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At the time of European expansion, beginning with Spanish explorers traveling from Mexico, five distinct native peoples occupied territory within the Utah area: the Northern Shoshone, the Goshute, the Ute, the Paiute and the Navajo.
1540
The Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado may have crossed into what is now southern Utah in 1540, when he was seeking the legendary Cíbola.
1776
A group led by two Spanish Catholic priests—sometimes called the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition—left Santa Fe in 1776, hoping to find a route to the California coast. The expedition traveled as far north as Utah Lake and encountered the native residents.
1803
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America in 1803 of 828,000 square miles (2,144,000 square kilometers or 529,920,000 acres) of France’s claim to the territory of Louisiana.
1804 – 1806
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the first American expedition to cross what is now the western portion of the United States, departing in May 1804, from near St. Louis on the Mississippi River, making their way westward through the continental divide to the Pacific coast.
1822
The Rocky Mountain Fur Company sometimes called Ashley’s Hundred, was organized in St. Louis, Missouri in 1822 by William Henry Ashley and Andrew Henry. Among the employees was Jedediah Smith, who went on to take a leading role in the company’s operations. The company became a pioneer in western exploration, most notably in the Green River Valley. The operations of other aspiring organizations like the American Fur Company would often overlap, causing a fierce rivalry. Growing competition motivated the trappers to explore and head deeper into the wilderness. Effectively, this led to greater knowledge of the topography and to great reductions in the beaver populations.
1825
Early mountain men and fur trappers including Jim Bridger, Kit Carson and Jedediah Smith begin to map and explore the area now known as Utah. The city of Provo was named for one such man, Étienne Provost, who visited the area in 1825. The city of Ogden, Utah is named for a brigade leader of the Hudson’s Bay Company, Peter Skene Ogden who trapped in the Weber Valley.
One year before the arrival of the Mormons, the ill-fated Donner party crossed through the Salt Lake valley late in the season, deciding not to winter there but to continue forward to California.
1846 – 1847
Mexican–American War was an armed conflict between the United States and the Centralist Republic of Mexico (which became the Second Federal Republic of Mexico during the war) from 1846 to 1848. It followed in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory, despite the 1836 Texas Revolution.
Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 allowed settlers to claim land in the Oregon Territory, then including the modern states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and parts of Wyoming. Settlers were able to claim 320 or 640 acres of land for free between 1850 and 1854, and then at a cost of $1.25 per acres until the law expired in 1855.
Homestead Act of 1862 The homestead was an area of public land in the West (usually 160 acres or 0.64 km2) granted to any US citizen willing to settle on and farm the land for at least five years.
1869
Completion of First Transcontinental Railroad May 10, 1869 with the ceremonial driving of the “Last Spike” (later often called the “Golden Spike”) with a silver hammer at Promontory Summit, Utah.
This video discusses the Fremont people and their culture. Learn about the rock art, artifacts, and mysteries they left behind. You will also discover the many recreational resources and outdoor opportunities available to the entire family.
School The school is built to look as if we are ready for a day of learning at the turn of the twentieth century, about 1900. It resembles the one built at approximately 104th S. and 1300 West.
Home This house, built especially for children, is designed to resemble the home of Byrum Henry Beckstead, one of the first settlers in South Jordan. It allows them (you) to experience what it would have been like to live in the early days of South Jordan.
Store There were several stores in early South Jordan. The first large store was the Jordan Mercantile, run by Joseph Holt. It was located at 10346 South 1300 West and was built about 1895. It carried a full line of household and farm items. It also housed an office, dance hall, and stage. The wonderful building here in the History Center is a combination of two later stores that were important places in the lives of the early settlers starting around 1930.
Post Office In the early days, mail delivery was very different from today. Mail to this area of the Salt Lake Valley was delivered once a week to the city of Sandy. One postman, or mail carrier, then delivered mail to the South Jordan, Bennion, West Jordan, Riverton, Draper, Midvale, and Crescent cities. Then back to Sandy, he went! He carried it all on his back in 2 bags.
Terrific Tuesdays – Monthly at 6 pm Look no further than the Gale Center of History and Culture on Tuesday evenings for exciting family fun activities! Offering arts & crafts, guest speakers, movies, games, demonstrations, etc.
CHRC has put together a 4-week training program to help you prepare for your next 5k Walk/Run. This camp is for everyone regardless of previous experience or physical ability. The goal is to get you running to enjoy the benefits of being in peak shape and to help you have fun while doing it. Camp includes running drills to make you faster and more efficient, stretch and strength training drills to make you stronger and less injury-prone.
The BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures is pleased to announce its newest exhibit, “Nuchu: Voices of the Ute People.”
The exhibit celebrates the rich heritage of the Ute throughout northeastern Utah, including Utah Valley. In the exhibit, their voices tell the story of their vibrant history and life.
The exhibit contains items collected around the Vernal area of Utah during the 1930s and 1940s. The text and labels for this exhibit are taken from interviews with Ute tribal members over the past 15 years, providing an opportunity to hear how the Ute view the items and their own heritage. Helping to fulfill the MPC’s mission to train future museum professionals, “students have combed through hours of interviews and texts, collaborated on the design of the galleries, and built the displays,” Kari Nelson, curator of education, said.
