In the summer of 1847 a group of pioneers came upon the magnificent natural splendor of the Salt Lake Valley. After having made camp just two hours earlier, the 148 settlers felt fresh, and as such, immediately began plowing the land. The dirt was dry and hard from the summer's heat, so the quick-thinking pioneers dammed a nearby mountain stream and soaked the land with the diverted water. The ambitious settlers cleared five whole acres that first day.
Those settlers were Mormons, followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. They hoped to find a place to practice their religion free from persecution. The industrious group was led by Brigham Young. Upon arriving in the valley, Young was heard to say, "This is the right place."
And indeed it was. And for today's college student, whether Mormon or not, it still is.
But during that early time, the area that made up Salt Lake was technically still part of Mexico. In 1848 Mexico ceded the area to the United States and in 1850 the territory of Utah was officially recognized. Many troops were stationed in Salt Lake during the Civil War. Additionally, a large number of adventurers made their way through Salt Lake during the great California gold rushes. However, it wasn't until 1869 when the transcontinental railroad was completed that Salt Lake truly became connected with both sides of the country.
This connection with the rest of the country was important, and Salt Lake and Utah as a whole saw rapid change in the 1890s. During this decade, the Mormon Church officially ended the practice of polygamy. In 1896 Utah was officially recognized as a state with Salt Lake City as its capital, and soon after it would become the third state to extend the vote to women.
The changes at the start of the 20th century clearly set Salt Lake City on the path to the modern metropolis it would become. Between 1900 and 1930 Salt Lake City's population tripled. During this time the city saw its modern sewer system installed, streets paved, a public transportation system instituted and many historic buildings constructed.
The Great Depression slowed Salt Lake's growth, but World War II brought another boom in the city's economy. Demands for war goods put people back to work. Workers and soldiers stationed in the area spent their new-found money in the city. This growth continued through post-war times. The 1960s saw the Mormon Church invest $40 million in a new downtown mall. The 1970s saw continued construction of buildings as well as the restoration of historic older buildings. The 1980s saw the construction of the Salt Palace Convention Center, the Salt Lake International Center, University of Utah Research Park and Triad Center. During the 1990s a new courts complex was constructed, a major office tower was erected and the Salt Palace Convention Center was rebuilt, thus greatly altering the city's skyline.
Salt Lake City continues to thrive in the 21st century. The city hosted the largest Olympics in history in 2002, and a new 18-hole golf course was constructed for professional and amateur use. The city is consistently ranked as one of the best environments for business. Salt Lake's concentration of biomedical, high technology and software firms is among the highest in the nation. Most recently, transportation projects have included the I-15 freeway reconstruction and the launch of TRAX, a $312 million light-rail system which transports passengers north and south through the Salt Lake Valley and downtown
Things to know about Salt Lake City
- Utah was originally called the State of Deseret. Deseret means honeybee, a symbol of industriousness, and Utah's state symbol is the beehive.
- The Mormon Church began the construction of a great temple - today the city's largest tourist attraction - in the city in 1853. Strangely enough, the final capstone was not placed atop the temple until 1892.
- Originally, Salt Lake's blocks were arranged on a grid pattern in 10-acre squares, separated by streets exactly 132 feet wide - "wide enough for a team of four oxen and a covered wagon to turn around."
- The original name of the city was the Great Salt Lake City. Great was dropped in 1868.
- Salt Lake is the site of the nation's first department store: Zions Co-operative Mercantile Institution was established in the late 1800s. It is still in operation today as ZCMI.
- The Great Salt Lake, which is about 75 miles long and 35 miles wide, covers more than a million acres.
- Utah has the highest literacy rate in the nation.
- Salt Lake City is home to the NBA team, the Utah Jazz. The franchise was originally in New Orleans. Although there was no history of Jazz music in Utah, the team ownership decided to keep the name upon moving to Salt Lake City.
- The city is named after the lake it borders. The lake is known for its unusually high salt content.
Sources:
http://www.slcgov.com/info/area_info/salt_lake_city.htm
http://www.utah.com/cities/slc_history.htm
http://www.50states.com/facts/utah.htm