Utah DAR Monuments & Markers Series Part VI: Modern Irrigation Plaque

In July 1847, Utah’s pioneers arrived in the arid west from the east where rainfall supplied enough moisture for crops. One of their initial tasks was to divert water from the Salt Lake Valley streams for irrigation use. Irrigation systems were the key to cultivating crops and surviving in the desert land.

Dedicated on July 31, 1931 by the Utah State Conference Daughters of the American Revolution, the tablet was placed within the half-acre of ground first plowed as identified by pioneer William Carter who held the plow.

The tablet was affixed to a pillar and dedicated 84 years after the event in the lobby of the old Knutsford Hotel. At the time, the facility was known as the Auerbach Building and was occupied by Sears Roebuck Co. department store.

When the building was raised to make way for the Centre Theatre, the tablet was placed on the left wall inside the entrance of the theatre and rededicated on January 5, 1938.

The tablet, now in the form of a monument, is now located in front of the theatre. The Monument is overseen by the Pony Express Chapter in Lehi, Utah.