In This Issue

Second South, looking westfrom Main Street, ca. 1896. USHS collections.

As the decade of the 1890s dawned and Utahns busied themselves with their final push for statehood, an important social trend was sweeping across the nation—the creation of women's organizations. Utah responded in mainstream fashion, organizing numerous clubs and associations to serve wideranging needs. One such group, Salt Lake City's Reapers' Club, is described in our first article and analyzed not only for format but also for its contribution to the larger movement.

The next three articles also reflect a centennial connection At the time Salt Lake City hosted the state constitutional convention in May 1895, it was in the process of shedding a frontier image and striving for a cosmopolitan one. A three-day summation of newsworthy events of that time and place offers a lively and revealing approach to community history Then comes a look at Leo Munson, born in the year of statehood and possessed from an early age with a natural aptitude for business. His story is much more than a biography. It is a history of the values, axioms, and entrepreneurial spirit that have defined business success through the ages. Thousands of Leo Munsons have created an interesting economic pattern and cultural diversity in Utah that are given meaning in the wonderful thought-piece, penned by one of our state's premier historians, that follows.

The issue concludes with two articles that probe myth and mystery in the prehistorical and historical record. Whether tracking bison or place names, scholars of our craft continue to delight and amaze with their endless curiosity, critical thinking, breadth of interest, and love of research.