Tidbits of history — Unusual highlights of Salt Lake County

Plodding through hundreds of pages of history books can be a tedious and slow process at best. Especially if you're not a fast reader, you likely won't read many historical books/publications. Also, in this fast-moving world, people tend to want facts and trivia now — without having to expend much effort or time.

In line with brevity and summarizing, here's a look at some unusual highlights of Salt Lake County history, listed in an easy and quick-read format:

• Parleys Canyon was originally known as Big Canyon. It was later called Golden Pass Toll Road and then Parleys Canyon, in honor of Parley P. Pratt, who constructed a toll road through the canyon in 1849-50.

• Drownings were among the unusual dangers that pioneers faced in the Salt Lake Valley — a desert climate. For example, on June 29, 1854, two children who were herding animals in Red Butte Canyon drowned by unexpected floods that poured out of the canyon.

• In 1854 in Salt Lake, 120 deaths were reported. Forty-five of those were children under age 5.

• The first winter in Utah, 1847, was spent on the site of today's Pioneer Park by about 1,700 residents in a fort and huts. A school with six pupils also operated that winter.

• The first winter for the pioneers in Salt Lake was a mild one and a lack of food was the biggest shortcoming. An outbreak of measles also came and hit the area's American Indian population hard. For example, settlers had to bury 36 natives in one grave.

• The second winter in Salt Lake was much colder and snowier, but much more food was stored. Many residents didn't like the howls of wolves at night and teams were organized to rid the valley of the predators. On Christmas Day 1848, 331 wolves were shot and killed by an army of 84 settlers.

• The first speeding law in Salt Lake came in 1848 and stated that no speed would exceed a slow trot, or face a û1 fine.

• Slavery was legal in the Utah Territory from 1852 and lasting about 10 years. In 1850, there were 24 free blacks and 26 slaves in Salt Lake.

• The first store in Salt Lake opened in 1849 where today's West High School is and offered some East Coast goods for sale.

• Salt Lake County officially started on Jan. 31, 1850, with just over 11,000 residents.

• The old fort on today's pioneer site, where the first Salt Lake settlers spent the first two winters, was destroyed in the early 1850s, after leaders realized it was being used as a gathering place for persons with loose morals.