History and Trivia
Salt Lake City is a crossroads located in the center of the expansive West. Northern Utah was the terminus for the Mormon migration in the mid-nineteenth century and then spawned numerous settlements throughout the inter-mountain West. Northern Utah also is where the Union and Central Pacific railroad met in 1869 to complete the country’s first transcontinental railroad.
Today Salt Lake City and the surrounding metropolis, referred to as the Wasatch Front, is home to between 2.5 and 3 million people. It remains a crossroads—the junction of north-south I-15 and east-west I-80 traffic corridors. The area is a route for rail shipment across the country. Salt Lake City serves as a hub for Delta Airlines.
At approximately 4600 feet above sea level, Salt Lake City is not as high as Denver, but almost. The climate is dry. There are definite seasons. Neither Utah’s hottest nor coldest weather is as insufferable as the same temperature in humid climes. Summertime temperatures can reach 100. Wintertime lows can reach 0 degrees, but these extremes don’t occur often or every year.
Utah is known for its remarkable national parks, for the Utah Jazz, and outstanding outdoor activity. Salt Lake City successfully hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002 and is scheduled to host again in 2034. Many well-known ski resorts are nestled in the mountains east of the city. Skiing and snowboarding are a big draw in the winter. A person could stay in Salt Lake City and ski at a different resort every day for a week or more. The canyons and mountains are also well used in the summertime when hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing are popular.
Though above sea level, the Great Salt Lake has no drainage. Like the Dead Sea, it’s saturated with the salt and minerals that remain after runoff from the mountains evaporates. Miles and miles of surrounding “salt flats” have repeatedly been used to establish and break the world land speed record.
A little less than fifty percent of the area’s population now is Mormon. Mormons typically do not smoke and do not drink alcohol, but they do dance! They are family-oriented, typically marry younger, and have larger families than the national average. Mormons have a keen interest in genealogy. Salt Lake City is the Church’s world headquarters and the home of its genealogical library. You are welcome to visit the library and learn more about your genealogy.
All Pioneer Encuentro activity occurs at “The Clubhouse”—historically the Ladies’ Literary Club—located at 850 East South Temple Street (100 South.) Though not designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the structure manifests many elements of the “Prairie School” architectural style that was popular at the time of its construction. The Ladies’ Literary Club members were “society women” of the era. They traveled; they knew about international trends, Parisian style, and pop culture. They and others brought Argentine tango to the city. Public records indicate that tango was danced widely. Argentine tango was danced at Hotel Utah, undoubtedly at the Ladies’ Literary Club, and in many other places throughout the city as early as 1913-14, shortly after the construction of the Club’s new facility on South Temple. It’s remarkable to dance tango again in a historic venue where Argentine tango was briefly danced more than a century ago.