Irrigation has always been the key to prospering on the fertile farm land in the valley and the first irrigation districts were formed as early as The association later contracted with the U. Reclamation Service to construct a reservoir in Wasatch County. A 3-mile-long tunnel through the Wasatch Mountains was started in and finished in to bring water from the square-mile reservoir which was completed in Most of the water from the project went to irrigate Utah County farms.
Another vital water project was Deer Creek Dam and Reservoir. Construction of the foot-high dam was started in The resulting 7-mile-long reservoir today provides irrigation, culinary water and water-related recreation. The City of Orem was named after W. Orem, builder of the railroad which ran through the town. Payson was named after an early settler, James Pace. The community was previously known as Fort Peteetneet after a Ute Indian chief. Springville was once known as Hobble Creek because a member of a Mormon exploring party lost his horse's hobbles in or near the creek.
Pleasant Grove, named after a cottonwood grove near the original town site, was once known as Battle Creek since it was the site of the first conflict between Indians and settlers. Elberta was named for its Elberta peach orchards and Salem was named after New Salem, Massachusetts, but was first called Pond Town after the large pond that today is known as Salem Pond. The first library in Provo was opened in and there has been an official U.
Other rugged mountains east of the city provide one of the most picturesque backdrops for a Utah city. Utah Valley was the traditional home of Ute Indians, who settled in villages close to the lake both for protection from bellicose tribes to the northeast and to be close to their primary source of food—fish from the lake.
Only a retrenchment in Spanish New World colonization and missionary efforts prevented establishment of settlements promised by these Franciscan missionaries.
Fur trappers and traders frequented the area in the early decades of the nineteenth century, and it is from one of these trappers, Etienne Provost, that Provo takes its name.
Provo lost in its bid as a transcontinental railroad stopping place, but thereby retained its distinctly Mormon flavor. In Brigham Young Academy was founded. From humble beginnings, this institution has grown into Brigham Young University, the largest church-affiliated university in the United States today. The city and the university have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship and have grown together.
Troubles with Indians gave rise to a popular saying in early Utah: "Provo or hell! Provo remained the second largest city in Utah until Ogden became Utah's primary railroad terminus in Provo lost in its bid as a transcontinental railroad stopping place, but thereby retained its distinctly Mormon flavor. It soon came to be known as the "Garden City" because of its extensive fruit orchards, trees, and gardens. In Brigham Young Academy was founded. From humble beginnings, this institution has grown into Brigham Young University, the largest church-affiliated university in the United States today.
The city and the university have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship and have grown together. Today, the university has helped generate a fledgling high-technology industry in the Provo area and sometimes attracts national attention through its academic and sports programs. Historically, Provo has served as the focal point of Utah Valley industry, commerce, and government.
Agriculture and the Provo Woolen Mills which had its origin in the Mormon cooperative movement of the late s served as Provo's commercial staples in the late nineteenth century. Mining magnates such as Jesse Knight, made rich by nearby precious-metal mines, made their homes in Provo and helped create a thriving financial industry in the city. The coincidence of a major water source and the intersection of two railroad lines led to the completion in the Provo area of the Ironton steel mill in the early s and later the much larger Geneva steel plant.
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