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Show Utah Pioneer Trails Settlers Initiated Irrigation - Named Ensign Peak; Planned Salt Lake and Explored ment on a noteworthy scale among Anglo-Saxon peoples was here in the Salt Lake Valley. Mormon irrigation set a pattern for the gigantic irrigation projects pro-jects of the nineteenth and twentieth twen-tieth centuries in all of the western west-ern states, making possible the reclaiming re-claiming of thousands and thousands thou-sands of acres of arid lands. The desert has really been made to "blossom as the rose." Abrnit noon on Saturday of July 24, 1847, President Brigham Young, with the large? portion of the pioneer company, emerged upon up-on the narrow plateau near the mouth of Emigration Canyon. It was here that Brother Brigham made the Statement which has since become famous, "This is of Joseph Smith, who showed him the mountain we now call Ensign Peak immediately north of Salt Lake City, and there an ensign fell upon that peak, and Joseph said, 'Build under the point where you see the colors fall and you will prosper and have peace.' "The pioneers had no pilot or guide; none among them had ever been in the country or knew anything any-thing about it. However, they traveled under the direction of Brigham Young until they reached reach-ed this Valley. When they entered it, President Young pointed to that peak, and said he, 'I want to go there.' He went up to the point and said, "This is Ensign Peak. Now, Brethren organize your exploring parties, so as to be safe from Indians; go and explore where you will, and you will come back every time and say this is the best place.' "They accordingly started out exploring companies and visited i what we now call Cache, Malad, Tooele, and Utah valleys, but all came back and declared this was tlie best spot. (George A. Smith, 'Journal of Discourses.' vol. 13, pp 85-86. June 20, 1869.)" As the sun poured its blistering rays down upon the pioneer camp during July and August, Brigham Young laid out his plans for the building of their New Zion. Utah has the honor of having had many of the "firsts" of western west-ern pioneer history take place here in this State. That fact is especially true regarding the' Salt Lake Valley; therefore, Utah is bounteously rich in historic lore, and numerous are her historic landmarks. On Friday morning, July 23, 1847, Orson Pratt and the members mem-bers of the vanguard company, who had been sent by Brigham Young into the Salt Lake Valley ahead of the main group, made camp on a stream of water which they named City Creek. Their camp was located on what was subsquently known as the Eighth Ward Square in the section now occupied by the Salt Lake City and County Building. Almost immediately im-mediately thereafter, and in the absence of Brigham Young, Orson Pratt called his group together and dedicated the land unto the Lord as the chosen sport for their new home. Plans were made for immediate planting of seeds. Only two hours after their arrival on the banks of City Creek, they commenced plowing a short distance northward north-ward from camp. Difficulty was experienced in their efforts to plow the parched and flinty ground. After bending or breaking break-ing some of their plow points, these ingenious pioneers dammed off the near-by stream, thereby there-by diverting its water to the thirsty ground. In this way the Utah pioneers began their experimentation ex-perimentation in irrigation, and this experience marks one of the Important "first." In fact, the birth of irrigation and its develop- the place! Drive off." Early Monday morning, July 26, less than two days after the Pioneer-Leader had declared, "This is the place!" Brigham Young and nine others left their newly-established newly-established camp to explore the Salt Lake Valley. Brigham's immediate im-mediate interest was to ascend to the top of one of the mountain peaks which lay to the north of the pioneer camp. This they did, and named the spot "Ensign Peak." It is a historical fact of singular singu-lar importance that the location and appearance of Ensign Peak was known by Brigham Young long before the Saints first entered en-tered the Salt Lake Valley. George A. Smith tells of how it got its name, by whom it was first named, and why it was considered con-sidered a site of reverence by our pioneer forebears. To quote Smith's statement: "The question is frequently asked, 'How did you ever find this place?' I answer, 'We were led to it by the inspiration of God.' "After the death of Joseph Smith, when it seemed as if trouble and calamity had come upon the saints, Brigham Young, who was President of the Twelve, then the presiding quorum of the Church, sought the Lord to know what they should do, and where they should lead the people for safety, and while they were fasting fast-ing and praying daily on this subject, sub-ject, President Young had a vision |