West Jordan Pioneer Church

Before the mills and the canals, there were three families. Samuel Egbert, Horace Ensign, and Thomas Butterfield brought their households to this stretch of the Jordan's west bank in 1848, among the first to settle the valley beyond Salt Lake City itself. They farmed the bottomland below the bluff and scattered their homesteads up and down the river. What made a town of them was the meetinghouse — the ward that gathered them for worship, schooling, and the business of a shared frontier. This pioneer church, near the old West Jordan cemetery, marks that first gathering place.

What the plaque says

Daughters of Utah Pioneers No. 332 Erected 1967 West Jordan Pioneer Church In 1859, to replace a log church house, Bishop Archibald Gardner chose Elias Morris as architect of this red sandstone and granite church. On May 15, 1861, the cornerstone was laid. Proceeds from a military ball, attended by L.D.S. authorities including Brigham Young, Fort Douglas officers and others, completed the $10,000 building. Dedicated Aug. 11, 1867 by Wilford Woodruff. Leased and restored by Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1937. Archibald Gardner Camp

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• International Peace Gardens — 7.8 mi
  A hidden garden where 28 countries are represented in miniature
• Gilgal Sculpture Garden — 9.7 mi
  A surreal and eccentric sculpture garden hidden in a residential neighborhood
• Liberty Park — 9.8 mi
  Salt Lake Citys beloved 80-acre urban park since 1882
• Temple Square — 11 mi
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City

More markers nearby

• West Jordan — steps away
• Salt Lake & Utah RR/Utah Idaho Sugar Factory — 0.9 mi
• West Jordan City Park Salt Lake and Utah Railroad — 0.9 mi
• Utah Idaho Sugar Company Factory — 0.9 mi