Early American Musings

We travelled on to Salt Lake City. I had visited the city in 1984 for a day, but my memories were very sketchy. I was disappointed that Temple Square was covered in building work. However, the city was an eye-opener. It is in a beautiful setting, nestled between the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. From all over the city, the mountains made a stunning backdrop.  I was surprised to see so many LGBTQ+ Pride flags, and chatting with a couple of people, I got the impression that the city is quite a progressive enclave in a generally conservative state. The city has taken strong stances on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, climate action, and affordable housing. The city has a population of approximately 205,000 residents within city limits, while the greater Salt Lake City metropolitan area—which includes suburbs such as Sandy, West Valley City, and South Jordan—boasts over 1.2 million people. So it isn’t that large. The city has become increasingly diverse, with growing Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, and African American communities.

The centre of the city was carefully planned and reflected some of the early influences. On July 24, 1847, Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley and reportedly declared, “This is the right place.” The valley was dry, treeless, and bordered by the Great Salt Lake to the northwest and the Wasatch Mountains to the east. Despite the arid conditions, the pioneers believed the location offered the isolation and autonomy they needed to build their religious community.

Immediately upon arrival, they began laying out plans for a city. The settlement was carefully designed using a grid system, with wide streets and large city blocks—reflecting a vision of order and community planning known as the “Plat of Zion,” a template developed by Joseph Smith. At the centre of this plan was the location for what would become the Salt Lake Temple.

One of the colonists’ first priorities was to establish irrigation systems to make the land arable. Drawing water from nearby creeks and streams, they built canals and ditches, introducing one of the first organized irrigation efforts in the American West.

However, according to legend, as the time neared to harvest their first crops, a swarm of locusts descended and began to eat everything. But then, a large flock of seagulls, specifically the California Gull, arrived and began eating all the locusts, and the crops were saved. The gull has become a symbol of the city and state, and there is a gull statue just off Temple Square in the centre of Salt Lake City. Most historians accept that this may have been a real occurrence, although it was likely embellished to appear more like an act of divine providence.

What helped the development of Salt Lake City was the discovery of gold in California and the gold rush of 1849.  By the time of the gold rush, Salt Lake City was the only settlement between the Missouri and the gold fields. When forty-niners arrived in the city, short of food and provisions, they sold whatever they had brought with them to buy supplies, often at inflated prices. As many of the migrants who flooded to the West in the early 1850s brought with them some of the luxuries of life, from beds to pots and pans, but found them difficult to transport and easy to exchange for food, Salt Lake City residents soon acquired most of the accouterments of a comfortable life.

One thing that greatly surprised me, was the quality of the public transport network. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates an extensive network of buses, light rail (TRAX), and commuter rail (FrontRunner) that connects Salt Lake City with surrounding cities and suburbs. We took the tram into the city, and I found the journey very pleasant. It was great gliding through the streets in air-conditioned comfort. The trams were frequent, fast, and cheap—only $5 for a day pass.  I was not expecting to see such a well-developed public transport network in a city in the West.

However, I suspect that due to the geographic layout of the city and the surrounding communities, such as Ogden and Provo, situated along a long strip and sandwiched between the mountains and the lake, the metropolitan area appears to be heavily reliant on one road, I-15.  It seemed to me that at one point, the freeway had eight lanes in each direction, something I would expect in a city like Los Angeles or Dallas, not Salt Lake City. We spent quite a lot of time both arriving and leaving, just stuck in traffic jams. I can understand why people want to use their cars. It was 40 degrees when we visited, and you tried to minimise the time that you spent outdoors.

My overall impression of Salt Lake City? A delightful surprise. It’s a city that seamlessly blends its rich history with modernity, creating a cosmopolitan and well-organized urban landscape. The city’s commitment to progressive values, strong public transport, and diverse communities make it a destination worth exploring.