Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
John Hollenhorst Reporting You know the old adage, 'Don't believe everything you read'? It appears that applies even to things written in stone or engraved on a plaque.
In Salt Lake City, a cherished belief seems to be lost somewhere in a swirl of legend, truth, and hogwash.
In the Old West, sorting out truth from myth is a challenge with multiple points of view, as a newspaper man famously told Jimmy Stewart.
Scenes from "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance": "This is the west, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
Which brings us to the Lone Cedar Tree monument put up many years ago by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.
Bette Barton/ Daughters of the Utah Pioneers: "It's important to know that Brigham Young made the valley blossom as a rose."
And for generations of Utahns, this memorial has stood for that. Old clippings make clear, it honors the only tree in the valley when the pioneers came, a lonely symbol of the wasteland transformed by Mormon virtue.
Phillip F. Notarianni/ Director of State History: "And through their hard work and frugality it became a lush oasis in the desert."
Only problem? The Lone Cedar Tree may be so much baloney, according to botanical experts.
Bette Barton: "All of our lives we heard that it was the only tree. But it certainly has been proved that it was not."
Not only that, in 1919 someone dug down around the old stump.
Phillip F. Notarianni: "They found that it was not a tree at all. There were no roots to it. It was a post!"
The stump was moved once. Some believe Brigham Young installed it as a guidepost. And even if it was originally a tree, one expert concluded the myth got the species wrong.
Bette Barton: "In fact he was pretty certain that it was not a cedar tree. It was a juniper."
But, if we could find out the truth, does it really matter?
Phillip F. Notarianni: "No, because the myths are part of th history. That's what makes it significant."
Bette Barton: "It would be very sad if we did not continue to recognize what is important to our pioneer ancestors."
In other words, "When the legend becomes fact", print and engrave the legend.
The second memorial put up by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in 1960 left open the possibility there were other trees. They're considering putting in a third version allowing the interpretation that it was a post.
