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Show Pioneer flashbacks by QUIG NIELSEN Did you know that early pioneer leaders once considered 40 acres for Temple Square? Four days after the pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, Brig ham Young and other church leaders gathered at the site between the forks of City Creek. Young paused, stuck his cane into the ground, and declared, "Here we will build a Temple to our God. ' Those with him, all Mormon apostles, unanimously voted that the temple be built upon the designated site. The leaders then decided to lay out the city in blocks of ten acres. Temple Square was the initial center for the naming of the streets, with the streets around the square to be, respectively, North, South, East, and West Temple Streets. East Temple later became Main Street Forty acres was originally set aside for Temple Square. However, it was decided 40 acres would make the square too large and it was reduced first to 20 acres, and then to 10 acres. The pioneer leaders announced r that the city they would build 1 should surround this 10-acre temple I block. I Orson Pratt began the survey of I the city a few days later. The base I line for his survey was the southeast I corner of Temple Square and the I government officials later adopted I it as the base meridian line. I Little did these pioneers realize I that, 150 years later, this 10-acre I plot, would become one of the top I historical tourist attractions in the I nation-that it would be as impor- I tant to Salt Lake City and Utah as I the Arc de Triomphe to Paris, the I Red Square to Moscow and Times I Square to New York City. I Who could have known that over I 4 million visitors each year, from I over 50 countries around the world, I would enjoy the beauty of the I grounds and stand in awe at the I architectural wonders of the I celebrated temple, domed taber- I nacle and pinnacled assembly hall? I (Quig Nielsen is an Information I Officer for the Museum of Church I History and Art in Salt Lake City. I He resides in Bountiful.) I |