Who were the first recorded white men to enter Spanish Fork?

Father Silvestre Velez de Escalante and Father Francisco Atanasio Dominguez were Catholic Priests who were the first recorded white men in Spanish Fork.

When the Ute Indians saw the first white men entering Spanish Fork, they sent up smoke signals. This spread the news of the white man’s coming.

Father Escalante kept an excellent diary of the journey and wrote the things he saw while traveling down Spanish Fork Canyon. He wrote about the land, the plants, and the animal life.

The party of ten men traveled on sturdy burros and horses from New Mexico. They wanted to find a route to California. They left in July of 1776 and arrived in Spanish Fork on Sept. 21, 1776.

The Priests camped near the Spanish Fork River. They enjoyed the beautiful valley, fertile land, and peaceful Indians.

They contacted the Ute Indians living in Spanish Fork and preached Christianity to them. Indian guides were used to help communicate between the groups.

Father Escalante and Father Dominguez never reached California. Wintertime came quickly and heavy snow forced them to turn back.