This was the Bureau of Information building on Temple Square, sort of a prototype visitors’ center, in 1910.
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MLA: Parshall, Ardis E. "Bureau of Information Building, 1910." Keepapitchin.org, 17 Nov 2014, https://keepapitchinin.org/2014/11/17/bureau-of-information-building-1910/.
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18 thoughts on “Bureau of Information Building, 1910”
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I had always imagined it as a little booth, with windows that visitors could walk up to for information.
The first structure really was exactly as you describe, John. I suppose I don’t think of that one as a “building,” though — semantics. I’ll scout up a picture of that booth and post it.
Sorry, Ardis, but you are darn impressive.
It’s like watching a magician work!
I discovered with Google’s help an Ensign article about the Bureau of Information and its first director, Ben Goddard. One question I had had was answered–that building stood until 1978–so I’m not just making up memories of going inside it.
The article also included a photo of the original glass-walled gazebo that looks suspiciously like the one that Ardis conjured up from the vasty deep. 🙂
Ardis,
What was the location of the building? Within Temple Square?
If my memory serves me right there was a small museum on the second story of that building. I can’t remember much from my visits there in the 50’s but it seems that there were some church history items and even a mummified corpse found in the SLC valley. Always enjoy the look back at the way things were.
This one was just inside the South Gate, Tod, where the current South Visitors’ Center stands — you walked in through the gate, and the Bureau was to your immediate right. It was expanded through the years, and eventually became the old Museum that used to display mummies and stuffed seagulls and other dusty stuff … probably a few years before your time, but a favorite destination when I was a kid.
Sorry, Dan, I didn’t see your comment earlier. Yes, your memory is more or less correct — that IS where the museum was.
Wasn’t the skeleton of a famous Native American also on display there? (I’m blanking on the name.)
Black Hawk himself, Gary. I had forgotten about that.
Not Zelph?!
I remember the building, but I don’t recall ever going inside.
“Dusty” is the exact word that I would have chosen to describe the exhibits in that building!
The other thing: copper post cards. For sale, right there on Temple Square. Are they still around?
Only on eBay, as far as I can tell, Mark. Same with the postcards that had little bags of salt attached.
Here’s an example of one on eBay now (Brigham Young’s Beehive House), along with the picture (’cause that link won’t work long):
Do we know what happened to the skeleton of Black Hawk?
Great question, Scott. That’s quite a story and worth its own post.
(Anyone? Taking volunteers here, although of course Ardis has first dibs and doesn’t know that I’m trying to outsource the job. 🙂 Actually, it seems like we should auction off the rights to tell the story of Black Hawk’s remains on Keepa. It’s quite a legend itself, and the information’s out there. Seriously, if anyone wanted to send in a post, just keep it around 600-1000 words, and include reliable documentation even if it’s not part of the text, as is the normal policy on the blog.)
I oversleep and look what happens!
Scott, Amy’s right, we do know what happened, and it’s worth a post. So since Amy has promised a post — from her, or me, or SOMEbody — I’ll raise the pressure on us and say that we’ll post it on Friday.