The Cache Valley Historical Society formed on October 24th, 1951 as the first local chapter of the Utah State Historical Society. Dues were set at $1.00 for the first 52 members of the Society and Dr. Joel E. Ricks gave the first monthly lecture in the basement of the old library. The first major job if the Society was to encourage the publication of a general history of Cache Valley for the 100th anniversary of Cache Valley settlement and when The History of a Valley came out in 1956 the Society was recognized with an award of merit from the Association for State and Local History. The preservation of historical documents was also a major early focus and in 1953 a partnership began with the Utah State University Library (which continues to this day through the Special Collections and Archives department) for the preservation of pioneer diaries, journals, letters, and photographs.
Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the Society was, more or less, an extension of the USU History Department. Leonard Arrington, George Ellsworth, Joel Ricks, and J. Duncan Brite were professors in the history department and all were early movers and shakers in the organization. For example a copy of each speaker�s paper with footnotes and bibliography was requested for the Society�s archives. History professors from Weber State, the �U� and BYU were called upon to give talks. Furthermore the Society�s calendar year mirrored the quarter system at the University with no meeting taking place in the summer.
Today the Cache Valley historical Society is more casual in tone. Although it retains close ties with USU, most members on the board of directors are not directly affiliated with the University. Today the Society brings together people from local historical agencies such as the USU Special Collections & Archives Department, the American West Heritage Center, the Logan DUP Museum, and the Eda Howe Foundation with other interested individuals to discuss the history of Cache Valley and to find ways of preserving history.
What had not changed over the years is a commitment to bringing in quality speakers from a variety of backgrounds. In addition to topics about Cache Valley history, speakers also deal with Mormon, Utah, and Native American history. Over the years the CVHS has made field excursions and still today occasional trips are made to interesting historical sites. The Society also recognizes the preservation of historical buildings and the writing of Cache Valley history. Lifetime honorary members include Raymond Somers, Kenneth and Audrey Godfrey, Ted Kindred, Paul Riley, and Ross Peterson.
Membership is open to anyone interested in Cache Valley history. Monthly meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. in the Historic Court House, 199 North Main, Logan, the second Wednesday of the month except July and August. For more information please use our contact us information on this website.