First Unveiling

Public invited to unveiling of historic rodeo marker

The public is invited to the first marker unveiling of the Lehi Historic Marker Program on Sat., June 22, at 9 a.m., at the west entrance to the Lehi Round-Up Rodeo Grounds at 105 N. 500 West.

“We are super excited that the first unveiling will be in honor of the Lehi Round-Up Rodeo,” said Lara Bangerter, director of the Lehi Historical Society. “The rodeo is one of Lehi’s greatest traditions, and now there is going to be a beautiful marker to tell the world.”

The marker will be the first of 36 markers to be installed in Lehi over the next couple of years. The Lehi Historical Marker Program is a Lehi Historical Society project made possible by a Lehi City PARC grant and generous funding from HADCO Construction.

The black, aluminum-cast markers will stand close to 10 feet tall and celebrate some of Lehi’s most historic sites. Each will feature two to three sentences about the person, place, thing or event memorialized. Within the year, it is expected that each sign will have a QR code that will lead to more information and photographs.

The first marker will be located at the west entrance to the rodeo grounds.

“The rodeo is an important event in our community,” said Mike Southwick, president of the Rodeo Committee and committee member for 45 years. “It brings us together. I think it’s pretty neat it gets to be the first event honored.”

The unveiling program is expected to be short and sweet. Lehi City Mayor Mark Johnson and Southwick will give a few words, and this year’s rodeo queens will unveil the marker.

“We are so pleased the rodeo marker will be up just in time for this year’s Lehi Round-Up Rodeo,” said Bangerter. “We hope everyone will come and support.”

Since Lehi’s earliest days, cowboys have gathered to compare skills and strength in the earliest forms of rodeo. In later years, but before Lehi’s rodeo grounds, local cowboys pulled cars into a circle to create an area in an open field. The site of today’s rodeo grounds has hosted competitions since the early 1920s. The Lehi Round-Up Rodeo became a PRCA rodeo in 1937. The tradition proves to bring the community together every year.

The Lehi Historical Society won funding for the Lehi Historical Marker Program in 2022 in Lehi’s first PARC grant round. PARC funds come from the PARC tax, which Lehi City voters approved in 2021 to “enhanc[e] funding for recreational and cultural facilities and cultural organizations within Lehi City,” according to the city’s website.

The Lehi Historical Society is extremely grateful to the John David and Danaca Hadfield family for recognizing the importance of this historic project and backing it from the very beginning.

For more information, contact the Lehi Historical Society at 801-768-1570, lehihistory@gmail.com or lehihistory.com.