Utah's central
location in the western United States has always
meant a steady flow of traffic across its
expanse, and has earned the state nickname "The
Crossroads of the West." As early as the 18th
century Spaniards and New Mexicans began
exploring Utah in search of "short-cut" routes
to the western coast. Their efforts resulted in
a popular trade route known as "the Old Spanish
Trail." In the first half of the 19th century
trappers and mountain men further explored the
state, plotting and mapping routes as they went.
Their trails were later used by thousands of
pioneers and adventurers heading to California
and Oregon. U.S. government explorers began
crossing Utah in the 1840s; one of the most
notable of these was John C. Fremont, who mapped
trails and wrote detailed reports of the plant
and animal life in the area.
On July 24, 1847, Brigham Young, in search of "a
place nobody else wanted," first entered the
Salt Lake Valley with a company of Mormon
pioneers. The group was escaping religious
persecution in the Midwest, and sought a life of
peace and isolation from outside interference.
Early accounts of the Salt Lake Valley describe
"a vast desert whose dry and parched soil seemed
to bid defiance." Undaunted by the landscape,
within days of their arrival the pioneers had
established the work ethic and resourcefulness
that would become their trademark. Crops were
planted and an ingenious irrigation system
implemented. A "tent school" educated the
children. Homes and forts were built and the
surrounding area explored.
Hundreds of Mormons from all over the world
continued the migration to Utah, and within
three years a newspaper was in circulation, a
theatre was built, and a territorial government
was established. By 1900 the Mormons had founded
nearly 500 settlements in Utah and surrounding
states.
Information courtesy of the Governor's Office
Photographs used on this site with permission:
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