Utah
‘There’s just nothing like it’ — The 1896 letter declaring Utah a state has come to the Beehive State
It’s unclear how a 1896 document signed by President Grover Cleveland approving Utah as a state ended up at a Boston-based document auction this spring, but it’s now finding its home in the Beehive State.
Anthony Christensen, the founder of Anthony’s Fine Art & Antiquities, announced the gallery’s purchase of the document in its neoclassical gallery on Monday afternoon.
The building itself is historical — it formerly was the Immanuel Baptist Church built in 1911 — and throughout the gallery hangs the work of artists like Walter Rane, Arnold Friberg and Minerva Teichert. The sun peers in through the stained glass ceiling and around every corner is a treasure like Louis Comfort Tiffany’s The Good Shepherd stained-glass window or H.L.A. Culmer’s landscape of the Grand Canyon.
It took decades of trying for Utah to become a state, but there was something else that Christensen emphasized when he first announced the sale.
Christensen quoted from a letter John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail Adams about how what has become known as Independence Day in the United States would be remembered.
“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival,” Adams wrote. “It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Paraphrasing this quote, Christensen recalled how the Latter-day Saint pioneers celebrated July 4 and lit bonfires in what is now known as Big Cottonwood Canyon even as they faced military opposition. “They wanted to be part of America, that was their heritage,” Christensen said.
With that as a backdrop, Micah Christensen, art consultant and European art and furniture expert, said Anthony’s Fine Arts & Antiquities has been in the business for 40 years and has purchased many historically significant objects throughout the decades.
“But this one really strikes at what we feel like is part of our stewardship,” Christensen told media in a press conference. “Which is to make sure that things that are meaningful to the state find their way back here and are celebrated and understood in context.”
The document — a handwritten letter penned in iron gall ink — sold for $27,188 at auction. Christensen said there were several documents from the federal government that were sold at auction. “But what’s uncommon is there would be one that was so specific to the state of Utah.”
“I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to my Proclamation admitting the State of Utah into the Union of States; dated this day, and signed by me; and for doing so this shall be his warrant,” the document reads in full.
Christensen said the gallery bought it “because we felt like it was important to bring that document and ensure that it is here in the state and it’s our goal to make sure that it goes to a state institution.”
It symbolizes the end of Utah’s petitioning to become part of the United States. It was signed on Jan. 4 of that year. It was signed concurrently with a proclamation (Proclamation 382) that created the state. The territory applied six times before finally entering the Union in 1896.
The gallery displayed it on the wall surrounded by other historical objects related to Utah’s journey to statehood, including a 45-star flag.
Ronald Fox, the co-chair of the Utah Commission on the 250th anniversary of the United States and president of The Fox Group, partnered with the gallery in its pursuit of the document.
Cleveland signed the document in private. “He had a delegation from Utah there,” Fox said, but they did not witness the signing of the document.
Its journey from that signing to where it currently is in downtown Salt Lake City is unclear.
Somewhere around the turn of the 20th century, a clerk or a secretary of state released a batch of documents into the public and they were no longer property of the federal government, Fox said. Private collectors owned this document prior to it coming to auction, but whose hands and how many hands it passed through is unknown.
“It is our hope that it goes into the new state museum,” Fox said, referencing the history museum slated to open in 2026 at the Utah Capitol. It’s Christensen’s hope that the gallery will find a client who would buy the document and donate it to the state so it can end up in the museum.
Fox also said that it’s likely the first time this document has ever actually been in the state of Utah. “There’s just nothing like it.”
When the document was signed and Utah became a state, Fox said there was a jubilant celebration.
“The telegraph office was buzzing with information, and the telegraph operator came out into the middle of the street with a double barrel shotgun and fired it off to get everybody’s attention,” Fox said.
The 5 p.m. edition of the Deseret Evening News reported the news of Utah becoming a state on Jan. 4, 1896, also noting the shotgun announcement, bells ringing and blowing of whistles.
Utah’s struggle to become a state was unlike any other state in the country.
Though Cleveland signed the letter on Jan. 4 1896, it wouldn’t be until July 4 of that year that the official statehood celebrations commenced and the U.S. added the 45th star to the American flag.
Associated Press
Miami Heat (18-17, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (9-26, 14th in the Western Conference)
Salt Lake City; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Utah is looking to end its eight-game home slide with a win against Miami.
The Jazz have gone 2-13 in home games. Utah allows 118.5 points to opponents and has been outscored by 6.9 points per game.
The Heat are 8-10 on the road. Miami is 10-6 in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Jazz’s 14.1 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.5 more made shots on average than the 13.6 per game the Heat give up. The Jazz average 111.3 points per game, 7.2 fewer points than the 118.5 the Jazz allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Collin Sexton is averaging 17.9 points and 3.9 assists for the Jazz.
Terry Rozier is shooting 40.0% and averaging 12.1 points for the Heat.
LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 4-6, averaging 116.1 points, 48.8 rebounds, 25.6 assists, 7.2 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.0 points per game.
Heat: 5-5, averaging 109.3 points, 42.1 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points.
INJURIES: Jazz: Keyonte George: day to day (heel), John Collins: day to day (personal), Jordan Clarkson: day to day (plantar ), Taylor Hendricks: out for season (fibula), Brice Sensabaugh: day to day (illness).
Heat: Dru Smith: out for season (achilles), Josh Richardson: day to day (heel).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Florida State came up short in its pursuit of a top running back transfer.
On Tuesday, Utah State running back transfer Rahsul Faison announced he was committing to South Carolina. Faison chose the Gamecocks over FSU, Alabama, North Carolina, UCLA, and UCF.
The Seminoles hosted Faison for a visit last weekend but he continued to take trips elsewhere. Florida State could very well kick the tires on another transfer during the spring window.
Faison spent two seasons with the Aggies and had a career year in 2024 where he rushed 198 times for 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 22 passes for 99 yards. He had five games of 100+ rushing yards, including a season-high 20 carries for 191 yards and a touchdown in a 55-10 victory against Hawaii on November 16. He was named second-team All-Mountain West for his performance last fall.
During his first season at Utah State, Faison rushed 118 times for 736 yards and five touchdowns. In total, he appeared in 25 games, making 13 starts, and totaled 316 carries for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. Faison also caught 33 passes for 151 yards.
The Pennsylvania native signed with Marshall as a two-star prospect in 2019. He ultimately spent that season at the junior college level at Lackawanna College and was with the Thundering Herd in 2020. Faison didn’t appear in a game with either program and elected to go back to the JUCO level with Snow College. He rushed 88 times for 355 yards and six touchdowns prior to transferring to Utah State.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound running back has at least one season of eligibility remaining due to the new junior college ruling.
READ MORE: Elite FSU Quarterback Commitment Gets First Chance To Meet New OC Gus Malzahn
Florida State has six scholarship running backs eligible to return in 2025; redshirt senior Roydell Williams, redshirt senior Caziah Holmes, redshirt junior Jaylin Lucas, redshirt sophomore Samuel Singleton Jr., sophomore Kam Davis, and redshirt freshman Micahi Danzy.
The Seminoles signed four-star Ousmane Kromah during the Early Signing Period.
READ MORE: Standout Utah State Running Back Transfer Lists Florida State In Top-Six
Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the offseason
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• Florida State Adds FCS Quarterbacks Coach To Off-Field Staff
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PROVO, Utah — A teacher within the Alpine School District is facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor after allegedly uploading child porn to the internet. Travis Adamson, 49, is currently being held without bail.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 13 News, investigators were first notified of the potential crime at the end of April 2023. Adobe Inc. reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via CyberTip that a user had uploaded files containing depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct on their account.
The CyberTip also included account information regarding the suspect user, including an IP address and email address that belonged to a teacher within the Alpine School District. Detectives used geo-location to trace the suspect’s IP address and found it was located within or near the city limits of Provo.
The school district confirmed to investigators that Adamson was still an employee within the district.
On Monday, detectives interviewed Adamson at the school where he confirmed that he was the sole user of the Adobe account and admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material.
Adamson also told detectives that he had downloaded several thousand images and videos onto his hard drive which is located at his home. He denied ever photographing or doing anything sexual or inappropriate with his students or other kids.
Detectives are now working to get access to Adamson’s hard drive and more charges could be coming.
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