History of Salt Lake City
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Originally, the
Early years
On July 24,[citation needed] 1847, 143 men, three women and two children founded Great Salt Lake City several miles to the east of the Great Salt Lake, nestled in the northernmost reaches of the Salt Lake Valley. The first two in this company to enter the Salt Lake valley were Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow. These members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("LDS Church") sought to establish an autonomous religious community and were the first people of European descent to permanently settle in the area now known as Utah. Thousands of Mormon pioneers would arrive in Salt Lake in the coming months and years.
Settlers buried thirty-six Native Americans in one grave after an outbreak of measles occurred during the winter of 1847.[7]
Salt Lake City was originally settled by Latter-day Saint Pioneers to be the New Zion according to church President and leader Brigham Young. Young originally governed both the territory and church by a
After a very difficult winter and a miraculous crop retrieval, in which Pioneers reported to have been saved from cricket infestation by seagulls (see
The
.The
In 1855 Congress directed the President of the United States to appoint a surveyor general for Utah Territory, and to cause that the lands of that territory should be surveyed preparatory to bringing them on the market. Certain sections were to be reserved for the benefit of schools and a university in the territory.[8] The surveyor general arrived in Utah in July of the same year to begin surveying. He established the initial point for his survey (base line and meridian) at the southeast corner of the Temple Block, and from there extended that survey over 2 million acres. Because of numerous conflicts between the surveyor and the territorial government the first surveyor general abandoned his post in 1857. His successors recommended that no additional land be surveyed. Conflict between the federal and territorial governments kept the issue on hold until 1868, and in the meantime, large sections of the territory were transferred to neighboring territories and states. Again in 1868, Congress directed the President to appoint a surveyor general in the Utah Territory, to establish a land office in Salt Lake City, and to extend the federal land laws over the same. The land office opened 9 March 1869.[9][10]
In 1857, when the Mormon practice of polygamy came to national awareness, President James Buchanan responded to public outcry by sending an army of 2500 soldiers, called the Utah Expedition, to investigate the LDS Church and install a non-LDS governor to replace Brigham Young. In response, Brigham Young imposed martial law, sending the Utah militia to harass the soldiers, a conflict called the Utah War. Young eventually surrendered to federal control when the new territorial governor, Alfred Cumming, arrived in Salt Lake City on April 12, 1858. Most troops pulled out at the beginning of the American Civil War.
In order to secure the road to California during the Civil War, more troops arrived under the command of Colonel
In 1866, Thomas Coleman, a Black Mormon man, was murdered, and his body was left on Capitol Hill with an anti-miscegenation warning attached to his body.[11][12] In 1883, Sam Joe Harvey, another Black man, was lynched for allegedly shooting a police officer, and his body was dragged down State Street.[13]
In 1868 Brigham Young founded the
Change was inevitable. The world started to come to Salt Lake City in 1869 with the completion of the
City government was dominated by the People's Party until 1890. The non-national People's Party was an LDS-controlled political organization, and each of the early mayors of Salt Lake City was LDS. Sparks often flew between LDS city government and non-LDS federal authorities stationed just outside Salt Lake. A dramatic example occurred in 1874 when city police were arrested by US Marshals, who took control of the national election being held in Salt Lake City. Mayor Daniel H. Wells, a member of the LDS Church First Presidency, declared martial law from the balcony of the Old Salt Lake City Hall. Federal troops arrested the mayor, but he was soon released.
In the 1880s, the anti-
The city became Utah's state capital on January 4, 1896, when Utah entered the union upon President Grover Cleveland's decree after the LDS Church agreed to ban polygamy in 1890.
The 20th Century
In 1907, Salt Lake City was home to Industrial Workers of the World Industrial Union No. 202.[14]
The city adopted a non-partisan city council in 1911. As LDS/non-LDS tensions eased people began to work together for the common good, improving roads, utilities and public healthcare.
The
After suffering through the depression Salt Lake's economy was boosted during World War II due to the influx of
After the Second World War, Salt Lake City grew rapidly. It began to suffer some of the same problems other cities face. Urban sprawl became a growing problem due to a combination of rapid growth and an abundance of available land. Military and aerospace also became dominant industries.
Salt Lake began its bid for the Winter Olympics as early as the 1930s, when the Utah Ski Club tried to bring the games to the valley. At the time, however, the
After 132 years in business, ZCMI was sold to the
In April 1999, the Salt Lake City council voted 5 to 2 along LDS membership lines to sell to the
Today
2002 Winter Olympics and their legacy
Much change occurred in the
The Games
The games opened with the 1980 US hockey team lighting the torch and President George W. Bush officially opening the games at the Rice-Eccles Stadium set designed by Seven Nielsen. Closing ceremonies were also held at that venue.
Controversy erupted when in the first week the
Heightened fear of terrorism following the September 11 attacks turned out to be unfounded, and the games proved safe.
The 2002 games ended with a dazzling closing ceremony, including bands such as Bon Jovi and KISS (who shared the stage with figure skater Katarina Witt).
Most of the 2,500 athletes paraded into
Legacy
Many improvements were made to the area's infrastructure. $1.59 billion were spent on highway improvements, including improvements of Interstate 15 through the city and new interchanges near Park City. A light rail system was constructed from downtown to the suburb of Sandy and later to the University of Utah.
The Athlete's Village is now student housing at the University of Utah. Many venues in and around the city still stand even after the games.
Many
Future
Salt Lake City still somewhat struggles with its identity, trying to strike a balance between capitol of a major religion and modern secular metropolis. While founded by Mormons, the city is increasingly dominated by non-members, with its LDS population falling steeply and steadily since the 1990s. Considerable changes are being made to alter the downtown in adjustment to the phenomenal growth of the area. In the early 2010s, the LDS Church purchased the Crossroads and ZCMI malls and rebuilt them into the City Creek Center, which is connected by walkways, and with new high density residential and commercial buildings nearby. The commuter rail FrontRunner is in place along the northern Wasatch Front, with extensions planned for the southern portion of the region. Light rail extensions to the Trax system are ongoing to provide service to the western and southern parts of the valley, as well as to Salt Lake City International Airport. The controversial Legacy Highway has one segment completed (the Legacy Parkway), with the construction of the early phase of the next segment (the Mountain View Corridor) completed through the west side of the Salt Lake Valley.
See also
Notes
- ISBN 0-87480-494-9
- )
- )
- ^ NORTHWESTERN BANDS OF SHOSHONE INDIANS v. UNITED STATES. United States Supreme Court, April 9, 1945 89 L.Ed. 985; 65 S.Ct. 690; 324 U.S. 335
- ^ Alexander, Thomas G. "Utah History to Go - Fremont's Exploration". Utah State Historical Society. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
- ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the originalon March 25, 2023, retrieved March 28, 2024
- ^ Arave, Lynn (January 5, 2007). "Tidbits of history — Unusual highlights of Salt Lake County". Deseret News. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ "An Act to Establish the Office of Surveyor-General in the Territory of Utah, and to grant Land for School and University Purposes, (February 21, 1855)". The Statutes at Large and Treaties of the United States of America, vol. x. Boston, MA: Charles C. Little and James Brown. 1856.
- ^ "Salt Lake City Land Office". Utah State Archives. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- ^ ""An Act to Create the Office of Surveyor-General in the Territory of Utah, and Establish a Land Office in said Territory, and extend the Homestead and Pre-emption Laws over the same" (July 16, 1868)". The Statutes at Large and Treaties of the United States of America, vol. xv. Boston, MA: Charles C. Little and James Brown. 1869.
- ISBN 978-0-19-975407-6. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-19-008176-8. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ Brooks 2020, p. 60.
- ^ "Statement of Receipts and Expenditures". Industrial Union Bulletin. Vol. 1, no. 26 (published 24 August 1907). 1907. p. 3.
References
- Bagley, Will (2004) ISBN 0-7166-0104-4
- Salt Lake City History Page, retrieved September 2004.
- McCormick, John S., History To Go Page, retrieved September 2004.
- McCormick, John S., The Gathering Place: An Illustrated History of Salt Lake City, Signature Books, ISBN 1-56085-132-5
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External links
- Historic Stereoviews of 19th Century Salt Lake City
- The debate over downtown: Why Main Street was traded for malls — A history of downtown Salt Lake City told from the perspective of local merchants
- Historic Theaters of Salt Lake City