A Look Back – Utah’s First State Park

Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum in 1955 (l) and in 2016 (r).

FILLMORE – Utah’s first State Park came to be in the year 1957 after the creation of a new Utah State Parks Commission. Governor George Dewey Clyde gave the commission a job: formulate and regulate a long-range plan for a state park and recreation system.

Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum, had changed many hands over the years. It was eventually passed onto the new park commission for management. The structure is Utah’s oldest governmental building and was originally supposed to be part of a larger State Capitol. As we know, that was not to be, and the final location for Utah’s mother city was Salt Lake City.

However, this does not discredit the significance of Territorial Statehouse one bit. Rather, it gives visitors a glimpse into a past from long ago, and an idea of what could have been.

Flagpole Plaque at Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum.

Now, you may be wondering what the top picture is all about. During the 1955 Centennial celebration for the Statehouse the Legislature returned to Fillmore to hold a mock session and to celebrate.  As part of the celebration, they erected a new flagpole with the plaque on it. This plaque remains here to this day.

Today, this park is a favorite for many. Each year people flock to Territorial Statehouse for the Statehood Dance, holiday light displays, educational tours, and even arts and crafts parties.

What are your favorite memories at the Territorial Statehouse? Let us know by commenting on our Facebook page!

To learn more about the park, visit the park page on this website. Better yet, come by and see it in person. We promise it will be an experience you won’t forget.

Visit the Utah State Parks Facebook Page
Learn more about Territorial Statehouse!