Utahns tried and tried—for almost 50 years—to win statehood. The Utah area became a part of the United States in 1848--but it took until 1896 for Utah to become a state. Why did people in Utah want a state instead of a territory? Why did Congress take so long to make Utah a state? See if you can figure out some answers. read more
After the war, polygamy got in the way, and it wasn’t until 1896, after the Church had renounced plural marriage in 1892, that Congress and the President would allow Utah to become the 45th state. By the way, “Deseret” is a word from the Book of Mormon. read more
The state of Utah relies heavily on income from tourists and travelers visiting the state's parks and ski resorts, and thus the need to "brand" Utah and create an impression of the state throughout the world has led to several state slogans, the most famous of which being "The Greatest Snow on Earth", which has been in use in Utah officially since 1975 (although the slogan was in unofficial use as early as 1962) and now adorns nearly 50 percent of the state's license plates. read more