Settling the desert Mormon pioneers

the mormons settled in salt lake valley, @ time used buffer zone between shoshones , utes, @ war. upon arriving in salt lake valley, mormons had develop , cultivate arid terrain make suitable habitation. created irrigation systems, laid out farms, built houses, churches , schools. access water crucial. immediately, brigham young sent out scouting parties identify , claim additional community sites. while difficult find large areas in great basin water sources dependable , growing seasons long enough raise vitally important subsistence crops, satellite communities began formed in directions. church members headed south present day arizona , mexico, west california, north idaho , canada, , east wyoming, settling many familiar communities in areas.

shortly after first company arrived in salt lake valley in 1847, community of bountiful settled north. in 1848, settlers moved lands purchased trapper miles goodyear in present-day ogden. in 1849, tooele , fort utah in modern-day provo founded. settlement of provo particularly troubling utes, since @ heart of territory. ute chief wakara suggested settlers instead move sanpete valley in central utah, settlers established community of manti. tensions in fort utah mounted after mormons murdered old bishop, , brigham young ordered attack on utes, called battle @ fort utah. shortly followed walker war.

fillmore, utah, intended capital of new territory, established in 1851. in 1855, missionary efforts aimed @ local native cultures led outposts in fort lemhi on idaho s salmon river, las vegas, nevada , elk mountain in east central of present-day utah.

the experiences of returning members of mormon battalion important in establishing new communities. on journey west, mormon soldiers had identified dependable rivers , fertile river valleys in colorado, arizona , southern california. in addition, discharged men traveled rejoin families in salt lake valley, moved through southern nevada , southern utah. jefferson hunt, senior mormon officer of battalion, actively searched settlement sites, minerals , other resources. report encouraged 1851 settlement efforts in iron country, near present-day cedar city. these southern explorations led mormon settlements in st. george, utah, las vegas , san bernardino, california, communities in southern arizona. 1885, mormon communities being established in northern mexico.