This comprehensive local history chronicles the founding and growth of Provo, Utah, from its pre-settlement period through the early 20th century, with extensive narrative on pioneer life, community institutions, and political development. Jensen draws heavily on pioneer accounts, official records, and local lore to describe how Provo was established in the traditional territory of the Timpanogos Ute Indians—the Indigenous people who had long inhabited the Utah Valley before Euro-American settlement.
The book includes chapters on:
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Early Native presence and interactions — noting the Timpanogos Utes as the valley’s first long-term residents and their way of life based on fishing and seasonal food sources.
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First European and U.S. contact — from the 18th-century Spanish Franciscan expeditions to the 19th-century fur traders and mountain men who first encountered local Ute bands.
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Settlement and conflict — detailed accounts of how incoming Mormon settlers and Indigenous peoples navigated disputes over land, resources, and cultural misunderstanding. The text describes early tensions, hostilities, and military actions around Fort Utah, which was built on or near the site of a major Timpanogos village.
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Indian Wars and “Indian troubles” — Jensen covers episodes labeled by early settlers as Indian wars, including confrontations, reprisals, and broader settler-Native conflicts that shaped the early Provo community. These sections reflect how pioneer narratives interpreted Indigenous resistance and settler defense.
The narrative reflects both early 20th-century historical perspectives and the prevailing pioneer-settler viewpoint of Jensen’s time. It offers rich detail about Indigenous–settler relations and the pivotal role these interactions played in the founding and early years of Provo, though modern readers should be aware that the framing and interpretation are consistent with early local histories and may not fully align with current scholarship on Native American experiences.