Utah symbols and the stories behind them

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Utah officially became a state on Jan. 4, 1896. This was nearly five decades after the Mormon pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Don’t be surprised when you find out most Utahns have work off for Pioneer Day on July 24. It’s an official state holiday and is celebrated with parades, rodeos, barbecues and other events.

Utah is known as the “Beehive State” with our official state emblem being the Beehive. You can find beehive symbols across the state, including several statues at the Capitol. The beehive was chosen for its symbolism of a community working together toward a common goal. Our official state insect is also the honeybee. Our state motto “Industry” was adopted in 1959, which ties into the beehive symbols.

Here are some more Utah official symbols and the stories behind them:

Utah state bird – California Seagull

It may seem odd to have a bird from another state be the Utah State Bird, but the California Seagull is famed for saving the settlers of the area. In 1848, just a year after the Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley, their crops were being consumed by swarms of crickets. Nothing they could do could stop the overwhelming number of crickets destroying their food supplies. Then a miracle happened. Thousands of seagulls descended down and began eating all the crickets. When they were full, the birds would fly away, disgorge their bellies and then fly back to eat more. Once the crickets were all consumed, the birds left as quickly as they came. The crops were saved and the settlers were able to survive.

Utah state fruit – Cherry

The cherry became the state fruit of Utah in 1997 after a group of second-graders petitioned to have the fruit recognized. Unlike apples or peaches, the cherry is more economically beneficial for the state. Sweet and tart cherries are grown commercially in Utah, making it the only state ranked in the top five for producing both types and it is the second largest producer of tart cherries in the country.

Utah state mineral – Copper

One of Utah’s major commodities is copper, mined in several locations across the state. Copper is a valuable mineral that is used in electronics, plumbing and transportation. It is also used to create alloys such as brass or bronze. Throughout Utah’s history and into the present the Bingham Canyon Mine (known locally as the Kennecott Copper Mine) in the Oquirrh Mountains has produced the most copper in the state. It is the deepest open-pit mine in the world and is considered to have produced more copper than any other mine in history. The mine is nearly 2.5 miles wide and over half a mile deep.

Utah state rock – Coal

Much like copper, coal was chosen for Utah’s official state rock because its mining has contributed greatly to Utah’s economy over the years. Coal mining started around the 1850s in both Summit County and Carbon County. By the 1860s, Salt Lake City residents were heating their homes with coal mined from Coalville in Summit County. Mining has dramatically slowed down since the 1980s, shrinking the populations in the counties where coal mining was once prominent. Carbon County, which was named for the mining operations located there, stopped producing any coal in 2023. Coal mining was also extremely dangerous. On May 1, 1900, 200 men and boys were killed when a coal mine exploded at the Winter Quarters Number Four mine, located west of Scofield. One hundred forty-nine of them were buried in the Scofield cemetery, which you can still visit today.

Utah state gem – Topaz

The semiprecious gem Topaz was named the official state gem of Utah in 1969 and can be found in abundance on Topaz Mountain (aka Thomas Mountain) in Juab County. There, the gems are sherry-amber color, but can turn rose-pink when exposed to sunlight. Collecting topaz is free in the area as long as you stay on federal land.

Utah state tree – Quaking Aspen

The designation of the Quaking Aspen as the official state tree is a relatively new one. It replaced the Blue Spruce in 2014. It gets its name from its long flat stems that make its leaves shake in the slightest breeze. Its beauty is on full display in the fall when the leaves turn golden yellow. The Quaking Aspen is one of the most unique plant life on earth. Often when you see a grove of them, they are not individual trees but rather the same living organism with different clone offshoots growing out of the ground. A 106-acre grove of aspen clones called the Pando is found in Central Utah and is the largest living organism in the world. Scientists are working hard to help preserve the Pando, as its new offshoots are being eaten and destroyed by local wildlife.

Utah state flower – Sego Lily

Made up of three white petals with a distinctive crescent-shaped purple/red marking and yellow hairs, the Sego Lily thrives in Utah’s deserts and blooms in May and June. The plant is sacred to local Indigenous tribes (sego is a Shoshonean word thought to mean “edible bulb.”) Often it was boiled or roasted into a porridge. The early Mormon pioneers were shown how to eat the bulbs by the Indigenous tribes. This helped prevent settlers from starving to death in those early years, leading to it being designated the state flower in 1911.

Utah state fish – Bonneville Cutthroat Trout

The Bonneville Cutthroat Trout is the only trout native to Utah, meaning it was probably the only trout found in Utah streams before white settlers began to arrive in the 1800s. However, widespread settlement brought more trout species to Utah lakes and rivers. The Bonneville Cutthroat Trout was a main food source for early settlers and Indigenous people. Overfishing has led to it being on the Utah Sensitive Species List and conservation efforts have focused on saving the species.

Utah state animal – Rocky Mountain Elk

The Rocky Mountain Elk became the official state animal in 1971. All elk that live in Utah are a subspecies of the Rocky Mountain Elk. You can easily tell males from females since males are the only ones who have antlers, which are shed and regrown every year. Males average around 700 pounds and females are slightly smaller at around 500 pounds. In the late spring or early summer, females live together in large nursery bands of a hundred elk or more to raise their young. Their mating season starts in early fall where bull elk gather cows into groups of 10-20 cows, forming a harem. The rest of the year, bulls live alone or in bachelor groups. If you encounter an elk, stay calm and give them a lot of space. Despite their size, they can run much faster than you and their antlers make them incredibly dangerous.

Utah state fossil – Allosaurus

The state fossil – the Allosaurus – was chosen after more than 50 specimens were found in the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry near Price. In 2020, a new species of Allosaurus was unveiled after being found in Dinosaur National Monument. Measuring 25-35 feet, the Allosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period. Standing upright on two large legs, it had powerful arms with hands and claws. The Natural History Museum of Utah near the University of Utah has one of the best collections of Allosaurus available for the public to view. Another allosaurus can be found at the Museum of Ancient Life in Lehi.

Utah state dinosaur – Utahraptor

It can be confusing that there is a state fossil and a state dinosaur, but the addition of the latter is thanks to a young boy who believed Utah should honor the dinosaur that was discovered in our state. The first specimens of the Utahraptor were found in 1975 in the Dalton Wells Quarry, near Moab. They are the largest and heaviest dromaeosaurids, with claws reaching 9.5 inches. The Utahraptor served as inspiration for the Velociraptors in the movie “Jurassic Park.” Utahraptors can be around 20 feet long and 5 feet tall (Velociraptors are actually only the size of a turkey). You can see specimens at the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City, the BYU Museum of Paleontology in Provo and the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum in Price.

Utah state vegetable – Spanish Sweet Onion

The Spanish Sweet Onion was designated the Utah state vegetable fairly recently in 2002. It displaced the sugar beet, which held the title beforehand. The reason for the change had to do with the prominence of it as a crop. While Utah used to grow sugar beets in abundance, they have since dropped off. Onions, however, are one of the leading vegetable crops in Utah, as well as pumpkins and sweet corn. Payson has an annual Golden Onion Days festival in the early fall.

Utah state historic vegetable – Sugar Beet

As a concession to having the Spanish Sweet Onion become the new state vegetable, the Sugar Beet was given the title of the official state historic vegetable. Utah has a long history of producing sugar from sugar beets, beginning in the 1850s. A factory was established south of Salt Lake City, which later was named Sugar House. Another factory was built in Lehi by the Utah Sugar Company in 1891. The business of making sugar was incredibly successful until the Great Depression took a hit, followed by an endemic of disease that killed the plants. The final nail in the coffin for Utah sugar production was the rise of cane sugar production in Hawaii, the West Indies, the Philippines and Africa. By the 1980s, there were no sugar beet factories in Utah. In memory of the sugar beets and their impact on Utah’s history and economy, the mascot of Jordan High School in Sandy, Utah is the beetdiggers.

Utah state hymn – “Utah, We Love Thee”

The song “Utah, We Love Thee” was written by Utahn Evan Stephens in 1895, who was the conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from 1890 to 1916. It was performed at celebrations when Utah became a state in 1896. It was designated as the official state song in 1937, before being replaced by “Utah, This Is The Place” in 2003. It was then given the title as the official state hymn.

Utah state song “Utah, This Is The Place”

Written in 1996 by Sam and Gary Francis, the song “Utah, This Is The Place” for the state’s centennial celebrations. The song replaced “Utah, We Love Thee” as the official state song in 2003 after fourth grade students at Cook Elementary talked to their local state representative about wanting a fun song to sing. The song itself focuses on Utah’s history with the Mormon pioneers, its growing economy and its unique landscapes.

Utah has several other state symbols that are unique or unusual. Here’s a rundown in no particular order:

• Folk dance – Square dance

• Grass – Indian Rice Grass

• Tartan – Utah State Tartan

• Winter sports – Skiing and Snowboarding

• Firearm – John M. Browning designed M1911 automatic pistol

• Cooking pot – Dutch oven

• Star – Dubhe

• Astrological symbol – Beehive cluster located in the constellation of Cancer the crab.

• Bird of prey – Golden Eagle

• Crustacean – Brine Shrimp

• Reptile – Gila Monster