On August 2, 1847, just days after the first Mormon settlers arrived in the
Salt Lake Valley, Henry Sherwood and
Orson Pratt began to survey and layout Salt Lake City, beginning at the newly established
Salt Lake meridian. In the early surveys, four blocks were designated public squares, including Union Square. The other public squares became
Pioneer Park,
Washington Square, and Tenth Ward Square (currently the site of
Trolley Square). Upon the dissolution of the provisional government of
Deseret in March 1851, due to the creation of the
Utah Territory, Union Square was selected as the site for the territory's government buildings. Although no action was ever taken to construct buildings, and soon after,
Fillmore, Utah was designated as capital city. For nearly a decade, camps of newly arrived
Mormon pioneers made use of Union Square, including during the
handcart period. Later arriving emigrants would camp at
Washington Square in another part of the city. In 1880, Salt Lake City gave the square to the University of Deseret (since renamed to
University of Utah), beginning the square's long history with education in the area.
List of current institutions on the square List of former institutions on the square ==References==