This is the History of Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is often regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Utah! This city is filled with historic towns, stately building and loving families. The history of this city is really quite fascinating. But how many of have actually taken the time to learn more about the history of SLC? If you really want to learn more about the humble beginnings of this gorgeous city, I strongly encourage you to keep on reading to find out more.

The land was first inhabited by Native American tribes like the Navajo. Salt Lake City is now regarded as predominantly Mormon community. This assumption is made since the city was founded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons, in 1847. This was the first group of people who were not Native Americans to settle in the area and discovered it as they searched for a land where they could practice their religion freely. This group consisted of about 150 people and they were lead by Brigham Young. These early settlers brought their skills, language and culture to the land and remnants of this influence still lingers to this day.

When the settlers first arrived here, SLC and by extension the entire state of Utah, was considered as part of Mexico. This changed in 1848 when a treaty was signed to legally recognized Utah as part of the United States. The gold rush in California and the Civil War which proceeded brought a number of immigrants to the SLC area during the 1950s. The city then went through a period of rapid growth and expansion as railroads, gold mines and other industries began to take form in the area.  The influence of the Mormons slowly began to decrease during this time.

The current character of the city began to fall into place during the 1900s. This period saw the construction of significant state and historic buildings such as the Capitol. City parks, paved roads, and a sewer system were also set up during this period. Various conveniences such as shops began to pop up throughout the Downtown area and throughout the city. Trolleys were implemented to transport people who lived in the residential communities like Sugarhouse and Liberty Park, to the stores Downtown many of which would benefit the Mormons.  In 1941, these were replaced with more convenient buses.

As one would expect, the Great Depression had a significant impact on the growth of construction in this area and it was almost brought to a standstill. Regardless, the population nearly tripled during this period. The economy was however revitalized during WWII. This was due to the influx of solders who would shop in the area at restaurants and other stores. As construction in the area continued, stores were built which drew attention away from the Downtown area during the 1960s. This did not sit well with the Mormons and in an effort to regain their influence, invested something to the tune of $40 million to construct an enormous mall which was then known as ZCMI Center Mall.

The Downtown area has since undergone quite a bit of changes and improvements. Many historic buildings have been renovated and repurposed. And new buildings like the Salt Lake City International Airport emerged. The economy of the City as a whole still continues to thrive today.  Click here to learn more about the history of Salt Lake City.