History of Salt Lake City

Nomadic tribes

Early history dates back over 8000 years when the area was occupied by nomadic tribes, including the ancient Anasazi Indians who were the ancestors of the modern Pueblo people. The Navajo also lived in this region, as did the Ute Tribe, from which the state of Utah takes its name.

The first European explorers to arrived in the area in 1776, but the land wasn't settled by non-Indians until 1847, when a founding group of 148 Mormons escaping religious persecution in the East decided to settle and practice their faith. The pioneers, led by Brigham Young, travelled along what is now known as the Mormon Trail, which actually parallels the Oregon Trail.

On the same day as they arrived, the pioneers began tilling the soil and planting crops. Within a few days, plans were drawn for Great Salt Lake City, named after the huge salty inland lake in the desert (the word Great was dropped from the name in 1868). In the centre of the city, Temple Square was founded and all addresses are numbered from this point. Blocks were arranged on a grid pattern in 10-acre squares, separated by streets 132 feet wide.

More emigrants began to arrive in the valley and by 1848, there were approximately 1,700 Mormons living in a log and adobe fort that is located at the present day Pioneer Park. A late frost, drought and a plague of crickets nearly destroyed the harvest. It was saved by a flock of seagulls that consumed the crickets and the settlers managed to survive the winter of 1848. In gratitude, the seagull was later designated Utah's state bird.

European influences

Many of the early pioneers were European and converted to Mormonism. During the following decade, they brought their culture, languages and skills to the area, building Salt Lake City into a cosmopolitan centre.

When the Mormons first arrived, they lived in self-imposed isolation and their territory was still part of Mexico. In 1850 (after the Mexican-American War), the State of Deseret was ceded to the rapidly growing United States of America, becoming the Territory of Utah.

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 contributed greatly to Salt Lake Citys early growth. The gold rush of 1849 brought a flood of gold seekers through Salt Lake heading towards California. These travellers also brought the city its first taste of prosperity, as the prospectors and speculators brought goods and scarce money with them. Trading was quickly established and the residents of Salt Lake City supplied the gold rushers with fresh livestock and crops in return for clothing, tools and manufactured goods.

In 1869, the transcontinental railroad linking the East and West coasts was completed. The event was celebrated by the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory Summit, some 80 miles northwest of Salt Lake City. The benefits were enormous and mining became a dominant industry. Hundreds of copper, silver, gold, and lead mines were opened and smelters were later built to refine the ore. Mining is still one of the main industries in the state of Utah today.

Statehood

The 1890s were a decade that saw many changes. The Mormons had petitioned the US congress for state-hood six times over 46 years. They were refused five times due to the issue of Mormon polygamy. The US government had made polygamy illegal in 1862 and the Supreme Court was forced to rule against them. Finally, the Mormon Church officially ended this practice in 1896 and Utah became the 45th state of America.

During the early 1900s, the population expanded significantly and the city began to develop its present-day character. The State Capitol and many other historic buildings were constructed, along with parks, electric trolleys and the East Gate. The Great Depression brought construction to a standstill, but the boom started again during WWII as war related industries stimulated the economy.

Modern Day

Salt Lake saw more growth in the 1980s and 1990s with a number of new developments and city-wide rejuvenation projects. This included redeveloping city blocks, restoring building facades and constructing new urban parks. The 2002 Olympic Winter Games triggered growth in the city's hotel industry, with many more rooms being added. The transportation infrastructure also benefited with improved freeways and the launch of a light-rail system, which transports passengers north and south through the Salt Lake valley and downtown. Many of the venues used during the Games are still in place and open to visitors.