Pioneer sizes

According to Collette Liddell of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum, conclusions about the sizes of typical pioneers can be made from the clothing in the museum's collection.

Today's average woman measures about 5'5" to 5'7" in height, whereas young pioneer women stood 5'2" to 5'4". Liddell says most of the young women's dresses at the museum have waistbands of approximately 18-inches.

Pioneer men stood 5'5" to 5'7" as compared to today's average male of 5'10".

Most Utah settlers tended to be more slender than their ancestors due to hard work and poorer nutrition.

Liddell also says the Mormon Battalion uniforms at the DUP Museum are rather small in size, and she credits that to the young age of average recruits who served in the unit.