific discovery to pursuing societal progress requires the ability to persevere through extraordinary obstacles. Adapting and adjusting, rerouting and reevaluating plans are all part of the discipline of pioneering.”
Back in 1897, celebrants had the advantage of marking the day with many who either had crossed the plains or who had been intimately acquainted with those pioneers. The Deseret News described the parade that day featuring “fifty-two files of pioneers, between four and five hundred members, (who) marched … four abreast. About one-third were women.”
“The love and venerations of the spectators went out to them in prolonged cheers all along the line.” This, the account said, impressed “the lesson of respect and veneration for old age which is everywhere accorded to the survivors of ‘47.”
What a pleasure it would have been to see those hardy old pioneers being celebrated as they walked in the parade.
Today, we can only imagine such a thing, and yet we can learn much by studying their lives and honoring their legacies. Pioneer Day remains a time of celebration, including parades, sporting events and feasts.
The “thriving city” those pioneers must have marveled at is now a thriving metropolis hosting worldwide events and boasting many modern amenities.
That is a tangible testament to those pioneers and the many visionary generations that have followed them. It is a great reason for all to celebrate a wonderful Pioneer Day 2026.