This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two early explorers of Utah may have their statues at the state Capitol — and the move is seen as also honoring their fellow Latinos and Catholics.
The House voted 68-0 on Tuesday to pass HCR7, and sent it to the Senate. It calls for statues at the Capitol for Fathers Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Silvestre Velez de Escalante.
Its sponsor, Rep. Mark Archuleta Wheatley, D-Murray, noted the Catholic priests explored in 1776 from Mexico to as far north as Utah Valley, preaching Christianity to Indian tribes. Their diaries helped to establish the Old Spanish Trail through parts of Utah.
"Utah is home to over 350,000 Latinos," Wheatley said. He added that as they visit the statues in the future, "they'll make a connection that [the] Utah [Capitol] truly is the people's house for all."
He said the project will be privately funded, "and having the statue to honor their extraordinary lives and accomplishments would be a fitting tribute." The resolution orders that a copy of its wording also be sent to the Catholic diocese of Salt Lake City upon final passage.
— Lee Davidson