Daughters of Utah Pioneers
The International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers was organized in 1901 to honor the names and achievements of the men, women, and children who founded Utah. The organization seeks to encompass a broad scope of services, ranging from the preservation of historic landmarks to the education of thousands of school children and adults about their pioneer forebears. The ISDUP was organized solely for historical, educational, and public purposes and is completely non-political and non-sectarian. The organization was incorporated in 1925.
At the inaugural meeting, founder Annie Taylor Hyde stated that she "felt deeply impressed with the importance and desirability of the children of pioneers becoming associated together, in some kind of organization which would have for its object the cementing together in bonds of friendship and love the descendants" of the early pioneers.
The organization is administered by an international board and headquartered at the Pioneer Memorial Museum located near the Utah State capitol building in Salt Lake City.
As early as 1903, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers were interested in gathering and displaying relics and artifacts they had collected. During this period, many items were displayed in various locations throughout Salt Lake City. In 1928, the DUP began an official campaign to raise money for the construction of their own museum. Ground breaking for the museum took place on March 25, 1946. After many complications, the museum was dedicated in July of 1950.
An additional structure, a carriage house, was made possible in 1973 through a donation made by Sara Marie Jensen Van Dyke. In January 2000, a new addition to the Carriage House was dedicated and the restored 1902 "Roosevelt" fire engine was placed in it. It is called the Fire Engine Hall. In December 2002, the daughters placed a monument on the east side of their museum in Salt Lake City entitled "Ever Pressing Forward — Lest We Forget" showing a pioneer mother and son looking back on a small daughter's grave as they press on the trail. This is a motto they would like every person with Utah pioneer heritage to incorporate into their lives.
The ISDUP sponsors activities and projects, including publications of historical material. For example, a four-volume set of women's histories called Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude containing the stories of 8,000 women was published in 1998. They have also published many historical pamphlets, cookbooks, and a Pioneer Song Book.
The organization commemorates the entrance of the first company of Utah pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley with a Days of ’47 Queen contest in conjunction with the Days of ’47 committee.
