Sisters of the Holy Cross

Two Catholic sisters who had nursed soldiers in the Civil War stepped off the train in Salt Lake City in 1875 and went straight to work. Within months they had opened a girls' academy and a twelve-bed hospital, tending the miners, railroad hands, and non-Mormon immigrants pouring into the territory. The hospital grew into an institution the sisters ran for more than a century. It changed hands and names over the years, becoming Salt Lake Regional Medical Center — until 2023, when new owners restored the old name, Holy Cross Hospital, still caring for the city today.

What the plaque says

In June 1875 in answer to the appeal of the Rev. Lawrence Scanlan, two Sisters of the Holy Cross, Mother M. Augusta and Sister M. Raymond, came to Salt Lake City. In August they were joined by Sisters M. Pauline, Anna, Josepha, Holy Innocents, and Petronella, and in September they opened St. Mary's Academy at 152 South First West Street. In October of the same year Sisters M. Holy Cross, Bartholomew, and Bernard opened Holy Cross Hospital at 50 South Fifth East Street. The hospital was established on the present site in 1882. The College and Academy of St. Mary-of-the-Wasatch and Holy Cross Hospital stand today as monuments to mark the trail of these Pioneer Sisters.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Salt Lake City — 1.6 mi
  Utah's capital and largest city — where the Wasatch Range meets the Great Salt Lake.
• Temple Square — 1.7 mi
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City
• Red Butte Garden — 1.8 mi
  A 100-acre botanical garden with panoramic valley views
• Liberty Park — 1.8 mi
  Salt Lake Citys beloved 80-acre urban park since 1882

More markers nearby

• Fortunato Anselmo House — 0.3 mi
• Ladies' Literary Club Building — 0.3 mi
• Fire Station No. 8 — 0.4 mi
• Rock Wall — 0.4 mi