The subject of the historical presentation at this year’s Heritage Banquet, organized by Draper Historical Society, is a timely one. Infrastructure construction is currently underway on The Point, a new community development located on the state-owned land previously occupied by the Utah State Prison. The Historical Society is looking back on the history of that institution which loomed large in the history of Draper.

Brent Miller, who will deliver the historical presentation, remarked, “This year, we’re here to pay homage to an old friend, the Draper prison.” Like many longtime Draper residents, Miller has a personal connection to the prison. “I used to play softball,” he said. “They used to bring guys over from the prison to play.”

Draper Historical Society member Paul Smith conducted painstaking research for the presentation which begins with how the state prison came to be a part of the Draper community.

The State of Utah broke ground for the state prison near Point of the Mountain in 1940. Draper, which consisted largely of farms at the time, was chosen by the state as a prime location because of its remoteness. In fact, the first prisoners who moved from the old Sugar House Prison to Draper were temporarily housed in empty chicken coops.

Until its demolition in the summer of 2022, the prison had an eventful history which included a prisoner uprising, a few notorious inmates and an incident in the 1980s in which an escaped murderer sued the prison for alleged trauma he suffered while on the lam. The Heritage Banquet historical presentation will highlight these and other colorful anecdotes.

The Heritage Banquet itself has an interesting history. As Draper Historical Society president Lynne Orgill said, “The Heritage Banquet evolved from Old Folks Day.” The first Old Folks Day celebration was held in 1898 as a way to honor Draper’s pioneer founders. Over the ensuing decades, Old Folks Day, and later the Heritage Banquet, became an annual event acknowledging the rich history of the Draper community.

The evening will also include a catered dinner and a drawing for door prizes donated by local businesses and members of the community. Miller described the Heritage Banquet as, “mostly just a get-together of old friends.” Many of the people who attend the banquet every year grew up in Draper and have long-standing family ties to the community.

“You could just pass a microphone around and have people share their memories of old Draper,” Orgill commented.

Everyone who is interested in learning about local history is encouraged to attend the banquet. It will be held on Wed., July 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Draper Elementary. The tickets, which cost $15, may be purchased on the Draper City website or in person at the door or at the Draper Historical Society Museum. Orgill clarified, “We do want to specify that if you do purchase tickets at the door or at the Historical Society that it’s cash or check only.”

Draper Elementary School is located at 1080 E. 12660 South. For more information and the link to purchase tickets, visit www.events.draperutah.gov/default/Detail/2024-07-17-1800-Draper-Days-Heritage-Banquet. λ