The Early Years

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The Mormon settlers were in search of a place where they could be free to practice their religion. When they first arrived to the area they would name Great Salt Lake City they immediately began planting crops in the valley. In the center of Salt Lake City the settlers founded Temple Square. At the time the Mormon pioneers came to the area it was still apart of Mexico. In 1850 however after the United States won the Mexican-American war the area became the Territory of Utah. Construction of the Mormon Temple began in 1853 but it was not completed until 1892.

Many of the settlers that came to the city in the late 1800’s were Europeans who had converted to Mormonism. With them they brought different cultures to Salt Lake City making it a diverse melting pot.

The California Gold Rush also brought many settlers through Salt Lake City. During the Civil War soldiers were also stationed in the city. The Mormon’s made trade with the travelers passing through the city as well as the soldiers. This was a good source of revenue but they mainly made their money through agriculture.

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Related Salt Lake City History Articles

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• Introduction to Salt Lake City History
• Settlers
• The Early Years
• Railroad
• The Mormon Religion
• The Early 1900's
• The Late 1900's
• Recent Years