Visitors can journey back in time at Old Deseret Village, a collection of more than 40 historic homes and buildings brought to life by historical interpreters. This is the Place Monument, located in the park, marks the end of the 1,300-mile Mormon trail.
The park offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, demonstrations, and educational and recreational events (including living history events).
Established by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez in 1843 as an emigrant supply stop along the Oregon Trail. It was obtained by the Mormons in the early 1850s, and then became a military outpost in 1858. Today, there are several restored historical buildings from the military time period, a reconstruction of the trading post operated by Jim Bridger, and an interpretive archaeological site containing the base of the cobble rock wall built by the Mormons during their occupation of the fort. In addition, a museum containing artifacts from the various different historical time periods is housed in the 1888 stone barracks building.
The site offers exhibits.
The Center prepares visitors for an adventure along the western historic trails. Here, they can receive an orientation for trips north following the Lewis and Clark Trail or for trips west following the routes of early travelers on the Oregon, Mormon, and California Trails. They can enter the Lied Historical Building on the Path of Names to enjoy educational exhibits, maps, films, and sculpture.
The site offers short films, exhibits, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).
From the California History-Social Science Project website:
"A new interactive online exhibit from the California Council for the Humanities (CCH) – We Are California – will explore the history and stories of those who have immigrated or migrated to California. A new partnership between the Council and the California History-Social Science Project (CHSSP) will help to bring this exciting resource to the classroom.
The topics of the workshops will be 'The Sikhs of Yuba City' and 'Sam Brannan and the Mormon Settlements of California.' Both presentations will include classroom ready materials aligned with the California History-Social Science Standards."
On September 11, 1857, roughly 120 members of the Baker-Fancher wagon train—bound westward towards California from Arkansas—were killed in Mountain Meadows, UT, by the local Mormon militia and their Indian allies. Once known as a welcoming oasis for wagon trains, subsequent reporting in newspapers and the proceeds of an official government investigation into this event transformed Mountain Meadows into a site of shame. Debates emerged over the causes of the massacre, with some arguing that the members of the Baker-Fancher party had abused local Mormon populations, and others arguing that the killings were largely unprovoked.
This website presents an archive of primary sources surrounding this event. Currently, the website presents 40 newspaper accounts written between 1857 and 1859 from newspapers in Arkansas, Chicago, California, and Nebraska. Eventually, the archive will also include government investigation reports; early Mountain Meadows Massacre histories in Western Americana; Apostate and Anti-Mormon publications; and fiction, drama, and film. Rather than re-hash the facts surrounding the massacre, the website focuses on the creation of documentation about the massacre, presenting primary sources that allow users to explore representations of the event from multiple perspectives.
Diaries documenting the westward treks of 45 men and four women during the period of the California Gold Rush and the westward migration of Mormonism are presented in this site. Although most of these travelers took either the California or Mormon trails, a few diaries provide accounts describing life on trails to Oregon and Montana.
The diaries are complemented by 82 photographs and illustrations in addition to 43 maps, including an interactive map displaying trails, cities, rivers, and landmarks. There are seven published guides, two essays on the Mormon and California trails, brief biographies of most of the diarists, and a list of suggested readings. This is an excellent collection of materials that documents 49 individual perspectives on a movement that encompassed an estimated 500,000 people.