What a Year it's been at the Sevier County History Hub

What a year it’s been at the Sevier County History Hub! From preserving historical photographs and documents to recording community stories and connecting people with local history, 2026 has been a year of growth, collaboration, and discovery.

Thanks to our dedicated staff, historians, volunteers, and community partners, Sevier County Archives and Heritage Services (SCAHS) continues to build a lasting historical resource for current and future generations. Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished together!

Preserving History, One Record at a Time

Every photograph, newspaper, scrapbook, and historical document has a story to tell. This year, we’ve continued gathering, organizing, digitizing, and preserving records while making more collections available for public discovery.

2026 Preservation Highlights:

735  historical records acquired

605  records processed and organized

255  records digitized

532  records published online

15   new collections were added online

Collections Spotlight

Mary Thurman Collection
Among this year’s exciting acquisitions is a collection of memorabilia featuring Mary Thurman, a silent film actress who lived in Richfield and is buried in the Richfield Cemetery. The collection includes glass plate negatives, photographs, early 1900s magazines and newspapers, video, and research provided by a descendant.

Kimberly, Utah Collection

Another remarkable addition is a collection documenting the Kimberly Mine and the historic community of Kimberly, Utah, donated by Doreen Anderson of Enumclaw, Washington, daughter of Dean Herring. Born and raised in Elsinore, Dean Herring authored From Lode to Dust: The Birth and Death of Kimberly, Utah. This research collection includes historical maps, photographs, mining records, and early Kimberly School photographs and documents, offering a fascinating glimpse into this once-thriving mining community now a ghost town.

These collections are just a few examples of the historical treasures entrusted to SCAHS. As we preserve, process, and share these materials online, we continue making Sevier County’s history accessible to families, researchers, and history enthusiasts everywhere. 

The collections take some time to process; we look forward to sharing them online. Join our Newsletter email list or follow our Facebook page to stay informed.

Stronger Together: Community Partnerships

History preservation takes teamwork! SCAHS works with local historians, museums, libraries, schools, businesses, and heritage organizations to strengthen preservation efforts throughout the county. From archival guidance and digitization assistance to helping organizations share and promote their collections, we’re connecting local history with the people who value it.

Community Impact:

15     historians engaged

8      museums and heritage organizations supported

9      community partnerships

12     organizations receiving preservation assistance or training

Partnership Spotlight

The People Behind the Preservation

Our volunteers are an essential part of the History Hub! They organize collections, digitize photographs, transcribe documents, research local history, help capture community stories, and share them with others. 

Volunteer Highlights:

45  active volunteers

371   volunteer service hours

10  training and hands-on learning opportunities

That’s 371 hours of community service dedicated to preserving our shared heritage!

Volunteer Spotlight: Putting Skills to Work

Our dedicated LDS service missionaries contribute their time and talents to a variety of archival projects. One volunteer, Elder Ian Shaw, took on a unique engineering challenge: designing and building a photographic vacuum table to safely hold large maps, photographs, and newspapers flat for digitization. Working within a budget, he researched materials, developed a design, and put his skills to work on a practical project that will benefit our archives efficiency while strengthening his résumé for a potential engineering degree. It’s a great example of how volunteering can benefit both our organization and those who serve!

We’re also investing in the future through two paid positions, one internship, and professional development opportunities, including archival conferences and specialized training that we were awarded grant funding. These experiences help develop valuable skills, strengthen professional expertise, and build a sustainable future for archival preservation in rural Utah.

Bringing History to Life

History isn’t just stored in boxes or displayed in museums. It’s found in our communities, celebrations, family stories, and everyday experiences. This year, SCAHS connected people with local heritage through oral histories, educational presentations, community events and exhibits, and online resources.

Outreach Highlights:

9     oral histories recorded

5     community events and presentations

32   heritage resources published

3     educational and outreach initiatives

Sevier Speaks

This year, SCAHS has been busy processing and publishing oral histories on our YouTube channel, bringing local voices and fascinating history to life. Explore 53 community memories collected during the Sevier County 160th anniversary celebrations, along with 9 featured oral histories covering everything from the remarkable 102-year life of LuJean Ogden and the mysteries of Monroe Canyon to the origins of the Rocky Mountain ATV Jamboree, local artists, and North Sevier history. There’s something for everyone, and you might even recognize a familiar face!

Watch, discover, and subscribe! Visit our Sevier County History Hub YouTube channel to explore the Sevier Speaks playlist and enjoy the stories that make our communities unique.

Solving Mysteries and Building Partnerships

Who knew that old high school yearbooks could help solve a decades-old mystery? In March, SCAHS was contacted by Kimball Clark of Kindex, whose team was investigating the 1986 California cold case of the Wilseyville Jane Doe, a young woman believed to have been murdered by serial killers. Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) had revealed possible family connections to Utah’s Sevier Valley, leading investigators to search Richfield and South Sevier High School yearbooks for clues about her identity. SCAHS helped locate, digitize, and share yearbooks, including a South Sevier yearbooks provided by our History Hub partner, the Monroe FamilySearch Center. These records became valuable resources in the investigation that has made promising progress toward identifying the victim.

This collaboration also opened the door to an exciting partnership with Kindex, which has donated more than 8,500 scanned pages of Sevier County records made available through the investigation. Our new Sevier County History Hub Kindex website https://sevier.kindex.org allows the public to explore these and other historical collections, transcribe documents, and help make records searchable through Google and other search engines.

With free volunteer transcription, a friendly community leaderboard, and optional AI-assisted paid transcription followed by personal review, Kindex makes preserving history more accessible and engaging. The partnership also creates opportunities for internships, workforce development, and future collaboration with local heritage organizations, including Miss Mary’s Museum, whose collections will reach a broader audience and promote heritage tourism.

What began as a search for clues in old yearbooks has grown into a partnership that helps uncover forgotten stories, connect communities, and make Sevier County’s history more discoverable than ever!

Rescue Your Heritage Event ~ North Sevier

This three-day community event brought together Sevier County Archives and Heritage Services (SCAHS), the Salina Stake FamilySearch Center, Kindex, and Glyph Forge to help North Sevier residents preserve their family histories through free professional digitization services. Working across five scanning stations, volunteers and professionals dedicated approximately 80–100 combined hours to digitizing 113 sets of historical records, generating 41 GB of scanned materials and receiving an additional 9 GB of donated digital files—a total of 50 GB of preserved history! 

Participants received free USB drives containing digital copies of their records, allowing them to preserve and share their family treasures. The event also helped bring valuable pieces of North Sevier’s history into our growing community archives for generations to come. Participants heard live oral histories from local residents. We plan to host similar collaborative events in other areas in the county. 

https://www.seviercountyhistoryhub.org/heritage-rescue

Looking Ahead to 2027

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but there’s still so much history waiting to be discovered! In the coming year, we look forward to expanding our collections, strengthening partnerships, supporting local and rural historians and museums, and making more historical resources accessible to the public.

What's Next? RUSH! Rural Utah Saving History

Help Us Make History!

History is happening every day, and everyone has a story worth preserving. Whether you have family photographs to share, memories to record, or time to volunteer, you can help protect Sevier County’s heritage.

Visit www.seviercountyhistoryhub.org to explore our collections and learn how to get involved.

Together, we’re preserving Sevier County’s history—one record, one story, and one connection at a time.