It Happened in Utah

by Gayen Wharton

Do you know where Butch Cassidy hid out? Where Arsenal
Hill exploded? Where an entirely female council ran a town in 1912?
Where the transcontinental railroad was finally connected? It all
happened in Utah. Read these and other fascinating stories about the
history of this remarkable state in It Happened in Utah. Authors Gayen
and Tom Wharton will introduce you to characters as strange as Salt
Lake City's grave robber Jean Baptiste, and as courageous as the
pioneers who traveled through Hole in the Rock lugging all their
belongings behind them. Ride along with Howard Egan as the Pony
Express delivers a message from the President of the United States,
and with Dick Wilson as he builds the Slickrock Bike Trail in Moab.
Written in an easy-to-read style, It Happened in Utah is entertaining
as well as informative.

Genres: History

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

Reviews

[Tim Heise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 4th graders loved reading this book about odd things that happened in Utah.

[Kristene · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://booklvrslounge.blogspot.com/2...

[Karri Hoopes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay and accurate but kind of a skim of the incidents.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a a collection of about 26 stories arranged in chronological order, beginning with A Fur Traders Fight of 1825, and ending with Dick Wilson Builds the Slickrock Bike Trail from 1969. Each is short, condensed to about five pages, making it an easy read. Some, such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, or the Trial of Joe Hill, have already had volumes written about them. Others are not so well-known, such as the explosion of "Arsenal Hill" that shook up Salt Lake City, or the woman who ran against her husband for the Utah Senate, and won. The authors seem to have researched each story quite well, referring to different sources and making it clear in some places that small incidents could have happened one way or another, depending on which source you choose to go with. There is so much information packed into such a small space that sometimes I have to re-read things in order to follow the storyline clearly, and even then I'm not always clear on the details. These are good overviews that give a feel for the influences that have shaped Utah into what it is today. There are references listed in the back if you want to look up more information, and there is also a sort of a prologue that lists some interesting facts.

[Don Gubler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting local folklore.