Excerpt from Salt Lake City Illustrated

North side third south st. From main. Looking west.16, 1852, a Tabernacle, 126 feet long and sixty - four feet wide, capable of seating nearly three thousand persons, was finished. The first company of European immigrants, with thirty-one wagons, arrived during the year. On the 6th day of April, 1853, the corner stones of the Temple were laid, and in August it was decided to build a 'fspanish wall of mud, twelve feet high, six feet at base, around the city, as a protection against. The Indians. It was nine miles in length, and portions of it remain to this day. The population in October of this year was souls. In January, 1854, a mass meeting was held to memorialize Congress to construct a National Railroad from the Mis souri River, via the South Pass and Great Salt Lake City, to the Pacific Coast. During the Fall of this year, the first immigrants from Switzerland, Italy and Australia arrived. In 1855 settlers had reached out as far as Salmon River, Idaho, and the southern part of Utah Territory. During the Summer grasshoppers did serious damage to the crops, destroying nearly everything green in many parts of the Territory. The loss was aggravated by drouth, the com bined evils causing a great failure in crops. A large num ber of Mormon missionaries left Great Salt Lake City for the Eastern States and Europe, and the Horticultural Society, and a number of other societies, were organized during this year. In the early part of 1856 there was a great scarci ty of provisions and many domestic animals died of starv ation. For months some families knew not the taste of bread - bran and shorts being considered luxuries. Small pox was brought into the valley in July by immigrants from Mississippi. The first fire department was organized in October. On account of the early winter, some com panies of immigrants, crossing the plains with hand-carts, were overtaken in the mountains by snow storms and se verely cold weather. Word was brought that they were perishing in the mountains and the people immediately went to their rescue with men and provisions, but not before many of the immigrants had died from want and ex posare. This winter was excessively severe, snow falling to a depth of eight feet in various parts of the valley. The harvest of 1857 was the best Utah had had up to that time. During this fall the Utah Army was sent, under Colonel A. S. Johnston, to settle difficulties which were reported by Judge Drummond, W. F. Magraw and others, to have grown up between the Territorial Officers, the Federal Officials and the Government. In March, 1858, the citizens of Great Salt Lake City and the settlements north of it, agreed to abandon their homes and go south, being under the impression that the approaching army was sent to destroy them. By the month of June, Gov ernor Cumming and the peace commissioners having arrived and investigated matters, the difficulties were peace ably adjusted, President Buchanan issuing a proclamation of pardon. The army passed through Great Salt Lake City, locating at Camp Floyd, about forty miles south west, and the people returned to their deserted homes and resumed their accustomed labors. In November, 1858, the Vafley Ta/n newspaper made its appearance. In 1859.

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