History
On July 24, 1847, Brigham Young and a company of Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, where the Latter-day Saints settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois and other locations in the eastern United States. Pulling handcarts or driving wagons with oxen or horses, thousands of pioneers carried a firm commitment to America's belief in freedom of religion as they made the trek across the plains to a vast desert landscape that became known as the Utah Territory.
According to Days of '47 Inc. "This trek of the early Utah pioneers exemplifies the courage, foresight, and faith that continue to inspire modern-day pioneers. By remembering those remarkable 1847 pioneers and all those who followed, The Days of '47 seeks to make their accomplishments and hardships live today through a variety of activities and celebrations each year. We believe the example of past and present pioneers' courage is a beacon to the world."
The parade was first held on July 24, 1849. It was then known as the "Pioneer Days Parade" up until 1931. From 1931 to 1946 the parade was known as the "Covered Wagon Days Parade". Since 1947 the parade has been known by its current name.
LDS Church wards and stakes, businesses, and community groups have always sponsored floats in the parade. Recently, the parade has become more inclusive, with other churches participating and celebrating their own Utah pioneers. Native Americans march in the pre-parade, which travels down the parade route ahead of the pioneer floats. The military has always been well represented, and of course it always includes horses, bands, children and queens.
From the beginning, the pioneers who arrived in the valley before 1869 were honored with a dinner each July 24. The last living pioneer died in 1967. Her name was Hilda Ericson and she was 108 years old.
Read more about this topic: Days Of '47 Parade
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The custard is setting; meanwhile
I not only have my own history to worry about
But am forced to fret over insufficient details related to large
Unfinished concepts that can never bring themselves to the point
Of being, with or without my help, if any were forthcoming.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“There is nothing truer than myth: history, in its attempt to “realize” myth, distorts it, stops halfway; when history claims to have “succeeded” this is nothing but humbug and mystification. Everything we dream is “realizable.” Reality does not have to be: it is simply what it is.”
—Eugène Ionesco (b. 1912)
“Anything in history or nature that can be described as changing steadily can be seen as heading toward catastrophe.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)