Provo

Title: Some things you didn't know about Provo's past
Author: Donald W. Meyers
Publisher: The Salt Lake Tribune
Date: 7/22/2011

Turns out, Provo's namesake wasn't a brawny, buckskin-clad mountain man after all.

And bet you didn't know the Beehive State's first "holy war" football game wasn't won by the University of Utah or, for that matter, Brigham Young University.

Those are just two of the myth-busting tidbits readers learn from a new picture-packed history of Provo.

Images of America: Provo, by Marilyn Brown and Valerie Holladay, sets out the Utah County city's story through photographs -- from Indian wars to Mormon pioneers to shopping malls.

"It's really important for people to see these old photos," Brown said.

The book is part of Arcadia Publishing's series highlighting communities across the nation.

Brown, who had written a historical novel about Provo, said Holladay approached her about working on the book. Holladay had heard about Arcadia's series and wanted to do something on Provo.

"Valerie said, 'You're the one to do it,'" Brown recalled.

Holladay died recently of cancer, so historian D. Robert Carter stepped in, while she was ill, to help complete the editing. The book has been dedicated to Carter for his help.

"This is a light history book," Carter explained, noting the 128-page book's easy-to-peruse overview of Provo's history.

Here are a few of the things about Provo that might surprise readers:

The skinny on Provo's namesake

Brown says the popular conception of EtienneProveau, a French trapper who caught beavers, bears and cougars -- and narrowly survived an Indian massacre -- is of a burly man with mustache and beard, leaning on his musket.

Ah, but that was Jean Nicolet, another trapper.

Brown and Carter found authenticated sketches of Proveau that depict the early 19th-century trader as a rotund man, described as having "a corpus like a porpoise."

Brown used the sketches to paint a portrait of Proveau that is shown in the book.

Provo was a textile capital

While Provo may be known today for multilevel marketing and BYU's quarterback factory, the city made its mark with wool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Provo Woolen Mills was one of the largest industries in the city, shipping wool throughout the country.

The mill, which was located near the current 4th District Courthouse, operated until it was destroyed by fire in 1918. The blaze was considered the worst in Provo history until the destruction of the Provo Tabernacle last December.

The "holy war" kicked off in 1896

The then-not-so-big football game took place the same year Utah gained statehood in Provo's Pioneer Park. But the U. didn't win nor, to be precise, did BYU. The victor was Brigham Young Academy, forerunner to BYU.

While Brown said the information on a team photo declared the game a 12-0 BYA victory, Carter said newspaper accounts showed the final score was an 8-6 squeaker.

Provo had commuter rail

Long before FrontRunner -- poised to begin service to Provo as soon as next year -- Walter C. Orem's Salt Lake and Utah Interurban Electric railroad ran through the city, shuttling people and goods between Utah County and Salt Lake City.

There was a station where the Nu Skin Enterprises headquarters stands, and a photo shows a collision between one of Orem's trains and a steam locomotive.

A former U.S. president celebrated Pioneer Day in Provo

William Howard Taft visited Provo on July 24, 1914, during the Pioneer Day celebrations. He was greeted by a crowd of hundreds at the city's train station and later spoke at the Provo Tabernacle.

Taft would go on to become chief justice of the United States, the only man to ever preside over two of the country's three branches of government.

Title: Provo -- A new book highlights history
Author: Diane Lefrandt
Publisher: Universe
Date: 7/5/2011

Not all history books cover the people and places that have impacted Provo, but a new book is highlighting the city as one of the oldest historical sites in Utah.

Marilyn Brown partnered with her friend Valerie Holladay to co-author the book. She sparkled with an infectious giddiness when she spoke of the photos highlighted in "Provo."

"I love this photo," Brown said. "Well, I love every picture in this book. They all have an amazing story to tell."

When asked to share her top five favorites, she fired off a rapid list turning directly to their pages. Brown said she wants readers to know what she refers to as the story of utmost importance behind the collection of photos in the book.

In 1974, Brown worked as the editor of the Brigham Young University Press. Intrigued by the history of Provo, she wrote a book titled, "Provo: A Story of People in Motion." She said the process of procuring photos from significant people in Provo for the book was arduous.

"They didn't want to part with their scrapbooks, so, we invited them up to the BYU Press photo studio and we took photos of each picture from their personal scrapbooks," Brown said.

The photos were donated to BYU. They are now a part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections in the Harold B. Lee Library.

When Arcadia Publishing was interested in publishing a book about Provo, Brown knew exactly where to acquire the photos needed to tell the city's story. Brown secured additional photos to ensure an up-to-date history.
Some of Brown's favorite trivia highlighted in the book include Provo being named after a Canadian-French fur trapper, President William Howard Taft visiting in 1909 on Pioneer Day and the legend of Squaw Peak.

The book also contains more recent Provo history, including the recent fire and destruction of the Provo Tabernacle.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading local history publisher in the U. S. with more than 6,000 titles in print, according to their website. "Provo" is part of Arcadia's popular "Images of America" series. The book includes more than 200 historical photos capturing the life and times of the people of Provo. "Provo" is on sale at local bookstores, independent retailers, online retailers, at arcadiapublishing.com or by calling 888-313-2665.

Title: Provo's History Highlighted in New Book
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Date: 6/13/2011


New from Arcadia Publishing and local authors Marilyn Brown and Valerie Holladay is Provo. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images giving readers a unique opportunity to reconnect to the history that shaped their community.

Provo is one of Utah's oldest historic sites. Still a medium-sized town, it has kept its pristine antique quality, its quaint buildings and its relaxed atmosphere which won it the title "Most Stressless City of the Nation" according to the 2004 Sperling list. Building on faith, dedication and hard work early citizens faced settlement challenges to form a sensible government, establish Brigham Young University and generate devoted intellectuals who made great strides in their fields.

It is Provo people who began WordPerfect, helped invent television and established Novell, NuSkin, and other national companies. Boasting a picturesque collection of buildings, Provo still maintains high standards, a strong work ethic and a profound commitment toward industrial progress and technology.

Highlights of Provo:
? Refuge
? Thriving through Famine and War
? Building Industry
? Community Services and Enriching Lives
? Up-to-Date City

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.

Title: New pictorial history of Provo is historian's last gift
Author: Caleb Warnock
Publisher: Daily Herald
Date: 7/14/2011


The pioneers of Provo are making a comeback for Utah's birthday this year in a new book of historic Provo photographs.
"Images of America: Provo" puts together more than 200 of the best early photos of Provo and then moves through images as recent as the farmers market and the fire-gutted tabernacle. Marilyn Brown co-authored the book with Valerie Holladay, who died last week of cancer. Holladay's passing was unexpected, and Brown's emotions are still raw.
"Her passing devastated all of us," she said.
Holladay had lost her hair because of her cancer treatments, and the co-authors had been waiting for the arrival of Holladay's first wig before taking author photos together. Holladay, a longtime editor at Covenant Communications, died before photos could be taken.
"She was in chemo and I thought she was going to be OK," Brown said. "She got to see the finished product, and I really am glad that she got to see it. She was very much in approval."
Brown said the book "is an easy read and one that will appeal to residents and visitors alike."
Her philosophy for the book was that a picture is worth a thousand words, and thus the entire book consists of photos with short, informative captions.
This is not Brown's first foray into capturing Provo's history. In 1974, she published "Provo: A Story of People in Motion" with the BYU Press. She is also the author of a novel based on the settlement of Provo, called "The Earthkeepers."
"I am fascinated with history," Brown said. "This is a history that is really indigenous to Mormons because it was the second city that was formed. It tells all about how the people from Salt Lake came down here and why. Salt Lake was a desert, but down here there was more grass and fresh water so the cattle came down here. Brigham Young didn't want to come here because the Indians were here."
The highlights of the new pictorial history are photographs of the Provo Tabernacle the day after it burned, along with images of Provo's polygamist community, the old woolen mills, historic shops on Center Street that still exist today, Brigham Young Academy, early parades and recreation, a 1914 presidential visit from William Howard Taft, construction of the Provo Temple and more.
The book is dedicated to one of the most published and dedicated historians in Utah County, Robert Carter. Carter stepped in to help finish the book.
"Kudos to her," Carter said of Brown. "The book will be really enjoyable for people who enjoy looking at pictures of early Provo, and there should be some in there that they likely haven't seen."
Marilyn Brown and Robert Carter will both be signing their books from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 23 at the Provo Pioneer Museum, 500 N. 500 West, Provo.