Historic Kanab All Women Town Council visits Utah State Capitol

Each day at the Capitol, we see visitors from all over Utah, the U.S., and the world -- but we never expected to welcome visitors from 1912! Today, Kanab City Mayor Nina Laycook arrived at the Capitol, along with five women elegantly dressed in period clothes, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the historic Kanab All Woman Town Council. 

Kanab City women playing the historic roles of (left to right): Luella McAllister, Blanche Hamblin, Mary Chamberlain, Tamar Hamblin, and Ada Seegmiller

In 1912, Kanab made history when voters elected the first all women town council in the United States. The council served until 1914. For more information on the original council, and the characters the women today portray, check out Utah History to Go.

Linda Alderman with her councilwoman's nametag

Linda Alderman (playing councilwoman Luella McAllister), Dickie Robinson (as councilwoman Blanche Hamblin), Joyce Rhodes (as Mayor Mary Chamberlain), Judy Habbeshaw (as councilwoman Tamar Hamblin), and Nayna Christensen (as councilwoman Ada Seegmiller) came prepared to give a short historical performance as a part of their celebration of service.  

¡Saludos a Guadalajara!

Students visiting the Capitol from Guadalajara, Mexico, were as taken with their costumes and gracious attitudes as we were. You go, girls!

State Capitol Visitors Center Unveils New Exhibit

Photo courtesy of the Utah State Historical Society

SALT LAKE CITY—One hundred years ago, a lumbering steam shovel bit into winter-cold soil on a hill just north of Salt Lake City. It was December 26, 1912, and Utah’s state capitol was finally being built—65 years after the arrival of the first pioneers and 16 years after Utah attained statehood. 

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Utah State Capitol, the Capitol Preservation Board is pleased to present a new Visitors Center exhibit, Step Back in Time: A Centennial Celebration of the Capitol Construction. Using a collection of striking historic photographs, this new exhibit breathes life into the fascinating stories behind the planning and construction of the Capitol.

“We are thrilled to provide a unique and educational opportunity for all Capitol visitors to experience the vibrant history of this wonderful building,” said Allyson Gamble, executive director of the Capitol Preservation Board.

The exhibit opens on January 24, and will be on view weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On January 24, at 10:30 a.m., a special presentation will formally welcome the public to the exhibit.

Admission to Step Back in Time is free. Digital images used in the reproduction of the exhibit’s historical photographs were provided courtesy of the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library, the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the Utah State Historical Society, and the Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum.

For more information, please contact 801-538-1800 or showard [at] utah [dot] gov.

Martha Hughes Cannon: First female senator in U.S.

News reports from yesterday’s election indicate that a record number of women will be serving in the U.S. Senate in 2013. But did you know that one of the first U.S. political barriers to be broken by a woman happened right here in Utah?

In 1896, Martha Hughes Cannon was the first women to be elected to a state senate seat in the United States. Born in Wales in 1857, “Mattie” came to Salt Lake with her family in 1861. Mattie had great ambition and determination, working as a schoolteacher and typesetter in order to earn money for college. She received a degree in chemistry from the University of Deseret in 1875, and she went on to attend medical school at the University of Michigan. In 1882, she received a degree in pharmacy from the Auxiliary School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. She also studied oratory, with the goal of becoming a strong public speaker on issues of health.

Mattie returned to Salt Lake City after graduation, where she worked as a resident physician of Deseret Hospital. Mattie was also actively involved in local politics, particularly on the issues of public health and women’s suffrage. In 1896, the same year Utah attained statehood, Mattie ran for state senate on the Democratic ticket. She was one of five Democrats running from Salt Lake County; her husband, Angus M. Cannon, was among the Republicans running for the same seat. Mattie won the election on Nov. 3, 1896, and she served two terms as a strong advocate for children’s welfare and public health.

For more information on Mattie’s fascinating life, please visit Utah History to Go and KUED.

Happy Halloween! Ancient critters at the Capitol

Halloween is a holiday full of mythical creatures and ancient symbols, from greedy ghouls to flame-lit gourds. But did you know that the Capitol has some of its own mythical creatures and ancient symbols?

The head of a ram adorns light fixtures throughout the Capitol, symbolizing solar energy and fire. Rams were valuable sacrificial animals in ancient times. When used classical architecture, they represent determination, leadership, and authority - fitting for a government building!

Can you spot the oval shapes underneath the light? This classical molding pattern consists of alternating eggs and darts, perhaps to symbolize the duality of life and death. Eggs are ancient symbols of new life, luck, and health; darts can be quite lethal.

Kids love finding the eight wyverns that crouch in the corners of the Capitol atrium. In medieval heraldry, a wyvern was a guardian figure with magic powers of protection for warriors serving a powerful lord in battle. The Capitol wyverns are fierce two-legged dragons with serpent tails and bright orange wings.

And check out the egg-and-dart molding underneath the wyvern!

Some scholars say that Halloween has roots in ancient Celtic harvest festivals. The pine cones shown above are ancient symbols of agricultural growth and bounty of the earth. In the architectural style of the Capitol, the pine cone stands for spring and rebirth.

While all of those symbols were purposefully included in the Capitol architecture, some appeared quite by accident. On the second floor, large panels of diamond-cut Georgia marble boast beautiful symmetrical patterns. These patterns are nothing more than the natural swirls and veins that develop during rock formation, but some people like to look for pictures in the marble.

Do you see anything peculiar in the marble pattern, above?

Photos taken by Joanna Oldham, Director of Visitors Services. Blog post inspired by Romy Mahyera, Capitol Docent.

Sneak Peek: Filmed in Utah

What do Planet of the Apes, Footloose, and Forrest Gump all have in common?

That's right. They were each filmed - either all or in part - in Utah! 

Come check out the new Filmed in Utah exhibit in the Capitol's fourth floor gallery. This unique display celebrates the vibrant history and modern industry of Utah film. Catch a glimpse of Forrest Gump's running shoes, Jack Sparrow's compass, and other film finds.

Exhibit courtesy of the Utah Film Commission. On display now. Admission is free. Visit our website or call 801-538-1800 for hours and details.

Governors of Utah

Heber M. Wells (R) 1896-1905

John C. Cutler (R) 1905-1909

William Spry (R) 1909-1917

Simon Bamburger (D) 1917-1921

Charles R. Mabey (R) 1921-1925

George H. Dern (D) 1925-1933

Henry H. Blood (D) 1933-1941

Herbert B. Maw (D) 1941-1949

J. Bracken Lee (R) 1949-1957

George D. Clyde (R) 1957-1965

Calvin L. Rampton (D) 1965-1977

Scott M. Mattheson (D) 1977-1985

Norman H. Bangerter (R) 1985-1993

Michael O. Leavitt (R) 1993-2003

Olene S. Walker (R) 2003-2005

Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. (R) 2005-2009

Gary R. Herbert (R) 2009-Present

For more information on our governors, visit our Hall of Governors webpage.

Utah Trivia

Did you know that the completion of the world's first transcontinental railroad was celebrated in Utah at Promontory where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met on May 10, 1869? It is now known as Golden Spike National Historic Site, and it is just a day's trip from the heart of Salt Lake City. Want to brush up on more Utah trivia? Follow this link to learn about Utah's symbols, landmarks and more! http://www.50states.com/facts/utah.htm

WORD OF THE DAY

Chamfer - A flat surface made by cutting off the edge or corner of a block of wood or other material.

Become a Capitol Docent!

If you want a fun summer activity, think about becoming a docent at the Utah State Capitol! We have hundreds of tours every year and it is because of people like you that make this possible. Please contact the Visitor Services office for more information. capitoltours@utah.gov, 801-538-1800. Don't forget about our upcoming "Movie Under the Stars" at the Utah State Capitol events as well. Our movies will be released soon!

Word of the Day

Tuscan Order - The simplest of the Orders of Classical Architecture. The shaft of the column is never fluted, and the capital has a square abacus. *For definitions of other words, see our older posts.