Iosepa Settlement Cemetery

They crossed an ocean and a desert to gather in Zion, and some of them never left this valley. Beginning in 1889, Hawaiian and Polynesian converts settled Iosepa, half a mile southwest, to be near the temple and the heart of their church. They made the desert bloom — Hawaiian street names, hymns, and a yearly luau — and won the state prize for Utah's best-kept town. But the climate was cruel, and the first grave was dug three weeks after they arrived. When a temple rose in Hawaii, most went home in 1917. Those who stayed are here.

What the plaque says

Mormon Church converts from Polynesia settled in Skull Valley in 1889–1917, working for the Church-owned Iosepa Agriculture and Stock Company. Their settlement located 1/2 mile to the southwest, and named Iosepa (Joseph) after Joseph F. Smith then president of the Church, flourished until 1917 when a Hawaiian temple was constructed. Most of the islanders returned to their homeland. Many who succumbed to the hardships of the land are buried in this cemetery.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Great Salt Lake — 19 mi
  The largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere

More markers nearby

• Iosepa Town History — steps away
• Lincoln Highway — 14 mi
• Donner-Reed Memorial Museum & Early Bldgs. — 14 mi
• Grantsville Fort — 14 mi