Mormon Battalion Monument - Salt Lake City - Utah Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

In 1905 an organization called the "Daughters of the Mormon Battalion" initiated a movement to erect a large monument to honor those Mormons who had left friends and family on their way to Utah in order to assist in the war against Mexico. Thousands of citizens contributed a large portion of the money needed with the state of Utah matching their contributions. A state Monument Commission was established to oversee the project. A contest was announced to select a design for the monument. A sculptor named Gilbert Riswold won the contest and undertook the tremendous effort needed to select the multi-ton stones to be used for the monument, erect the stones into the required edifice, and then carve out the sculpture. A bronze statue was created as a central figure, backed by the work in stone.

The monument is awe-inspiring, but no more so than the story of those who are honored. The Battalion was the only religion-based military unit in U. S. history. These volunteers, who were on their way to Utah, enlisted to fight in the war against Mexico. They marched two thousand miles through treacherous terrain, from Council Bluffs, Iowa to San Diego, California, digging wells for water and carving roads from rock as they went.

Prior to 1999 the monument was largely obscured by a grove of trees. But along came a tornado and away went the trees. Most people think it looks much nicer out in the open.

Marker Name: The Mormon Battalion Marker Type: City Addtional Information: The monument is located on the southeast corner of the state capitol grounds at the point where 300 East bends northward to become Victory Road. The full text of the Monument Marker and Dedication plaques can be seen at: http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp County: Salt Lake City: Salt Lake City Group Responsible for Placement: State of Utah - Monument Commission Date Dedicated: May 30, 1927 Marker Number: None Web link(s) for additional information: Not listed

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