Travel Back in Time with the UVU Library

1871 Illustration of Wagon Train Members Camping

This week is the 170th anniversary of the first major wagon trail heading out on the Oregon Trail. According to some estimates, over 400,000 people would follow the trail during the next few decades. In addition to sharing our collection of materials about the Oregon Trail in our weekly book display, we're also spotlighting the George Sutherland Archives collection of historic books and our American history research materials.

George Sutherland Archives

The mission of the Archives is to "[collect] and [make] available materials that document and reflect the history and development of Utah Valley University and the surrounding communities." The Archives has been collecting local history materials for decades and their collection includes overland diaries, historic photographs, and more. The Archives is located on the third floor of the Library.

America History & Life

This database offers access to many full text articles and indexes many more articles on American history, from Precolumbian times to the early nineteenth century. It currently searches through 1,700 unique journals to cover all topics in American history including social history, military history, minority history, and more.

Mountain West Digital Library

The UVU Library and the George Sutherland Archives have been a partner of the Mountain West Digital Library for years. The MWDL digitizes newspaper articles, historic photographs, and documents and makes them available through their portal. They currently offer digital access to more than 700,000 items.

For questions about researching American history, please contact the Reference Desk at (801) 863-8840. For questions about local history or using the George Sutherland Archives, contact Catherine McIntyre at (801) 863-8821.