History

Utah

Utah has changed from an isolated place inhabited by dinosaurs to a lush land of diverse cultures. People of many backgrounds have played a part in Utah's growth and development.

The region was first explored around 10,000 B.C. when the "Desert Culture" Indians roamed the area. Anasazi Indians, known as "the Ancient Ones," raised corn in southern Utah from about 1 A.D. to 1300. Ute and Navajo roamed the region for centuries before the arrival of "outsiders."

In the mid 1700s, Spanish explorers passed through the area and Mexican traders followed. In the 1820s, fur trappers discovered the area and its abundant opportunities, making it a popular site for Mountain Man rendezvous.

The United States military arrived (in what would become the 45th state in 1896) in 1843 when Captain John C. Fremont of the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers reached the Great Basin on a surveying expedition.

Great Basin on a surveying expedition. Pioneer settlement began July 24, 1847, when Mormon leader Brigham Young looked out across the Salt Lake Valley and declared, "This is the place."During 1847, more than 1,600 Mormons—members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints—migrated to the area to practice their beliefs in peace.

Meanwhile, United States victory in the Mexican War brought huge additional territories to the nation, including the Utah Territory (1850), named after the Ute Indians. The Army was charged to survey this new land and keep the peace. Miners and other travelers passed through the area. They were of various ethnic backgrounds and temperaments usually heading for the gold fields of California.

In 1862, the U.S. Army established Camp Douglas overlooking Salt Lake City. President Lincoln named it for his friend and opponent Stephen Douglas, who had recently died. (Fort Douglas remained an active Army installation until 1991). By 1867, more than 60,000 Mormons had traveled to Utah by covered wagon or handcart.
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