Utah Senator Robert (Bob) Bennett is remembered as a friend to pioneer heritage and champion of preservation

Discovery Road – Winner of Best In State 2022 – Best Documentary

Since its debut in 2012, Discovery Road has produced over 60 episodes, taking viewers on immersive journeys down U.S. Highway 89 through six historic counties in central and southern Utah.

 

Each 30-minute episode blends history, mystery, heritage, and natural beauty into family-friendly storytelling that educates as much as it entertains.

 

Broadcast locally on KUED-TV and across the country through the National Educational Television Association, or NETA, the series has become a public media touchstone for anyone seeking a deeper connection to the region’s past. It is also used in classrooms across the state as part of Utah’s history curriculum.

Mormon Pioneers traveling to the west Covered Wagons Courtesy of Shaun Messick

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area is the only National Heritage Area designated and named for a specific people, the Mormon Pioneers – as they forged to the west. Their remarkable story of dedication, fortitude, and extraordinary efforts offers one of the best features of the Mormon colonization experience in the United States. The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area has been identified by Congress as a factor in the expansion of the United States and contributing to the United States.

Districts

travel planner for the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

Cowboys, Outlaws, and the Movies 

The unique landscape features a geological wonderland that has been the backdrop for feature films including; “Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid,” and “Jeremiah Johnson.” While traveling through the picturesque scenery, you might recognize a scene or two. Included in the heritage area is the birthplace of Utah outlaws, Butch Cassidy and Matt Warner. Matt was a lifelong friend and a gang member alongside of Butch.  Many movies were filmed in the scenic Under the Rim District of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area.

Mormon Colonization 

In the later part of the 1800s the Mormon pioneers began their great relocation to the west. They trekked 1,400 miles from Illinois to the Great Salt Lake. This mass-Exodus brought about colonization in Utah, Nevada, the southwest corner of Wyoming, the southeast corner of Idaho, southeast Oregon, and a large portion of southern and eastern California.

log cabin with Mormon Pioneer Family Echo City Utah
Family Portrait of Mormon Pioneers in Echo City, Utah

Remembering Senator Robert (Bob) Bennett – A Friend of Pioneer Heritage and Preservation

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Senator Robert Bennett 1933-2016—A True Friend of Pioneer Heritage

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area has lost a hero in the passing of former Sen. Robert Bennett who sponsored the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Act, which brought the MPNHA into being.

Sen. Bennett, 82, died May 4 of complications related to a recent stroke. He also had pancreatic cancer.

Sen. Bennett introduced his bill to create the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area during the 107th Congress (January 2001-2003). In his introduction, the senator spoke passionately about the need to preserve the rich pioneer heritage of the MPNHA:

“Spanning 250 miles from the small town of Fairview, Utah, southward to our border with Arizona, the area encompassed by the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area Includes outstanding examples of historical, cultural, and natural resources shaped by Mormon pioneers. The story of the Mormon pioneers is one of the most compelling and captivating in our nation’s history. After traveling 1,400 miles from Illinois either by wagon or by pulling a handcart, the pioneers came to the Great Salt Lake Valley, “ he said. “Along the way, the pioneers experienced many hardships…Many people died during their journey… The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area will serve as special recognition to the people and places that have contributed greatly to our nation’s development. Throughout the heritage area are wonderful examples of architecture…and cultural events…that demonstrate the way of life of the pioneers.”

The senator fought tirelessly to ensure passage of the bill, which after being passed by the Senate, received the support of the House of Representatives on July 24, 2006. The Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Oct. 12, 2006.

Sen. Bennett’s love for the area grew out of the many trips he took through the state campaigning for his father U.S. Senator Wallace Foster Bennett.

In a Discovery Road episode “Discovery Road – ANHA Tour” he spoke of those experiences:

“With the development of the Interstate…it had the effect of leaving [Highway] 89 behind,” he said. “It meant it left a lot of history behind…It’s important that history not be lost.”

“The MPNHA and its people owe so much to the vision of Sen. Bennett and his commitment to preserving the rich history of the area,” said MPNHA Director Monte Bona. “We mourn the loss of a true friend and offer our condolences to Sen. Bennett’s family and loved ones.”

Sen. Bennett had a long and distinguished political career, serving three terms as a U.S. senator.

This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office for Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.

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