Mormon settlement techniques of the Salt Lake Valley

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Settlement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding area through “the planning and founding of more than 500 communities in the American West, is regarded by many planning historians as one of the most significant accomplishments in the history of American city development”.^[1]

The Saints moved from settlement to settlement, until they made a permanent home in the Great Basin of the Rocky Mountains. In 1847, they trekked en masse across the great plains of the United States until they reached what is now northern Utah. Led by Brigham Young, they used their experience of settling to establish themselves there.^[2] The church organized and directed the efforts. Salt Lake City, the headquarters of the LDS Church, and many other settlements in the area became very successful. The techniques of the farm village, plats, and the grid, were all important components for the initial establishment, and later development, of the uninhabited area. The presence of the Saints in the valley was useful in the concluding efforts of the Transcontinental Railroad, where Promontory, Utah served as the connecting point of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines. Often labeled “the Crossroads of the West,” this area became an important hub for people traveling west, particularly for the California Gold Rush. Initially an agrarian community, industrialization progressed rapidly through mining, manufacturing, and the establishment of railroads.