Hello Friends,

The Escalante Marker is located at 10 South Main Street in Spanish Fork, Utah. It is a tribute to the Spanish Priest/Explorer Father Silvestre Valez de Escalante, the first white man to reach the State of Utah on September 23, 1776.

With an early snowstorm and short provisions, Father Escalante and his small band knelt amidst the frozen sagebrush and prayed for guidance to reach California for they knew not how.

Although they did not reach California, they returned to New Mexico by crossing over the Colorado River and climbing the steep cliffs known as the “Crossing of the Fathers” into New Mexico.

The marker is affixed to a six-ton conglomerate boulder that was furnished by the City of Spanish Fork. It was dedicated by the Spirit of Liberty Chapter in 1922 and re-dedicated in 1923 in a formal ceremony.

A very special thank you to the State Historian, the Wasatch Range Chapter Regent, and the Historic Preservation Committee State Chair for their outstanding support in the preservation of DAR Monuments and Markers in Utah.

Preserving Our Historic DAR Legacy,

Kathryn Asay,
Utah State Regent