More than 71,00 Utahns left for service in the armed forces
Thousands of women found jobs in manufacturing and other businesses after the men left.
Most everybody was working hard to try to bring the war to a quick end.
Rations began being used to save on food
Utah had an influx of federal personnel (and money) which boosted Utah’s economy
Utah was a good location for military installations to be built because:
It was inland, away from coasts- harder to be attacked
The open space was good for training
Good transportation systems in place (railroads, highways, airports)
Mines located nearby helped with production
Well-educated workforce
Already had some installations in place- Fort Douglas, Hill Field, and the Ogden Ordnance Depot
Employment grew for Utahns
New facilities were built throughout Utah
New industries came to Utah
Before the war, economy was based on mining, agriculture, and businesses.
During the war, the Government became the largest employer in Utah.
By 1942, Utah reached full employment for the first time in the 1900’s.
Today we are going to create a new map, looking at the military installations that came to Utah.
Click here for a map of Northern Utah, along with the locations that need to be found on the map.