Day 308: Iosepa Settlement Cemetery, Iosepa, Utah
📌APIA Every Day (308) - The Iosepa Settlement Cemetery, established circa 1889, is located in a ghost town in Utah’s Skull Valley. Originally a 1,920 acre ranch, the Iosepa area was settled in the late 19th century by Pacific Islanders, predominantly Native Hawaiians, who had immigrated to the United States after converting to Mormonism. Today, the cemetery stands as one of the last surviving sites documenting the early Polynesian history of Utah.
In the 1850s, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began sending missionaries to Hawai’i and the surrounding Pacific Islands. One of the most influential figures in this missionary effort was Joseph F. Smith, the eventual namesake for Iosepa. In 1889, about 50 Native Hawaiians had joined the church and migrated to Salt Lake City. However, due to discrimination against the new arrivals, the Church relocated the community to Skull Valley. Once settled in Iosepa, the Native Hawaiians established a small town following a gridded plan typical of Mormon settlements. At the center of the town, they built a church and schoolhouse in a public square (called an imilani), with other buildings lining two main streets named Honolulu and Kula. The Iosepa Cemetery was founded as early as 1889, the same year as the settlement’s establishment, when the first burial took place. Over time, Iosepa grew to encompass 226 people and community members continued to preserve their heritage through cultural traditions like lu’aus.
Throughout this period, the Polynesian residents worked as laborers on farms under the Iosepa Agricultural and Stock Company. By 1908, the community had created an elaborate irrigation system and grown numerous fruit trees on residential properties to guard against the harsh Utah summers. Two years following these improvements, the town gained greater financial independence and an increased quality of life. In 1915, as the Mormon Church began construction on a temple in Hawai'i, many Iosepa residents opted to move back to the Pacific Islands by 1917. Those who remained continued to be buried at the Iosepa cemetery, with burials occurring as recently as 2019. As the town was abandoned, a livestock company purchased the land and demolished most of the buildings, leaving only the cemetery and a few stone foundations behind.
In 1971, the Iosepa Settlement Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historical Places, in recognition of its significance to Polynesian history in Utah. A century after the town’s establishment, a historic marker was dedicated at Iosepa by the Mormon Church President Gordon B. Hinckley in 1989. Although the town no longer has any permanent residents, Pacific Islander continue to visit the site annually to honor their pioneer ancestors with lu'aus. To accommodate these visitors, the Iosepa Historical Association added a pavilion with a stage, kitchen, and restrooms to the site. Currently, the Association is gathering donations to update the existing facilities, ensuring that future gatherings commemorating Iosepa continue to occur.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
National Archive Catalog: Iosepa Settlement Cemetery National Register Nomination Form
Utah Historical Society: Iosepa: Utah’s Pacific Islander Pioneers
Business Insider: Iosepa Ghost Town in Utah's Desert Built for Hawaiian Settlers
The Globe: Pacific Islanders celebrate cultural heritage at Iosepa memorial
Utah Historical Markers: Iosepa Settlement Cemetery
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