Happy Pioneer Day! Today is a state holiday in Utah in order to honor the pioneers who, under the leadership of Brigham Young, settled the territory that would later become the state of Utah. My husband’s 4th great-grandfather, Charles Shumway (pictured above), and his son, Andrew Shumway, were in that vanguard company that arrived even before Brigham Young. They entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847. In the video below you can see Charles tell the story, thanks to the power of AI. I wonder what his voice really sounded like?

If you want more pioneer related stories, I’ve got some posts from past year’s Pioneer Day times.

Here is when my family visited Cove Fort UT on Pioneer Day. I wish the photos would show up but they are so old that when I switched blogging platforms the photos disappeared. Darn, they are so cute. Two of my kiddos in the photos were of the age, 5 and 6, where they loved to wear a cowboy/cowgirl hat everywhere they went. They looked so cute perched on seat of one of the wagons at Cove Fort. I absolutely love Cove Fort! The place just feels so magical to me. Go here to see photos of it and explore an interactive site. If you ever drive from the Wasatch Front to Southern CA, stop there on your way! It has the cleanest public restrooms you will ever find!

Here is another story of Charles Shumway.

Here is a story of one of my ancestors, Anson Perry Windsor, who lived at Pipe Springs AZ, which is now a national monument. Brigham Young asked Anson Perry to run a cattle ranch and telegraph station there.

Here is a post I did full of lots of pioneer stories. Some involve pioneers trekking to the west, and other stories are of pioneers who were the first to bring the restored gospel or live the restored gospel in other lands, like Austria and Africa. Julie Mavimbela, shown above, is one of the pioneers in Africa.

Then over here I tell the story of my 3rd-great-grandmother on my dad’s side who was a pioneer in leaving her native Denmark to join with the saints of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in moving west. She endured persecution and left her uncommitted husband to follow her conviciton that Jesus Christ had restored His church to the earth again. She became a midwife and Utah

May we each be a pioneer in living the truth that God calls us to live. See my post about that here. Happy Pioneer Day!