Museum is Treasury of Pioneer Past

By Elizabeth Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune

Jul. 21–Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Memorial Museum isn’t a place one would expect to see money from the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

But you can see such treasures and more at this distinctive museum operated by Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. The museum is full of trinkets donated by pioneer families, which explains why you can see Confederate money and the like.

The museum lacks interactive high-tech exhibits common today, but if Pioneer Day has you hunkering for a taste of the past, it’s worth spending a few hours there.

Here’s some highlights:

Most ghoulish: The doctor and midwife room. This second-floor room is full of forceps, hand saws, tendon passers, bleeding machines and amputation knifes, used for you know what.

Most ‘National Enquirer’-like: A stuffed two-headed lamb born in 1919.

Most unusual home decor: Flowers and wreaths made of human hair.

Most political: Ribbons and tickets from Utah’s liberal days (pre-1896). Liberal Party delegate ribbons and pamphlets are on display on the first floor.

Most patriotic: A 31-star American flag carried into the Salt Lake valley in 1862. It hangs near a 45-star American flag sewn in 1896.

American Indian artifacts: A Cherokee Indian chief’s headress, circa 1887, and a Shoshone papoose carrier.

For children: A doll room full of pioneer dolls, international dolls in native costumes and dolls made from apples and walnuts. And a military room full of guns, swords, uniforms and other gear from 19th century soldiers.

—–

To see more of The Salt Lake Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sltrib.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Salt Lake Tribune

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.