The Utah Centennial

On July 24, 1847 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormon pioneers, first came to the Salt Lake Valley. The Mormons were persecuted because of their religious beliefs and as a result, they moved around the U.S., looking for places to settle. The early lives of Mormon settlers was one of hardship and endurance but slowly new communities were established. Statehood was petitioned for in 1849-50 as the State of Deseret. Congress rejected the petition because the proposed state would have been too large, including not only Utah, but portions of Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico and California as well. Utah finally became a the 45th state on January 4, 1896. The stamp, issued on July 24, 1947 commemorates the 100th anniversary of settlement.