Not all history books cover the people and places that have impacted Provo, but a new book is highlighting the city as one of the oldest historical sites in Utah.
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“I love this photo,” Brown said. “Well, I love every picture in this book. They all have an amazing story to tell.”
When asked to share her top five favorites, she fired off a rapid list turning directly to their pages. Brown said she wants readers to know what she refers to as the story of utmost importance behind the collection of photos in the book.
In 1974, Brown worked as the editor of the Brigham Young University Press. Intrigued by the history of Provo, she wrote a book titled, “Provo: A Story of People in Motion.” She said the process of procuring photos from significant people in Provo for the book was arduous.
“They didn’t want to part with their scrapbooks, so, we invited them up to the BYU Press photo studio and we took photos of each picture from their personal scrapbooks,” Brown said.
The photos were donated to BYU. They are now a part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections in the Harold B. Lee Library.
When Arcadia Publishing was interested in publishing a book about Provo, Brown knew exactly where to acquire the photos needed to tell the city’s story. Brown secured additional photos to ensure an up-to-date history.
Some of Brown’s favorite trivia highlighted in the book include Provo being named after a Canadian-French fur trapper, President William Howard Taft visiting in 1909 on Pioneer Day and the legend of Squaw Peak.
The book also contains more recent Provo history, including the recent fire and destruction of the Provo Tabernacle.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading local history publisher in the U. S. with more than 6,000 titles in print, according to their website. “Provo” is part of Arcadia’s popular “Images of America” series. The book includes more than 200 historical photos capturing the life and times of the people of Provo. “Provo” is on sale at local bookstores, independent retailers, online retailers, at arcadiapublishing.com or by calling 888-313-2665.
