At the base of the Sugar House Monument sits a bronze statue of a woman, said to represent the fertility of the Salt Lake Valley. Local lore says the figure denotes agriculture, while the male figure on the other side signifies industry. Both enterprises were successful in pioneer-era Sugar House, and surprisingly, most evident at the Utah Territorial Penitentiary. Brigham … [Read more...]
Fisher Brewing Company Part II
In previous issues of “How Beer Saved Utah” we have focused on the Salt Lake Brewing Company and the Becker Brewing Company in Ogden. For the purpose of this issue we examine the Fisher Brewing Company, which was Utah’s oldest and longest-lasting brewery. Fisher was the only brewery to survive and reopen after prohibition. And to the best of our knowledge, it was the only name i … [Read more...]
Fisher Brewing Company Part I
The history of Utah’s largest, longest lasting brewery. The Mormon pioneers drank beer, and whiskey. Brigham Young had his own distillery that produced a hard, harsh liquid called Valley Tan which, according to Mark Twain was “their version of hellfire and brimstone.” It wasn’t until years after the Joseph Smith’s death that the Word of Wisdom— initially established not as … [Read more...]
What Lies Beneath Salt Lake City?
by James Kirk Tunnels conjure images of dark, dank spaces where mystery and danger lurk around every corner. Combine this preconception with a religion notorious for its secrecy and rituals and you’ve got a juicy recipe for conspiracy. After hearing countless rumors of a “secret” set of tunnels that fan out all over the Salt Lake Valley from Temple Square, we did a b … [Read more...]
Media Outlets Continue to Inaccurately Confuse LDS and FLDS Faiths
Besides the international media, many in Utah confuse FLDS with the LDS faith. A history lesson on the two church's differences. Throughout the FLDS compound raid saga in Texas, media outlets continue to confuse the FLDS church with the LDS Church. Both French and Mexican media outlets showed photographs of the Salt Lake City LDS Temple while reporting on the raid in Texas. … [Read more...]