When did Utah create their first state seal?
Right. At the center of the Great Seal of the state of Utah is a shield with a beehive, the word “Industry”, and the date 1847. Even prior to Utah gaining statehood in 1896, the image of the beehive and the term “Industry” were unofficial symbols of the region. The 1847 provisional state of Deseret, which was to become Utah, adopted the beehive as its official emblem, and the symbol carried through as Utah became a part of the Union. The qualities of the beehive (industry, perseverance, thrift, stability, and self-reliance) were all virtues respected by the region’s settlers. On both sides of the seal are American flags, atop the shield is an American eagle, and under it “1847”. The circumference of the seal contains the words “The Great Seal of the State of Utah”, and the date of statehood, “1896”.
