Keywords

Orem, Utah, Provo Bench, LDS pioneers, Utah County

Abstract

The Timpanogos Indians--the original inhabitants of Utah Valley--lived in villages along the Timpanogos (Provo) River and the shores of Timpanogos (Utah) Lake. But they regularly climbed the nearby bench--a large delta shaped by ancient wave action as Lake Bonneville began to drain. Although the rocky sagebrush-covered bench was not suitable for cultivation since it had no natural streams, the Timpanogos went there to find crickets and rodents or to hunt the antelope, deer, elk, and bison that grazed freely throughout the foothills, benches, and floors of the valley.

Original Publication Citation

Buckley, Jay H. “Orem [Utah]: Pioneering on the Provo Bench.” Pioneer 67, no. 3 (Fall 2020): 44-56.