Hotel Utah: 100 Years Of Memories

Jun 9th, 1911 was a great day in Utah history: Hotel Utah opened its doors for business. On June 9th, 2011, Utahns again gathered for a great event: the Hotel Utah building turned 100 years old.

??????"There was a time when there was a debate whether this building should be torn down," said LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson at the 100 year celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony. "Some thought it should be, and some thought it shouldn't be; but I think everyone who wanted to see it preserved, felt it should be preserved because of memory."

Memory is what has made this building so grand. People from around the world have shared their memories of the Hotel Utah (now the Joseph Smith Memorial Building). You can read many memories on the Hotel Utah 100 website. Some of my favorites include:

• The soda shop


• Tornado wedding luncheons


• Visits from celebrities and US Presidents


• Baby's first steps taken in the lobby shortly after it was first opened


• A doting husband proclaiming his wife is "the most beautiful woman in the world" as he watched her walk into the Hotel Utah lobby

The 100 years display is free and open to all who would like to view it. It is available from now until September, and is in the lobby of the grand Hotel Utah / Joseph Smith Memorial Building on the corner of Main Street and South Temple in Salt Lake City. 

The display includes memorabilia donated or loaned  to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building by local Utahns and others who hold the memories of Hotel Utah deep in their hearts. Some items on display include vintage clothing from that time period, pictures, newspaper clippings, vintage cars, room receipts, and much more.

Watch the video here: Hotel Utah Celebrates 100 Years of Memories 

Read more from Michelle Powell at www.enjoyutah.org.