The Utah County Administration Building
100 East Center Street in Provo, Utah

There’s a plaque on the wall at the south entrance:

UTAH COUNTY STATEHOOD CENTENNIAL
1896-1996

On January. 4, 1896, the territory of Utah won its long struggle to become the 45th state of the United States of America. In 1996, in honor of the centennial of that event, each county throughout Utah celebrated with tributes, prayers, publications, plays, art, exhibits, parades and balls.

Utah County started their celebration on January 4, 1996 in the Provo Tabernacle with the re-enactment of Statehood Day, featuring music and oratory using the same words spoken in 1896.

The County ended the year long celebration with a Centennial Ball attended in “period costume” and crowned by a presentation from the Centennial Committee of a $10,000 perpetual scholarship to Utah Valley State College.

Complementing these commencing and closing events were a host of community activities. Each city celebrated with a centennial theme and left a “legacy project” intended to benefit future generations.

LEGACY PROJECTS

  • Santaquin – Chief Blackhawk re-burial
  • Lehi – Memorial Museum restoration
  • Pleasant Grove – Centennial Discovery Park construction
  • Springville – Art Museum Centennial Wing addition
  • Alpine – Memorial to veterans of all wars
  • Salem – Hand cart monument and time capsule
  • Payson – Pioneer Centennial Plaza construction
  • Orem – SCERA Community Arts Center expansion
  • Provo City and Utah County – Daughters of the Utah Pioneers museum restoration
  • American Fork – 120 year old Presbyterian Church steeple restoration
  • Spanish Fork Historic booklet with recipes
  • Utah County – Centennial Walking Trail
  • Utah County – Brigham Young Academy restoration approval

UTAH COUNTY STATEHOOD CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  • Chairman – Val Killian
  • Vice Chairman Juel Belmont
  • Executive Director James T. Young
  • Publicist-Josephine Zimmerman
  • Treasurer Jack Leifson 1994-1995
  • Treasurer Alan Croshaw 1996
  • Secretary Sheila Hanson
  • Secretary Joy E. Thompson

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Lehi, Cedar Fort, Fairfield – Carl Mellor
  • Spanish Fork – Leann Moody
  • Springville Alan Croshaw, Janice Hunter
  • Provo – Mary Alice Collins, James Pinegar
  • Orem – Carol Walker
  • Pleasant Grove – Phyllis Thomson
  • American Fork – Phyllis Crookston
  • Highland, Cedar Hills – Kathy Macdonald
  • Santaquin, Elberta, Springlake, Goshen, Benjamin, Lakeshore and Genola – Marva Loy Eggett
  • Salem, Elk Ridge – Dorothy Jensen
  • Payson Richard Lindsey
  • Alpine – Jill Jasperson

SPECIAL THANKS

  • Statehood Reenactment – Marilyn Toone
  • Wagon Train – Brad Stephens
  • County Float – Liza Warren
  • Speakers’ Bureau – Cheri Murray
  • Volunteer – RoseAnn Gunther

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

  • Gary Herbert
  • Jerry Grover
  • David J. Gardner

The many special celebrations and events of the Utah County Centennial rekindled the feelings of excitement, joy and thanksgiving that marked the original announcement of statehood. This Centennial Celebration and these legacy projects will stand as a tribute to the great State of Utah for the next 100 years.

THANKS TO HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS AND ORGANIZATIONS