This is one of those times.
What makes me an 'expert' on the information I shared below?
Fair question. I lived in Utah and visited Temple Square many times. I worked in the Church Office Building (now known as Church Administration Building) and took my lunch hours there. Often.
Plus, some of my pioneer ancestors were stone masons and actually cut/shaped the stone for the Salt Lake Temple as well as the Nauvoo/Kirtland Temples at great personal cost/sacrifice. Here is the link to their story: https://upperlevelgen.blogspot.com/search?q=benjamin+thomas+trotter+mitchell
Most importantly, I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I was married in the SL Temple and have even been inside where most people do not get to go.
Therefore, when I recently saw this comment on this site https://www.templesquare.com/blog/oldest-buildings-salt-lake-valley/#comment-205725 concerning the old buildings in Salt Lake City (capital of my home state) while researching for my latest novel I couldn't seem to let it rest.
How are all
these immaculate churches, city and state buildings built in just a few years
at the same time the Temple was being finished in a city of only 40-50 thousand
people according to census. You are telling me that Cathedral of Madeleine took
only 9 years to build, and the LDS temple took almost 50? something a little
off on the historical timeline. I’m thinking there was a little bit more than
an empty valley when Brigham Young showed up.
My answer to him (minus pictures):
Bryan,
Research clarifies that the first Catholic Church was built
in the middle of SLC in 1871. It was
only 84 feet by 34 feet in size (about 2856 square feet) and was demolished in
1909 when the newer (and still existing) St Madeleine was finished. Both were beautiful buildings. My source for
this information - as of 30 Jan 2020: http://www.icatholic.org/article/utahs-first-catholic-church-saint-mary-magdalene-3175322
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| The first Catholic Church built in SLC St Madeline Cathedral 1871-1909 |
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| St Madeline Cathedral SLC, 1909 - which replaced the first building Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_the_Madeleine_(Salt_Lake_City,_Utah) |
Concerning the historical timeline you mentioned: Brigham
Young chose the spot the Salt Lake Temple would be built in 1847.
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| Source: http://scienceviews.com/parks/thisistheplace.html |
The groundbreaking to begin building was six
years later, in 1853. The Temple, inside and out, was finished and dedicated in
1893, making it 40 years.
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| Pre-completed SLC LDS Temple (from LDS Living) |
The time it took should not be surprising as the Temple is
253,015 square feet and they had to both quarry and then hand-cut each stone.
If it had not been for the railroad coming through, it would have taken even
longer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_Temple
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| Dedication ticket (from commons wikimedia) |
As far as your thinking there was something in the valley
previous to the pioneers, Brigham Young met with a mountain man, Jim Bridger,
who had spent most of his adult life hunting/trapping in the Rocky
Mountains. Jim told Brigham that he'd
pay $1,000 for a bushel of corn grown in the basin. In other words, he doubted it could be done.
Source: http://www.slcdocs.com/utilities/NewsEvents/news2010/news8202010.htm
I hope this helps you understand.
