Unusual Utah Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

The Ancestral Puebloans and the Fremont people lived in what is now known as the state of Utah for thousands of years. The Navajo arrived around the turn of the 18th century. By the mid-18th century, Goshute, the Paiute, the Shoshone, and the Ute people also settled in this area with the Utes having the largest presence.

The name Utah does indeed come from the name of the Ute tribe. However, the Utes call themselves "Noocheeno" and have no such word as "Ute" or its derivatives. The meaning of Utes as 'the mountain people' was attributed to the neighbouring Pueblo Indians (who mainly lived in the valleys). Also in the mix was the Apache word "Yuttahih", meaning "one that is higher up". When the Spanish explorers arrived in the 1540s, they pronounced the latter word "Yutah" which consequently became "Utah" when the English-speaking peoples arrived in the 19th century.

The photo depicts the Rice-Eccles stadium in Salt Lake City, home of the Utah Utes, an American football team that competes in the inter-collegiate Pac-12 Conference.

Answer: Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley

Brigham Young became the leader of the Latter-day Saints Church in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1844 when Joseph Smith died. Young agreed with the Illinois Governor in 1845 that the Mormons would leave the state in the following year due to growing conflicts between the Mormons and their neighbouring communities. They reached the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847 and settled there even though the desert-like conditions were harsh. When they arrived the valley was part of Mexico. However, the entire south-west of what was to become the contiguous 48 states became US territory when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848.

As California and New Mexico applied for statehood after the treaty was signed, the settlers in the Utah area abandoned plans for applying for territorial status and applied for statehood with an ambitious plan that covered most of the unallocated land ceded by Mexico. However, the US federal government ignored these requests and created the Utah Territory in September 1850. This large territory covered all but the very southern regions of Utah and Nevada as well as small parts of Oregon, Wyoming and Colorado. The creation of Utah territory was a major part of the Compromise of 1850 that wanted to preserve the balance of power between slave and free states. A capital was established at Fillmore (central Utah some 150 miles south of Salt Lake City). Brigham Young was inaugurated as Utah's first governor on February 3, 1851.

The photo depicts the organ within the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Answer: Deseret and polygamy

While the Latter-day Saints settled in the Great Salt Lake Valley after the treaty was signed, they found themselves in the centre of a huge tract of land that would include Utah, Nevada, most of Arizona and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Brigham Young, an expansionist, wanted to encompass all this land and form a state at the same time as California and New Mexico were seeking statehood. He called the area Deseret (From the "Book of Mormon" meaning "Honeybee" which, in time became symbolised on the Utah flag and informed the state Motto - Industry). Young even drafted a constitution (This became the constitution for the territory of Utah when Young's plan was rejected by the US government when a much smaller territory was prescribed.) However, the same leadership group pushed for the Utah territory to be made, with existing borders into the state of Deseret but the federal government balked at this, finding the LDS practice of polygamy unacceptable.

In 1890, when it was clearly apparent that Utah would not be admitted as a state while polygamy was still practised, Wilford Woodruff, current church president, issued a manifesto, officially stopping polygamy within the Mormon Church but this manifesto did not dissolve already polygamous marriages. Relations between the US and Utah improved after 1890, with Utah admitted as a US state in 1896.

The photo depicts Mt Deseret seen from I-80, perhaps all that is left from the dream of Deseret.

Answer: Evaporation: It's an endorheic lake

The Great Salt Lake, in the northern part of the state, is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. Its area varies between 3,300 square miles (8,500 km2) in the 1980s down to 950 square miles (2,500 km2) in 2021. The wide variation is due to its low average depth of a mere 16 feet (4.9 m). The lake's three major rivers collectively deposit over one million tons of minerals in the lake per year. As there is no outlet, water evaporates leaving the minerals to accumulate, making the lake far saltier than ocean water.

However, the lake is perhaps the state's second most well-known geographical feature in a very geographically diverse state: The Wasatch Range, rising to 12 000 feet, occupies the eastern part of the state, and is part of the Rockies. The range bisects the top half of the state with most of Utah's population jammed in the valleys between the base of the range and the Great Salt Lake. West of the lake is a mainly arid desert with occasional small mountain ranges. Bonneville Salt Flats are in this area.

Southern Utah is the Colorado Plateau built on sandstone, a very picturesque area where Utah's national parks are located. (See Q6). Here the Colorado River and its tributaries curl their way through the sandstone landscape, creating wild and striking terrain.

Southwest is the hottest part of the state. It is also the lowest point in the state, at 2,000 feet (610 m). The Mojave desert borders this area to the south. Here the St George area is growing very quickly and this is the second major Utah population cluster after the Wasatch Valley metropolis.

The photo depicts a very picturesque Great Salt Lake.

Answer: True

The city now known as Salt Lake City was the area where the Mormons first settled in 1847. In 2020 there were 200 133 within the city limits but 1.26 million in its metropolitan area and 2.74 million (out of a total state population of 3.14 million) in a larger metropolis known as the Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo Combined Statistical Area. This is a 120-mile (190 km) corridor of the Wasatch Front featuring contiguous urban development.

The city was first called Great Salt Lake City because of its proximity to the lake. When the US granted Utah its territory status it installed Fillmore as its capital 140 miles to the south. Great Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as capital in 1856, and the name was shortened to Salt Lake City in 1868.

Immigration of LDS members both internationally and interstate, mining booms and the transcontinental railroad have all been big influences in the rapid growth of the city. Known as the Crossroads of the West, the city was included on the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway, in 1913. Today it sits on the intersection of a transcontinental north-south Interstate (I-15) and a transcontinental east-west Interstate (I-80). Delta Airlines uses Salt Lake City International Airport as a hub. It is the industrial banking centre of the US.

Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and has a huge tourist industry primarily based on skiing in the adjacent mountain resorts, outdoor activities, and religious tourism. The city is renowned for its liberal culture, which is a contrast to the rest of the state's highly conservative stance. There is a significant LGBT community and the annual Utah Pride Festival is held here.

The photo depicts the Salt Lake City skyline looking east.

Answer: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches

With five national parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion), only Alaska and California have more. The five from Utah have absolutely spectacular scenery. Additionally, Utah has eight national monuments (Cedar Breaks, Dinosaur, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, Bears Ears, Rainbow Bridge, and Timpanogos Cave). Most are based in the south of the state where the wind and Colorado River have created beautiful landscapes out of the primary sandstone geology. These parks have quite possibly some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire US. The south also hosts Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park with many sandstone monuments, each between 120-300m tall, featured in many Western movies over the years.

The picture shows one of the natural stone arches from the national park of the same name.

Answer: False

In 2020, Mormons were by far the largest religious group in Utah with 60.7% of Utahans reported as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This figure declined each year from 2017. A further 7% are Protestants of several denominations and 5% are Catholic. 22% have no religion and non-Christian religions account for just under 5% of Utah's population but this proportion increased between 2017-2020 which was attributed to immigration. Utah is the most homogeneous US state when it comes to religious affiliation.

Some health statistics that are quite different to the rest of the US have been attributed (often without convincing evidence) to the high proportion of Latter-day Saint followers in the state. These statistics include
- Highest fertility rate
- 47th in teenage pregnancy
- Lowest percentage of births out of wedlock
- Lowest number of abortions per capita
- The lowest percentage of teen pregnancies terminated in abortion.
These data, though, may be skewed because of parental notification requirements in Utah causing some young Utahans to travel interstate to procure abortions.
According to a Gallop Poll conducted in 2012, Utah reached the fourth state in overall well-being in the US, yet paradoxically, a national prescription drug study found that antidepressants were "prescribed in Utah more often than in any other state, at a rate nearly twice the national average" as reported by the "Los Angeles Times" in 2013, despite data showing that depression rates in Utah were no different to the national average.

The photo depicts the Salt Lake City LDS temple literally in the centre of the city. (All city streets radiate from the southeast corner of Temple Square).

Answer: The blood shed during the Mexican-American war

The older flag of the State of Utah was adopted, in 1913 (with minor variations since). It consisted of the seal of Utah enclosed and fimbriated in a golden circle on a background of dark navy blue. From 2018 to 2023 the Utah state government designed a new flag with significant public input.

The symbols on the old flag were considered important and needed to be retained on the new flag: These common symbols included the mountains, the beehive, gold fimbriation and the star.

From top to bottom of the new flag, according to the State of Utah, the blue stripe represents "Utah's wide-open skies and our lakes, as well as core principles such as faith, knowledge, freedom, optimism, and tradition". The state's snowy mountains are represented by the rugged white stripe. The white colour itself evokes both peace and snow.

The "red-rock canyon stripe" is new with no commensurate representation on the old flag. According to the state of Utah, this stripe represents "Southern Utah's majestic landscape, which millions of people from around the world travel to see. The color symbolizes perseverance and nods to the red stripes of the United States flag, but on the Utah flag the value of the red color is slightly warmer in hue."

The gold rim (fimbriation) represents prosperity, and the hexagon, a strong shape evokes a beehive and represents "unity and the strength of Utah's people." The beehive itself represents the history of the state and community as well as "Industry" - the state slogan

The star represents "hope and 1896, the year Utah achieved statehood and became the 45th star on America's flag, a sign of our loyalty to our country." The star was the only feature that was modified when the new design bill was submitted to the state Senate for approval. The eight-pointed star was replaced by a five-pointed star after a Native American consultant expressed reservations about the eight points of the star saying it "looked more like an asterisk from a distance". The eight-pointed star was meant to represent the eight federally-recognized nations, while the five-pointed star represents the five historical nations of Utah which include Navajo, Shoshone, Goshute, Paiute and Ute.

Answer: Hanging is the instrument of capital punishment in Utah

Utah is one of 27 US States that have capital punishment. Between 1976 (when the moratorium on capital punishment ended) and 2022, seven prisoners have been executed in this manner. (578 in Texas, 119 in Oklahoma). Utah is the only state since 1976 to carry out executions by firing squad.

Utah and Hawaii are the only two US states where all forms of gambling are illegal.

Alcohol sales are strict: The sale of alcohol, including wine and spirits, is regulated by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and it can only be purchased at state liquor stores. Local laws can prohibit alcohol sales on Sundays. Utah was the first US state to impose a maximum blood alcohol content of 0.05% for drivers. In 2023, the other states had a 0.08% limit.

Utah has stricter smoking legislation than most US states. Utah's 1995 Indoor Clean Air Act was broadened in 2007 to ban smoking statewide in all enclosed workplaces in Utah. Local subdivisions can (and have) implemented local ordinances prohibiting smoking in outdoor areas such as schools and parks.

The photo depicts a typical store in Utah that sells alcohol.

Answer: The Utah State Capitol is one of eleven state capitols that have a dome

While the State Bird of Utah, Larus californicus, is named after a state two states over, these birds are migratory, moving to the Pacific coast in winter from as far east as Colorado. This is the only time of year they are regularly found in western California. However, there is a very valid reason for their status in Utah: In 1848, crickets were creating havoc with the new settlers by devouring their newly planted crops. A huge flock of California Gulls flew in from the EAST and ate the crickets over a two-week period. This saved the crops and the settlers' food at a time when the pioneers were struggling to establish themselves in their new home. There is some doubt as to the veracity of this tale, but nevertheless, the bird was made the State Bird for Utah in 1955. There is a Seagull Monument located in front of the Salt Lake Assembly Hall on Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City.

To offset price gouging practised by some merchants who charged more for Mormon business owners, Brigham Young founded Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution (referred to as ZCMI) in October 1868. It used the slogan "America's First Department Store" for many years. It and several other similar stores in Logan, Provo and Idaho Falls stayed in business until 1999 when they were sold to Field and May, and again in 2005 when the stores were sold to Federated Department Stores (now Macy's, Inc.)

The Utah State Capitol was built between 1912 and 1916 on a steep site near downtown Salt Lake City. The capitol is one of 39 US State capitols that have a dome (only 11 do not). Whilst its resemblance to the US Capitol in Washington DC is obvious, architect Richard Kletting was influenced most by the Kentucky State Capitol in his final designs. The Kentucky State Capitol was built in the Beaux-Arts style but was certainly based on the US Capitol with its American neoclassic style.

The origins of fry sauce appear to be varied but it was certainly popularised in Utah and appears to be the favoured sauce in the state. Essentially a mix of equal parts tomato ketchup and mayonnaise, a recipe for this combination existed in 1920 in Argentina where it was called salsa golf. Another similar recipe appears in a New Orleans cookbook published in 1900. In Utah, in 1941, pink sauce was served at Don Carlos Barbecue in Salt Lake City. It was certainly known as fry sauce in 1955 in a diner called Stan's Drive-In, which in turn, became a Utah burger franchise called Arctic Circle. This author, always eager to sample local cuisine, had to try this local delicacy on a 2023 trip to the US which included visiting a teammate in Utah. On his recommendation, visited a local chain called Crown Burgers. Received fry sauce with french fries and on the ordered burger. Happy to report that when french fries (actually they are called chips here in Australia) uncommonly appear as part of dinner, the accompanying (quickly whipped up) fry sauce on the side is the first condiment reached for by the hungry hordes that comprise my family.