Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate

Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City was founded in 1847 by a group of Mormon pioneers. The city takes it name from the salty lake located to the west.

In 1848 a plague of crickets nearly destroyed the crops but flocks of seagulls consumed the crickets and thus became the Utah state bird.

The city was organized into 10 acre blocks radiating from the center (now temple square). Each street is named based on its proximity to the center. So an address of 357s 500e, is located 5 blocks east and between 3 and 4 blocks south. This makes it very easy to located an address even if you have not been there before.

From 1860 to 1920 many gold, silver and copper mines were opened in the nearby canyons bringing prosperity to the city. The legacy of that prosperity can still be seen today, in the shape of grand homes build by the miners on South Temple (100 south).

From 1960 to 1980 the population of Salt Lake City actually declined by 14 percent. This decline was driven by the movement of both people and businesses to the suburbs as the valley population continued to increase. The development of a post-industrial economy have now revitalized Salt Lake City and the population is once again on the increase.

For more information on the city you can visit the Salt Lake City government website.