This is the place

We love “This is the Place Heritage Park” which is located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon.  It’s such a fun place to go with lots and lots to see. 

This Is The Place Monument marks the approximate location where the Mormon Pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley and ended their 1,300-mile trek. It was here that Brigham Young stopped his carriage in July 1847 and, after surveying the desert valley near the shores of the Great Salt Lake, declared, "This is the right place."

This is a replica of the Eagle Gate which is in Salt Lake City.  The Eagle Gate has special meaning to Big Mister’s Family.  His great-great grandfather, Ralph Ramsay, carved the original Eagle Gate which was built in 1859 to mark the entrance of Brigham Young’s farmland.  The eagle gate went through several refurbishments as State Street was widened.  In the early 1960’s the original Eagle was brought down and is currently on display at the Daughter’s of the Utah Pioneers museum.  We will be going there to view it soon with Big Mister’s mom!  The gate was replaced with the current version that is much larger and wider than the original. 

The Eagle Gate used to be the entrance to the Lion House and Beehive House, 1860.

During a street widening project in the early 1960’s a truck ran into the original eagle gate.

The Eagle Gate today.

 

This is the Place Heritage Park celebrates the Pony Express with a National Pony Express monument.  It’s double life size…huge!

 

This is a replica of a Pony Express cabin that was built by the Pony Express Association for display at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake.  It was moved to the park after the Olympics.

Mormon Battalion monument.   In “Duty Triumphs” the tattered and sick survivors are seen as they arrived at San Luis Rey near San Diego, on January 29, 1847.  More than half had no shoes, and their clothes were rags. 

The arduous trek across the plains from Illinois to Utah was marked by many graves as exposure, exhaustion, disease and even starvation claimed young and old alike. One of those was nine-year-old Bodell Mortensen, who died of exposure in any early winter Wyoming storm. This monument honors all children who were casualties of the journey.

There is so much to this park and we still have not seen it all.  We will be back to learn more!