Utah History for Kids

Throughout Utah history, people have used many different economic systems.

To begin to learn about the economy of a certain time and place, think about the ansers to these questions:
How did people in Utah survive?
What was wealth, and who had it?
What kind of work did people do?
What industries were here?
How did people trade goods and services?

Prehistoric people
The earliest prehistoric people, about 10,000 years ago, hunted animals and gathered plant foods to survive. They probably migrated from place to place as they followed food sources.

More than 2,000 years ago, some people began farming in Utah. The Anasazi and Fremont peoples planted corn, beans, and squash and learned to irrigate their crops. Learn about trade during prehistoric times.

About 800 years ago, around the time that a long drought hit the Southwest, people stopped farming in Utah. Hunting and gathering again became the main ways that families got their food.

Historic Native American tribes
When the Spanish moved into the Southwest, the Utes obtained horses and learned to ride. With horses, they could hunt better, travel farther, and also steal from other tribes and from settlers.

Trappers
During the early 1800s, trappers came to Utah to get beaver pelts. Since beaver-skin hats were the fashion, they could sell their pelts for high prices.

Pioneers
At first, the Mormon settlers created a farming economy in villages throughout the Utah Territory. Brigham Young wanted to have a self-sufficient economy, which meant that the people living here would make almost everything they needed to live. But that never happened exactly like he wanted! Read about early Mormon “money.”

Today, agriculture is still important, but not as much as it once was. Farmers grow a lot of hay, corn, barley, and wheat. Most agricultural income comes from livestock and livestock products, including sheep, beef cattle, dairy cows, and poultry products.

When the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, more outside businesses moved in, and people could buy more things from other places. They could also sell their farm products outside the state.

Utah has many kinds of metals and coal underground. Mining became important in the state, and people came from many countries to work in the mines. Only a few people became rich. Today many residents still work in mining-related industries. Copper is the most important metal, followed by gold, molybdenum, and magnesium.

During World War II, the U.S. army built military bases, a testing range, and other facilities here. During and after the war, many other industries began to grow. Utah is now a center for aerospace research. Parts of missiles and spacecraft, computer hardware and software, electronic systems, and related items are all made in Utah. Other companies produce processed foods, machinery, fabricated metals, and petroleum products.

Tourism has become very important to the state's economy. The five national parks, seven national monuments, ski resorts, heritage areas, and events like the Sundance Film Festival attract many visitors.

Prehistoric Trade
Archaeologists have found objects from distant regions in ancient Utah sites. They believe that most of these objects were brought here through trade. Obsidian, used to make stone tools, found its way to Utah from Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Ocean shells from the Pacific coast, used in jewelry, have been found in Utah archaeological sites. So has turquoise from Arizona. Pottery made near the Abajo Mountains in Utah was traded across southern Utah and into Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Prehistoric people all over North America had extensive trade networks with other people outside of the region. Some of these trade networks probably lasted for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Pioneer Money
When the Mormon pioneers came into Utah, they had very little United States currency, or money. They had to find something to use in place of money.

One of the earliest things they used was gold dust. Miners and Mormon Battalion members brought gold dust from California after gold was discovered there. Even though people kept the gold dust in little paper envelopes, it was hard to keep track of. So the LDS (Mormon) church made coins from the gold dust. However, in 1864, the U.S. Congress passed a law forbidding private minting of gold coins.

Early pioneers also used handwritten notes of currency, bank notes, and printed bills for money. The LDS church had Tithing Stores and Bishop's Storehouses where the pioneers could exchange goods that they didn’t need for things they could use.

Scrip was a type of paper bill issued by the church and cooperative stores. Scrip could be redeemed for goods, but not exchanged for cash. Instead of paying employees all in cash, some stores would pay part of the wage in scrip that could be exchanged for goods at the store. Some cooperative stores issued tokens made of brass or other materials. Tokens were harder and more costly to make, but they lasted longer than paper scrip.

Employment
Largest Public Employer: Utah State Government 21,500
Largest Private Employer: Brigham Young University 16,500

Utah is a right-to-work state, with 5.5% of manufacturing employee affiliated with unions.

Employment by sector as of 1999.
Services 28%
Government 18%
Trade 16%
Manufacturing 13%
Construction 8%
Transportation/Communication 7%
Unemployment 3.3%

Land area
84,916 sq. mi.

65% of the state of Utah is owned by the federal government

Population (2000)
Utah 2,233,169
Salt Lake County 898,387
Utah County 368,536
Davis County 238,994
Weber 196,533

76 % of the population lives in Salt Lake, Davis, Utah and Weber counties as of 2000

The average age in Utah as of 1999 is 26.7 years old.
Utah is ranked youngest in the United States.

Birth Rate 21.7 births per 1,000 people.
Utah is ranked highest in the United States.

Death Rate 5.6 deaths per 1,000 people
Utah is ranked 2nd lowest in the United States.

The average household is 3.06 persons.
Utah is ranked the largest in household size.

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