Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah Genealogy

Utah

Salt Lake County

Salt Lake City

History

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

Salt Lake City was founded on July 24, 1847, by a group of Mormon pioneers. (Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)The pioneers, led by Brigham Young, were the first non-Indians to settle permanently in the Salt Lake Valley. The founding group numbered 148, consisting of 143 men, three women, and two children.

The Latter-day Saints came to the valley in search of a region where they could practice their religion, free from hostile mobs and persecution. When Brigham Young first saw the valley he said, "This is the right place."

On the very day of arrival the pioneers began tilling the soil and planting crops. Within a few days plans were drawn for Great Salt Lake City, named after the salty inland lake which dominated the desert to the west. Out from the center of the city, now Temple Square, blocks were arranged on a grid pattern in 10-acre squares, separated by streets 132 feet wide -- "wide enough for a team of four oxen and a covered wagon to turn around."

Neighboring Cities

• North Salt Lake
• West Valley City
• South Salt Lake

Resources

Cemeteries

• See Salt Lake County, Utah and Utah Cemeteries for more resources.
• B'nai Israel Cemetery, Salt Lake City - Headstone transcriptions
• Brigham Young Family Memorial Cemetery - Headstone transcriptions
• Fort Douglas Cemetery - Headstone transcriptions
• Larkin Sunset Lawn Cemetery - Headstone transcriptions
• Montefiori Cemetery - Headstone transcriptions
• Mormon Pioneer Memorial - Headstone transcriptions Very small, 13 headstones.
• Mount Calvary Cemetery - Headstone transcriptions
• Mount Olivet Cemetery - Headstone transcriptions
• Shaare Zedek Cemetery - Headstone transcriptions
• Salt Lake City Cemetery - Headstone transcriptions

Directories

• 1867 - Owens, G. Salt Lake City Directory, Including a Business Directory of Provo, Springville, and Ogden, Utah Territory. S.l.: G. Owens, 1869. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1869 - Sloan, Edward Lennox. The Salt Lake City Directory and Business Guide, for 1869. Salt Lake City, Utah: E.L. Sloan, 1869. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1874 - Sloan, Edward L. Gazetteer of Utah, and Salt Lake City Directory. Salt Lake City, Utah: "Salt Lake Herald" Publishing Company, 1874. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1879-1880 - Culmer, H.L.A. et al. Utah Directory and Gazetteer for 1879-80: Containing the Name and Occupation of Every Resident in the Towns and Cities of Salt Lake, Utah, Weber and Davis Counties: and a Very Complete List of the Merchants, Manufacturers, Professional Men and Officials: Together with Full Gazetteer Information. Salt Lake City, Utah: Printed for H.L.A. Culmer & Co. by J.C. Graham & Co., 1879. Digital versions at Don's List; Internet Archive.
• 1883-1884 - Graham, J.C. et al. The Utah Directory, for 1883-84: Containing the Name and Occupation of Every Resident in Salt Lake City: And a Complete Business Directory of Every City and Town in Utah: Together with a Compendium of General Information. Salt Lake City, Utah: J.C. Graham & Co., 1883. Digital versions at Don's List; Internet Archive.
• 1884 - Utah Gazetteer and Directory (of Logan, Provo, Ogden, and Salt Lake City). Salt Lake City, Utah: R.L. Polk, 1884. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1885 - Salt Lake City Directory, For the Year Commencing Aug. 1, 1885: Embracing an Accurate Index of Residence and a Business Directory. Also a Guide to Streets, Public Officers, Etc., Together with the Officers of the Municipal and Territorial Government and of ... New York, San Francisco: U.S. Directory Publishing Co. of California, 1885. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1890 - Garretty, J. F. Garretty's Guide, a Vest Pocket Business Directory, Memorandum, and Reference Book, and Tourists' Guide to Salt Lake City, Utah. S.l.: J. F. Garretty, 1890. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1892-1893 - Utah Gazetteer 1892-93, Containing a Complete Index to Residents and Business Firms of Salt Lake City, Resources of Utah and Reliable Business Directory of the Territory. Salt Lake City, Utah: Stenhouse & Co., 1892. Digital versions at Don's List; Internet Archive - free.
• 1900 - Sloan, Edward L. et al. Utah Gazetteer and Directory. Salt Lake City, Utah: Salt Lake Herald Pub. Co., 1900. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1901-1902 - The Salt Lake City Blue Book (Householders Directory). Salt Lake City, Utah: R. L. Polk & Co., 1901. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1909 - R.L. Polk & Co's Salt Lake City Directory 1909. Digital version at Don's List; Internet Archive.
• 1920 - R.L. Polk & Co's Salt Lake City Directory. Salt Lake City, Utah: R. L. Polk & Co., 1920. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• 1923 - R.L. Polk & Co's Salt Lake City Directory. Salt Lake City, Utah: R. L. Polk & Co., 1923. Digital version at Internet Archive.

Local Histories

• The History of Salt Lake City and its Founders, by Edward William Tullidge. Salt Lake City, UT: Star Printing Co., 1886. Online at: Google Books

Maps

• Salt Lake City Maps - additional information about the formation of the city of Salt Lake

Research Facilities

Libraries

• FamilySearch Library
• Salt Lake City Library system offers free access to Heritage Quest Online