Local Pioneers May be Honored in New Memorial Section

Pioneers of Uintah County may be among Utahns memorialized in Pioneer Memorial Theater on the University of Utah campus.

Individuals or family associations have been invited to contribute $200 for a seat plaque honoring any person who arrived in Utah prior to May 10, 1869 (when the railroad was completed at Promontory). One plaque may honor both husband and wife, if they arrived in the state together.

The campaign to obtain plaques for the 1000 seats in Pioneer Memorial Theater has been given to the Sons of Utah Pioneers. D. Crawford Houston, Salt Lake City, drive chairman, said the campaign is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving Day.

Each plaque will be about four by six inches in size and will list the ancestor's name, date of arrival in Utah and some of the more prominent achievements of his life. Accompanying each $200 contribution should be information which includes the name of the pioneer ancestor to be memorialized, the arrival date, method of travel (such as covered wagon or handcart), company to which the ancestor was attached, if known, and the occupation or trade of the ancestor.

Contributions may be made through the National Association of the Sons of Utah Pioneers or to the Alumni University of Utah Development Fund, earmarked for the Pioneer Memorial Theater.

For construction of the building, the state of Utah has appropriated $500,000. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated $250,000, plus architect's fees valued at $75,000. Another $250,000 has been contributed by Kennecott Copper Corporation. A theater reserve fund has provided $25,000. This leaves $400,000 still to be raised to meet construction estimates of $1,500,000. Of that amount, $200,000 is expected to come from the seat plaque campaign, Mr. Houston said.