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89-475: The route was initially scouted in 1855 by Howard Egan, and used by him to drive livestock between Salt Lake City and California. The trail Egan used led straight through the high mountain ranges that most earlier explorers had worked so hard to avoid. Egan had discovered a series of mountain passes and mountain springs that aligned to allow an almost straight path across the middle of Utah and Nevada. The Schell Creek Range could be crossed at Schellbourne Pass,

178-435: A belt route , I-215. Salt Lake City has developed a strong tourist industry based primarily on skiing , outdoor recreation , and religious tourism . It hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and will host the 2034 Winter Olympics . It is known for its politically liberal culture, which stands in contrast with most of the rest of the state's highly conservative leanings. It is home to a significant LGBT community and hosts

267-600: A 120-mile (190 km) segment of the Wasatch Front , comprising a population of 2,746,164 (as of 2021 estimates), making it the 22nd largest in the nation. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, it is the 117th most populous city in the United States . It is also the central core of the larger of only two major urban areas located within the Great Basin (the other being Reno, Nevada ). Salt Lake City

356-448: A description of local geography and agriculture, commentary on its politics and social order, essays, speeches, and sermons from Young, Isaac Morley, George Washington Bradley and other leaders, and snippets of everyday life such as newspaper clippings and the menu from a high-society ball. Disputes with the federal government ensued over the church's practice of polygamy . A climax occurred in 1857 when President James Buchanan declared

445-475: A fault segment was found at the southern edge of the convention center, and expansion plans were halted until more earthquake fault studies could be completed. The city, as well as the county , is laid out on a grid plan . Most major streets run very north–south and east–west. The grid's origin is the southeast corner of Temple Square, the block containing the Salt Lake Temple; the north–south axis

534-443: A historical marker has been erected near the parking ramp which has replaced Plum Alley. Immigrants also found economic opportunities in the booming mining industries . Remnants of a once-thriving Japantown – namely a Buddhist temple and Japanese Christian chapel – remain in downtown Salt Lake City. European ethnic groups and East Coast missionary groups constructed St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in 1874, B'nai Israel Temple in 1890,

623-571: A maximum difference of 7,099 feet (2164 m) being achieved with the rise of Twin Peaks from the Salt Lake Valley floor. The Salt Lake Valley floor is the ancient lakebed of Lake Bonneville , which existed at the end of the last ice age . Several Lake Bonneville shorelines can be distinctly seen as terraces on the foothills or benches of nearby mountains. Ancient folds of Lake Bonneville shorelines also lie underneath Salt Lake City, amplifying

712-527: A more urban and suburban pattern, canal water companies were gradually replaced by culinary water systems. Downtown Salt Lake City has been a hub of commerce for the Intermountain West and its architecture reflects this history. Main Street , which was the primary commercial avenue for the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, anchors the historic core of the downtown area that begins at

801-873: A role in the summer months, causing tropospheric ozone to peak in July & August, but in 2015 it started at the beginning of June. In 2016 Salt Lake's air quality was ranked 6th worst in the nation by the American Lung Association. It received an F grade for both ozone and particulate matter. Particulate pollution is considered especially dangerous, as the tiny pollutants can lodge deep in lung tissue. Both ozone and particulate pollution are associated with increased rates of strokes, heart attacks, respiratory disease, cancer and premature death. Outdoor air particulates have been associated with low and very low birth weight, premature birth, congenital defects, and death. Severe drought and water diversions have shrunk

890-517: A secluded area to safely practice their religion away from the violence and the persecution they experienced in the United States . Upon arrival at the Salt Lake Valley, president of the church Brigham Young is recorded as stating, "This is the right place, drive on." Brigham Young is said to have seen the area in a vision before the wagon train's arrival. They found the broad valley empty of any human settlement. Four days after arriving in

979-564: A surveyed route that was also about 280 miles (450 km) shorter than the "standard" California Trail route along the Humboldt River . The Army then improved the trail and springs for use by wagons and stagecoaches in 1859 and 1860. When the approaching American Civil War closed the heavily subsidized Butterfield Overland Mail southwestern route to California along the Gila River , George Chorpenning immediately realized

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1068-481: A tendency to acquire or trade for these water rights. These can then be traded for culinary water rights to water imported into the valley. At its peak, irrigation in the valley comprised over one hundred distinct canal systems, many originating at the Jordan Narrows at the south end of the valley. Water and water rights were important in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As heavy agricultural usage changed into

1157-443: A total average of 60 inches (152 cm), although measurable snow has fallen as early as September 17 and as late as May 28. The snowiest season was 1951–52, with 117.3 inches (298 cm), while the least snowy season was 16.6 inches (42 cm) in 1933–34. The snowiest month on record was January 1993, in which 50.3 inches (128 cm) were recorded. The nearby Great Salt Lake is a significant contributor to precipitation in

1246-406: Is Main Street; and the east–west axis is South Temple Street. Addresses are coordinates within the system (similar to latitude and longitude ). Odd and even address numbering depends on the quadrant of the grid in which an address is located. The rule is: When traveling away from the grid center (Temple Square) or its axes (Main Street, South Temple Street), odd numbers will be on the left side of

1335-597: Is based on a standard compass grid plan, with the southeast corner of Temple Square (the area containing the Salt Lake Temple in downtown Salt Lake City) serving as the origin of the Salt Lake meridian . Owing to its proximity to the Great Salt Lake , the city was originally named Great Salt Lake City. In 1868, the word "Great" was dropped from the city's name. Immigration of international members of

1424-548: Is mediated by its unique geography, generally keeping highs and lows from reaching extremes. The primary source of precipitation in Salt Lake City is massive storms that move in from the Pacific Ocean along the jet stream from October to May. In mid-to-late summer, when the jet stream retreats far to the north, precipitation mainly comes from afternoon thunderstorms caused by monsoon moisture moving up from

1513-399: Is more economically diverse on the west side, which results in demographic differences. Interstate 15 was also built in a north–south line, further dividing east and west sides of the city. Sugar House , in southeastern Salt Lake City, has a reputation as an older neighborhood with small shops in the center. Sugar House is an area which has been the focus of redevelopment efforts such as

1602-436: Is only 22%. Winters are quite cold but rarely frigid. While an average of 127 days drop to or below freezing, and 26 days with high temperatures that fail to rise above freezing, the city only averages 6.3 days at or below 10 °F (−12.2 °C). The record high temperature is 107 °F (42 °C), which occurred first on July 26, 1960, July 13, 2002, June 16, 2021, July 17, 2022, and most recently September 7, 2022, while

1691-734: The Cherry Creek Range at Egan Canyon, the Ruby Mountains at Overland Pass, the Diamond Mountains at another Overland Pass, the Toiyabe Range at Emigrant Pass, and the Desatoya Mountains at Basque Summit (all of these place names came later). Although many smaller ranges and two large deserts also had to be traversed, the reduction in length over the "standard" California Trail route along

1780-737: The Great Salt Lake and the Salt Lake Valley in 1843 and 1845. The Donner Party , a group of ill-fated pioneers, had traveled through the Great Salt Lake Valley in August 1846. The settling of Salt Lake City dates to the arrival of the Latter-day Saints in July 1847, during the Mexican-American War . They had traveled beyond the boundaries of the United States into Mexican Territory seeking

1869-518: The Gulf of California . Although rainfall can be heavy, these storms are usually scattered in coverage and rarely severe. However, downtown was hit by an F2 tornado on August 11, 1999, killing 1 person, injuring 60, and causing $ 170 million in damage. The remnants of tropical cyclones from the East Pacific can rarely reach the city during Fall. The remnants of Hurricane Olivia helped bring

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1958-787: The Hotel Newhouse , and the Salt Lake Theatre . After a period of stagnation in the era of urban sprawl , and with the construction of TRAX in the late 1990s and the City Creek Center in the early 2010s, downtown Salt Lake City is experiencing a period of revival. Empty lots and older structures are in the process of being redeveloped into apartment and office towers and the city has begun to close Main Street to automobile traffic on summer weekends to encourage pedestrian activity and business. More than 5,000 new residential units are planned or under construction for

2047-593: The Humboldt River by about 280 miles (450 km) made this route about two weeks faster for emigrants getting to (or from) California. After it was developed many California emigrants and returning emigrants used this route. In 1858, hearing of Egan's Trail, the U.S. Army sent an expedition led by Captain James H. Simpson to survey it for a military road to get supplies to the Army's Camp Floyd in Utah. Simpson came back with

2136-633: The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Madeleine in 1909 and the Greek Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral in 1923. This time period also saw the creation of Salt Lake City's now defunct red-light district that employed 300 courtesans at its height before being closed in 1911. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an extensive streetcar system was constructed throughout the city, with

2225-778: The Salt Lake Temple and concludes at the City and County Building . Halfway between those two structures, the Walker Center , at the corner of Main and 200 South, was built in 1912 and was the tallest building between Chicago and San Francisco upon its completion. Other extant pre-war structures include the Kearns Building , Hotel Monaco , the First Security Building, the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (formerly Hotel Utah),

2314-471: The Salt Lake meridian , and for all addresses in the Salt Lake Valley. During the winter of 1847, an outbreak of measles killed many of the Shoshone in the area. The Shoshone saved the pioneers when they taught them to eat the bulb of the native sego lily , which has long been part of the ordinary diet of the Shoshone, sego being derived from the Shoshone word seego . The sego lily was commemorated by

2403-652: The U.S. state of Utah . It is the county seat of Salt Lake County , the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which had a population of 1,257,936 at the 2020 census. Salt Lake City is further situated within a larger metropolis known as the Salt Lake City–Ogden–Provo Combined Statistical Area , a corridor of contiguous urban and suburban development stretched along

2492-606: The UTA S-Line Streetcar . In late 2015 there were approximately 900 apartment units either recently built or under construction in the Sugar House area, with an additional 492 units proposed. Northeast of Downtown is The Avenues, a neighborhood outside of the regular grid system on smaller blocks. The area between 6th Avenue to South Temple Street is a Historical District that is nearly entirely residential, and contains many historical Victorian era homes. Recently

2581-535: The University of Utah , commercial precincts, and the Wasatch foothills. The western neighborhoods of the city, such as Poplar Grove , Rose Park , and Glendale tend to be more working-class and ethnically diverse and are popular with immigrants and young people. This divide is a result of the railroad being built in the western half as well as panoramic views from inclined ground in the eastern portion. Housing

2670-631: The Utah State Capitol and Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation in the Utah State Legislature to make public transportation free during January and July, when air quality is usually at its worst. The population of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area is projected to double by 2040, putting further pressure on the region's air quality. The Great Salt Lake is separated from Salt Lake City by extensive marshlands and mudflats. The metabolic activities of bacteria in

2759-516: The liquefaction of the clay- and sand-based soil and the possible permanent flooding of portions of the city by the Great Salt Lake. On March 18, 2020, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake , the largest in the Salt Lake City area in modern times, hit Magna , just southwest of Salt Lake City, causing some minor damage throughout the valley. Damage in Salt Lake City was especially evident in historic brick homes— unreinforced masonry buildings —such as

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2848-652: The 1892 Sears mansion which required demolition after the earthquake. The Warm Springs Fault and the East Bench Fault, offshoots of the Wasatch Fault, were found in 2021 to connect underneath Salt Lake City, increasing the risk of major metropolitan damage from an earthquake. Prior to this, in 1997 the Salt Lake Tribune published a front-page exposé about how the construction of the downtown Salt Palace convention center had been hastened by

2937-462: The 1960s through the 1980s, but experienced some recovery in the 1990s. Presently, the city has gained an estimated 5 percent of its population since the year 2000. The city has experienced significant demographic shifts in recent years. Hispanics now account for approximately 22% of residents and the city has a significant LGBT community. There is also a large Pacific Islander population (mainly Samoans and Tongans ); they compose roughly 2% of

3026-419: The 1970s. Salt Lake City has a humid continental climate ( Dsa ), while western parts may experience a Mediterranean climate ( Csa ), as summers are dry and hot and winters are cold and wet, but rarely frigid. Late summer and early fall monsoonal activity can keep precipitation fairly consistent throughout the year aside from early to mid summer when rain is minimal. The temperature of the Salt Lake City area

3115-408: The 20th century as population growth shifted to suburban areas north and south of the city. Few of these areas were annexed to the city, while nearby towns incorporated and expanded. As a result, the population of the surrounding metropolitan area greatly outnumbers Salt Lake City. A major concern of recent government officials has been combating inner-city commercial decay. The city lost population from

3204-663: The Avenues is becoming known for restaurants and shops opening in old retail space mixed within the community. The Avenues are situated on the upward-sloping bench in the foothills of the Wasatch Range, with the earlier built homes in the lower elevation. The Avenues, along with Federal Heights , just to the east and north of the University of Utah , and the Foothill area, south of the university, contain gated communities, large, multimillion-dollar houses, and panoramic views of

3293-791: The Boston and Newhouse Buildings, the Utah State Capitol , and the Clift Building . Salt Lake City has two historic passenger rail depots, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot and the Union Pacific Depot , the latter of which now anchors the Gateway district. Salt Lake City lost many significant structures to forces such as urban renewal in the 20th century, including the Dooly Building , designed by Louis Sullivan ,

3382-524: The Central Route have been published. In July 1859 Horace Greeley made the trip, at a time when Chorpenning was using only the eastern segment (they reconnected with the Humboldt River trail near present-day Beowawe ). Greeley published his detailed observations in his 1860 book "An Overland Journey from New York to San Francisco". In October 1860 the English explorer Richard Burton traveled

3471-576: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), mining booms , and the construction of the first transcontinental railroad brought economic growth, and the city was nicknamed "The Crossroads of the West". It was traversed by the Lincoln Highway , the first transcontinental highway, in 1913. Two major cross-country freeways, I-15 and I-80 , now intersect in the city. The city also has

3560-463: The Great Salt Lake by two-thirds and reduced it to its lowest recorded levels, resulting in hundreds of square miles of dry lake bed and exposing millions of people living in the fast-growing metropolitan region to dust storms laced with arsenic and other toxic chemicals. Around 65% of the diverted water goes to agriculture, but demand for water is soaring as Utah's population grows. Hiram Sibley Too Many Requests If you report this error to

3649-607: The Salt Lake Valley for thousands of years. At the time of Salt Lake City's founding, the valley was within the territory of the Northwestern Shoshone . One local Shoshone tribe, the Western Goshute tribe, had names for the Jordan River , City Creek , and Red Butte Canyon (Pi'o-gwût, So'ho-gwût, and Mo'ni-wai-ni). The Goshutes (or, Gosiutes) also lived in the vicinity of Salt Lake and the valleys to

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3738-411: The Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young designated the building site for the Salt Lake Temple. The Salt Lake Temple, constructed on the block later called Temple Square, took 40 years to complete. Construction started in 1853, and the temple was dedicated on April 6, 1893. The temple has become an icon for the city and serves as its centerpiece. The southeast corner of Temple Square is the point of reference for

3827-616: The Sego Lily Dam, a flood-prevention infrastructure project in the shape of a giant sego lily, built in Sugar House Park in 2017. The city was not platted until after the federal surveyor abandoned his post in 1857. In 1855 Congress directed the President of the United States to appoint a surveyor general for Utah Territory, and to cause that the lands of that territory should be surveyed preparatory to bringing them on

3916-462: The Wasatch Range. The second-highest mountain range is the Oquirrhs, reaching a maximum height of 10,620 feet (3,237 m) at Flat Top. The east–west-oriented Traverse Mountains to the south extend to 6,000' (1830m), nearly connecting the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountains. The mountains near Salt Lake City are easily visible from the city and have sharp vertical relief caused by ancient earthquakes, with

4005-435: The annual Utah Pride Festival . It is the industrial banking center of the United States. Salt Lake City and the surrounding area are also the location of several institutions of higher education including the state's flagship research school, the University of Utah . Sustained drought in Utah has strained Salt Lake City's water security , caused the Great Salt Lake level to drop to record low levels, and has impacted

4094-591: The area in rebellion after Brigham Young refused to step down as governor, beginning the Utah War . A division of the United States Army , commanded by Albert Sidney Johnston , later a general in the army of the Confederate States of America, marched through the city and found it had been evacuated. They continued their march through the deserted city to vacant land at the southwest corner of

4183-501: The boundaries of the city is 4,210 feet (1,280 m) near the Jordan River and the Great Salt Lake, and the highest is Grandview Peak , at 9,410 feet (2,868 m). The city is in the northeast corner of the Salt Lake Valley surrounded by the Great Salt Lake to the northwest, the steep Wasatch Range to the east, and Oquirrh Mountains to the west. Its encircling mountains contain several narrow canyons, including City Creek , Emigration , Millcreek , and Parley's which border

4272-730: The cargo going east as the Civil War consumed vast sums of money. Nearly all stage lines were heavily subsidized to carry the mail. After the American Civil War , Wells Fargo & Co. absorbed the Butterfield stage lines and ran stage coaches and freight wagons along the Central Route as well as developing the first agriculture in the Ruby Valley in Nevada to help support their livestock. The Army established Fort Ruby at

4361-613: The city. The lake effect can enhance rain from summer thunderstorms and produces lake-effect snow approximately 6 to 8 times per year, some of which can produce prodigious snowfall amounts. It is estimated about 10% of the annual precipitation in the city can be attributed to the lake effect. Salt Lake City features large variations in temperatures between seasons. During summer, there are an average of 56 days per year with temperatures of at least 90 °F (32.2 °C), 23 days of at least 95 °F (35 °C), and 9 days of 100 °F (37.8 °C). However, average daytime July humidity

4450-771: The completion of the First Transcontinental Telegraph , the Pony Express was discontinued as the Transcontinental Telegraph now could provide quicker and cheaper communication from the East to the West. Under pressure and subsidizes from the U.S. Congress to establish rapid east-west communication in 1860 Hiram Sibley , the president of the Western Union Company, formed a consortium between Western Union and

4539-498: The county geologist who erased the Warm Springs Fault from earthquake maps of Salt Lake City so that the downtown area appeared to be free of faults, enabling the convention center developers to avoid the time and expense of an earthquake hazard and risk assessment. The newspaper showed that the Warm Springs Fault runs north–south along W. Temple, directly adjacent to Temple Square and the convention center. A year later,

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4628-422: The danger of earthquakes. Salt Lake City is subject to earthquakes from active fault lines running through it. These faults are related to the regional Wasatch Fault which runs north–south along the western base of the Wasatch Range and is considered at high risk of producing an earthquake as large as 7.5 magnitude . Catastrophic damage is predicted in the event of an earthquake with major damage resulting from

4717-497: The downtown area as of April 2021 and many new breweries and restaurants have opened in the last decade. Regent Street, which in the early 20th century was the city's red-light district , has recently been redeveloped with the notable additions of the 2,468-seat Eccles Theater and 111 Main, an adjacent 24-story office building. A distinctive feature of Salt Lake City's cityscape is its very large block sizes, which are 660 feet square and separated by streets 132 feet wide, making them

4806-513: The eastern city limits. The burgeoning population of Salt Lake City and the surrounding metropolitan area, combined with its geographical situation, has led to air quality becoming a concern. The Great Basin is subject to strong temperature inversions during the winter, which trap pollutants and decrease the air quality. The Utah Division of Air Quality monitors air quality and issues alerts for voluntary and mandatory actions when pollution exceeds federal safety standards. Protests have been held at

4895-621: The entire route at a time when the Pony Express was operating. He gave detailed descriptions of each of the way stations in his 1861 book The City of the Saints, Across the Rocky Mountains to California . In the summer of 1861 Samuel Clemens (who only later used the pen name Mark Twain ) traveled the route with his brother Orion on their way to Nevada's new territorial capital in Carson City , but provided only sparse descriptions of

4984-493: The few in recent history to turn a profit. In preparation major construction projects were initiated. Local freeways were expanded and repaired, and a light rail system was constructed. Olympic venues are now used for local, national, and international sporting events and Olympic athlete training. Tourism has increased since the Olympic games, but business did not pick up immediately following. On July 24, 2024, Salt Lake City

5073-573: The first group of settlers in 1847. The settlers also began to purchase Indian slaves in the well-established Indian slave trade, as well as enslaving Indian prisoners of war. In 1850, 26 slaves were counted in Salt Lake County. In 1852, the territorial legislature passed the Act in Relation to Service and the Act for the relief of Indian Slaves and Prisoners formally legalizing slavery in

5162-533: The first streetcar running in 1872 and electrification of the system in 1889. As in the rest of the country, the automobile usurped the streetcar, and the last trolley was approved for conversion in 1941, yet ran until 1945, due to World War II . Trolley buses ran until 1946. Light rail transit returned to the city when UTA's TRAX opened in 1999. The S Line (formerly known as Sugar House Streetcar) opened for service in December 2013 on an old D&RGW right-of-way. The city's population began to stagnate during

5251-413: The lake result in a phenomenon known as "lake stink", a scent reminiscent of foul poultry eggs, two to three times per year for a few hours. The Jordan River flows through the city and is a drainage of Utah Lake that empties into the Great Salt Lake. The highest mountaintop visible from Salt Lake City is Twin Peaks , which reaches 11,330 feet (3,450 m). Twin Peaks is southeast of Salt Lake City in

5340-516: The largest in the United States. This and the resulting development patterns gives the city and its buildings a unique sense of scale but also a distinct challenge to urban walkability , with many streets boasting six lanes for automobile traffic. On the other hand, the extra-wide streets have made the addition of dedicated transit lanes and light rail more feasible and many streets are now being redesigned with features such as protected bike lanes, linear parks, and even spaces for urban development within

5429-401: The law of the land (which was equivalent to forbidding new polygamous marriages inside the US and its territories, but not in church member settlements in Canada and Mexico). This paved the way for statehood in 1896, when Salt Lake City became the state capital. The First Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869 at Promontory Summit on the north side of the Great Salt Lake. A railroad

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5518-400: The local and state economy. The receding lake has exposed arsenic which may become airborne, exposing area residents to poisonous dust. The city is also under threat of major earthquake damage amplified by two offshoots of the nearby Wasatch Fault that join underneath the downtown area. Before settlement by members of the LDS Church, the Shoshone , Weber Ute, and Paiute had dwelt in

5607-491: The market. Because of numerous conflicts between the surveyor and the territorial government the first surveyor general abandoned his post in 1857, not to return till 1869. The pioneers organized a state called State of Deseret , and petitioned for its recognition in 1849. The United States Congress rebuffed the settlers in 1850 and established the Utah Territory , vastly reducing its size, and designated Fillmore as its capital city. Great Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as

5696-535: The medians. The city also encourages new projects to incorporate mid-block walkways and other scale-mitigation strategies into planning to promote pedestrian engagement. Salt Lake City has many distinct neighborhoods. There is a general east–west socioeconomic divide. The eastern neighborhoods of the city, such as the Avenues , 9th & 9th , Yalecrest , Federal Heights , and Sugar House tend to be more affluent. These districts are popular with professionals, families, and students due to their proximity to Downtown,

5785-427: The population of the Salt Lake Valley area. Salt Lake City was selected in 1995 to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. The games were plagued with controversy. A bid scandal surfaced in 1998 alleging bribes had been offered to secure the bid. During the games, other scandals erupted over contested judging scores and illegal drug use. Despite the controversies, the games were heralded as a financial success, being one of

5874-418: The record low is −30 °F (−34 °C), which occurred on February 9, 1933. During mid-winter, strong areas of high pressure often stagnate over the Great Basin , leading to strong temperature inversions . This causes air stagnation and thick smog in the valley from several days to weeks at a time and can result in the nation's worst air-pollution levels. This same effect will also occasionally play

5963-574: The record monthly precipitation of 7.04 inches (179 mm) in September 1982. 1983 was the wettest year on record, with 24.26 inches (616 mm), while 1979 was the driest, when 8.70 inches (221 mm) were recorded. Spring snowmelt from the surrounding mountains can cause localized stream flooding during late spring and early summer, the worst examples being in 1952 and especially 1983, when City Creek burst its banks, forcing city engineers to convert several downtown streets into waterways. Snow falls on average from November 6 to April 18, producing

6052-573: The rest of the city. Smith's Plat of Zion specified the city was to be developed into 135 10-acre (4.0 ha) lots. However, the blocks in Salt Lake City became irregular during the late 19th century when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lost authority over growth and before the adoption of zoning ordinances in the 1920s. The original 10-acre (4.0 ha) blocks allowed for large garden plots, and many were supplied with irrigation water from ditches that ran approximately where modern curbs and gutters would be laid. The original water supply

6141-408: The road in his 1872 book Roughing It . In 1869 the First transcontinental railroad was completed using the more level route along the Humboldt River to the north—along much of the original California Trail route. Passengers and freight were now carried faster and cheaper than on the stage and freight lines using the old route. Alongside the railroad a new telegraph line was constructed. It

6230-432: The same time, the Pacific Telegraph Company of Nebraska, formed by Sibley, would construct a line westward from Omaha, Nebraska along the eastern part of the California and Oregon Trails . The lines would meet at a station in Salt Lake City, Utah . Telegraph lines, insulators (shipped around Cape Horn to California) and telegraph poles for the line were collected in late 1860, and rapid construction proceeded during

6319-418: The second half of 1861. Major problems were encountered in finding telegraph poles on the treeless plains of the Midwest and the nearly treeless deserts of the Great Basin . The telegraph line from Omaha reached Salt Lake City on October 18, 1861, and the line from Carson City to Salt Lake City was completed six days later, on October 24, 1861—about a year ahead of predictions. Several accounts of travel along

6408-404: The source of the unusual width. These wide streets and grid pattern are typical of other Mormon towns of the pioneer era throughout the West. Though the nomenclature may initially confuse new arrivals and visitors, most consider the grid system an aid to navigation. Some streets have names, such as State Street, which would otherwise be known as 100 East. Other streets have honorary names, such as

6497-474: The southern end of Ruby Valley in Nevada to protect travelers against marauding Indians along the road. The Army abandoned Camp Floyd in 1860 as the soldiers were reassigned back east to fight the Civil War . In 1860, William Russell 's Pony Express used this route across Utah and Nevada for part of their fast 10-day mail delivery from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California . In 1861, soon after

6586-595: The street. A common explanation for the unusually wide streets of Salt Lake City is that Brigham Young wanted a wagon with a team of oxen to be able to turn around. However, Young was never recorded giving this directive. Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, planned the layout in the " Plat of the City of Zion " (intended as a template for Mormon towns wherever they might be built). This plan included streets 132 ft (40 m) wide, and may be

6675-543: The summer of 2007, 9th and 9th saw sidewalk and street improvements as well as an art installation by Troy Pillow of Seattle, Washington inspired by the 9 Muses of Greek myth, thanks in part to a monetary grant from Salt Lake City. Many of the homes in the valley date from pre–World War II times, and only a select few areas, such as Federal Heights and the East Bench, as well as the far west side, including parts of Rose Park and Glendale, have seen new home construction since

6764-516: The telegraph companies in California to construct the First Transcontinental Telegraph . The telegraph line was authorized and subsidized by the U.S. Congress and went from Omaha, Nebraska to Carson City, Nevada . The newly consolidated Overland Telegraph Company of California, which had already built a telegraph line to Carson City, would build the line eastward from Carson City using the newly developed Central Route through Nevada and Utah. At

6853-612: The territorial capital in 1856, and the name later was shortened to Salt Lake City. The city's population continued to swell with an influx of converts to the LDS Church and Gold Rush gold seekers, making it one of the most populous cities in the American Old West . The first group of settlers brought African slaves with them, making Utah the only place in the western United States to have African slavery. Three slaves, Green Flake, Hark Lay, and Oscar Crosby, came west with

6942-545: The territory. On June 19, 1862, during the American Civil War , Congress prohibited slavery in all US territories. Explorer, ethnologist, and author Richard Francis Burton traveled by coach in the summer of 1860 to document life in Great Salt Lake City. He was granted unprecedented access during his three-week visit, including audiences with Brigham Young and other contemporaries of Joseph Smith. The records of his visit include sketches of early city buildings,

7031-594: The valley. Many consider this some of the most desirable real estate in the valley. In addition to larger centers like Sugar House and Downtown, Salt Lake City contains several smaller neighborhoods, each named after the closest major intersection. Two examples are the 9th and 9th (at the intersection of 900 East and 900 South Streets) and 15th & 15th (at the intersection of 1500 East and 1500 South Streets) neighborhoods. These areas are home to foot-traffic friendly, amenities-based businesses such as art galleries, clothing retail, salons, restaurants and coffee shops. During

7120-593: The valley. There they set up Camp Floyd (40 miles (64 km) south of the city). Another military installation, Fort Douglas , was established in 1862 to maintain Union allegiance during the American Civil War . Many area leaders were incarcerated at the territorial prison in Sugar House in the 1880s for violation of anti-polygamy laws. The church began its eventual abandonment of polygamy in 1890, releasing "The Manifesto" , which officially suggested members obey

7209-873: The value of this more direct route, and shifted his existing mail and passenger line from the " Northern Humboldt Route " along the Humboldt River . In 1861 John Butterfield , who since 1858 had been using the Butterfield Overland Mail route through the deserts of the American Southwest, also switched to the Central Route to avoid possible hostilities during the American Civil War . The various stage lines, by traveling day and night and changing their teams at about 10 miles (16 km) to 20 miles (32 km) intervals, could get light freight, passengers, and mail to or from Missouri River towns to California in about 25–28 days. Gold and Silver mined in California and Nevada were often part of

7298-664: The west. The land was treated by the United States as public domain; no aboriginal title by the Northwestern Shoshone was ever ceded or relinquished by treaty with the United States. The first explorer of European descent in the Salt Lake area was likely Jim Bridger in 1825, although others had been in Utah earlier, including some who traveled as far north as the nearby Utah Valley (the 1776 Dominguez-Escalante expedition were undoubtedly aware of Salt Lake Valley's existence). U.S. Army officer John C. Frémont surveyed

7387-604: The western portion of 300 South, named "Adam Galvez Street" (for a local Marine corporal killed in action) or others honoring Rosa Parks , Martin Luther King Jr. , César Chávez , Harvey Milk , and John Stockton . These honorary names appear only on street signs and cannot be used in postal addresses. In the Avenues neighborhood , north–south streets are given letters of the alphabet, and east–west streets are numbered in 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) blocks, smaller than those in

7476-569: Was connected to the city from the Transcontinental Railroad in 1870, making travel less burdensome. Mass migration of different groups followed. Ethnic Chinese (who had laid most of the Central Pacific railway) established a flourishing Chinatown in Salt Lake City nicknamed "Plum Alley", which housed around 1,800 Chinese during the early 20th century. The Chinese businesses and residences were demolished in 1952 although

7565-437: Was easier to maintain and supply operators, relay stations, etc. using the railroad; the Central Route was now obsolete for the telegraph as well. The stage and telegraph relay stations were abandoned, and the soldiers at Fort Ruby were transferred north to Fort Halleck to protect the railroad. Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City , often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC , is the capital and most populous city of

7654-578: Was formally chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2034 Olympic Winter Games. All of the facilities from the previous Games can be re-used, and the bid enjoyed support from the IOC and the city. Salt Lake City hosted the 16th Winter Deaflympic games in 2007, taking place in the venues in Salt Lake City and Park City , and Rotary International chose the city as the host site of their 2007 convention, which

7743-417: Was founded on July 24, 1847, by early pioneer settlers led by Brigham Young who were seeking to escape persecution they had experienced while living farther east. The Mormon pioneers , as they would come to be known, entered a semi-arid valley and immediately began planning and building an extensive irrigation network which could feed the population and foster future growth. Salt Lake City's street grid system

7832-528: Was from City Creek . Subsequent development of water resources was from successively more southern streams flowing from the mountains east of the city. Some old irrigation ditches are still visible in the eastern suburbs, or are still marked on maps, years after they were gone. There are still some canals that deliver water as required by water rights. Many lots, in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas, have irrigation water rights attached to them. Local water systems, in particular Salt Lake City Public Utilities, have

7921-626: Was the single largest gathering in Salt Lake City since the 2002 Winter Olympics. The U.S. Volleyball Association convention in 2005 drew 39,500 attendees. In 2020, the city experienced a 5.7 magnitude earthquake , protests against the killing of Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal , and a damaging windstorm with hurricane-force winds , amidst the wider national George Floyd protests , the global COVID-19 pandemic , and protests against pandemic measures . Salt Lake City has an area of 110.4 square miles (286 km ) and an average elevation of 4,327 feet (1,319 m) above sea level . The lowest point within

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