After 175 years of history, the Big Cottonwood Canyon Historical Society (BCCHS) was formed in 2020 to corral, collect, catalogue, and communicate the remarkable stories and photos of settling, logging, mining, and enjoying the recreation and natural beauty of this favorite canyon. The purpose of the BCCHS, a part of the Brighton Institute, is to collect and archive Big Cottonwood’s history, to share that history through seminars, musical productions, publications and tours, and to authenticate the history of the whole canyon. We are on the Brighton Institute website, have an office in the Town of Brighton complex and have a committee and active volunteers working on diverse historical projects. We focus on the history of the whole canyon and not only those portions recently delineated in the Town of Brighton charter.
In 2022, the Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board (USHRAB) granted the Big Cottonwood Canyon Historical Society $1303.96 to buy archival-grade supplies and storage materials. Thanks to their professional guidance and funding, the historical committee was able to take a leap into the world of organized cataloging. USHRAB sponsored seminars, which four of our BCCHS members attended. USHRAB staff came up to Brighton and met with the historical society and coached them on how to start an archive. They taught the committee about the importance of Finding Aids, what kind of storage and display supplies are needed, and how to reach out to share the growing collection.
The Big Cottonwood Canyon Historical Society invites you to contribute to this collection, to visit with a member of the BCCHS committee about how to get involved, to attend one of our historical events, to visit the Brighton institute’s website historical society tab, and to take delight in the recollection of the natural beauty and cultural history of Big Cottonwood Canyon. For more information: Historical Society — BRIGHTON INSTITUTE (thebrightoninstitute.org)
