| Show HISTORIC TREK TO SOUTHERN UTAH RECALLED by J marinus jensen in the provo herald little salt lake valley was settled by mormon pioneers in 1851 when in the former year brigham young stuck his cane into the ground and declared this is the place he saw not simply salt lake valley but far ar stretches of country in every direction it was his great purpose not to build a city but an empire ile he sent explorers throughout the area of 0 the great basin bagin to discover desirable locations ir r settlement utah valley early attracted favorable attention and settlements were made from there in 49 and 50 from this vantage ground explore ers era and settlers pushed on into the southern country to supervise this great work president young sent george A smith who has been et ef termed the father of the southern settlements aril an 1 party under the leadership of parley paley P pratt having found center creek little salt lake valley in the southern part of t the he state of af deseret an eligible place for the location of a settlement PEtes president ident smith alad tor for utah county volunteers to td settle in that region some thirty families responded to the call and in december 1850 left for their cr c r homes to safeguard the colonists president smith raised a company it f over one hundred volunteers which was organized on creek in the southern part ot of the county the company consisted ot of 25 cavalry 32 infantry 13 me with a cannon and a number of camp guards the settlers and their military escort arrived in the little salt lake valley monday january 13 1851 aud and located a town site which later was named parowan carowan Pa rowan it was the first settlement in what came to be known as iron county following the custom of mormon colonists they began their settlement by building a tort fort tor for protection against hostile indians Ind lans the wisdom ot of this action soon made itself manifest tor for walker the indian chief who a short time before had threatened the massacre ot of the settlers at provo and would no doubt have carried out his threat had it not been tor for the intervention of 0 chief howlette Sow lette the white mans friend was in the neighborhood accompanied com compa panted nied by a large band ot of indians and soon paid a a visit to the parowan carowan settlers their visit president smith Is quoted as saying demonstrated that our pol policy ay iy of settling in a fort was the only sate safe one it was absolutely necessary tor for our preservation an so 80 years ago began the settlement ot of the great iron region of utah which in all probability will play an increasingly greater role in the history of 0 utah industry with the passing ot of the years rw |
