Utah History for Kids - Crossroads of the West

Mountain men and settlers had explored much of the West, but the scientific investigation of this land really began when Congress authorized exploration for railroad and wagon routes. Captain Howard Stansbury explored and mapped Great Salt Lake Valley in 1849-1850; Lieutenant Joseph C. Ives studied part of the Colorado River in 1857-1858; Lieutenant E. G. Beckwith completed a railroad survey.

John Wesley Powell

Major John Wesley Powell came in 1869 and 1871 to explore the "last frontier"-- the Green and Colorado rivers--by boat. Powell made a monumental contribution to our understanding of the arid Colorado Plateau, water resources, and the life of the area's American Indians.

Communication between east and west became more and more important between 1850 and 1870. The overland freight brought needed goods to Utah settlers.The Pony Express brought both mail and news in its short nineteen months of operation
1863-1864).

Installing telegraph lines along railroad

Overland telegraph lines connecting Omaha and Sacramento were completed on October 24, 1861. Brigham Young helped with this project. He planned the Deseret Telegraph to connect Salt Lake City with the outlying Mormon settlements.

Next came the railroad. In 1868 Brigham Young contracted with Union Pacific to build part of the transcontinental railroad through Echo and Weber canyons. Mormons earned more than two million dollars working on this project. Meanwhile, hundreds of Chinese worked on the Central Pacific line east from Sacramento. Finally, on May 10, 1869, workers joined the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific railroad lines at Promontory Summit, Utah.

Joining of the rails

Activity:
The celebration of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific owners and workers at Promontory Summit, Utah. If you were one of the workers how would you feel on this day? Write about your feelings and thoughts on how important this day is to transportation in the west.