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Granite For The Temple

This page was last updated on December 2, 2024.

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Overview

The Salt Lake City temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated on April 6, 1893. Construction had begun with a ground breaking on February 14, 1853. In the forty years between these two dates, the delays to completion were numerous and many, but the most visible was the difficulties of moving the granite construction materials from their quarry, twenty miles north to the temple site in Salt Lake City.

At first, sandstone was used as the temple foundation, but because of the planned size (and weight) of the building, was soon found to be inadequate. In about 1858-1859 after construction resumed following the troubles with the U. S. government and the coming of Johnston's Army, a granite quarry was opened at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon, 20 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.

The temple site itself was located within but a few days of the Pioneers' entry into the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. In her 1931 biography of her father Brigham Young, Susa Young Gates relates how Brigham Young stood in an open area bisected by City Creek and said, "Here we will build the temple of our God." At that time, the temple block was laid out covering ten acres, on the pattern of the ancient temple in Jerusalem: "It extends a full city block, -- one eighth of a mile in each of its four directions; and, it is interesting to note, these dimensions are practically the same as those which, according to Josephus, enclosed the grounds on which stood the Temple of Herod." (Talmage, The House of the Lord, p.115)

The formal decision to go ahead with temple construction was voted on less than four years later at the church's general conference on April 6, 1851. A general epistle issued by the First Presidency of the Church, on the following Monday, April 7, saying, "We contemplate laying a wall around the Temple Block this season, preparatory to laying the foundation of a Temple the year following." They addressed the needed transportation of building materials at the same time, "A railroad has been chartered to extend from the Temple Block in this city to the stone quarry and mountain on the east, for the conveyance of building materials; the construction to commence immediately." (Talmage, The House of the Lord, p.114)

The first railroad in Utah was to have wooden rails, with plans to use it to move sandstone from Red Butte Canyon, to the site of the LDS temple in Salt Lake City. After work started on the temple in 1853, they found that heavy wagons with wide wheels worked better, allowing two trips in a single day.

Construction of the first railroad in Utah began as early as May 1851, as evidenced by a note in the May 17, 1851 issue of Deseret News, saying, "The railroad grading is progressing well, considering the frequent hindrance by rain." Another mention came on November 15, 1851, "The railroad is progressing, the grading is completed to a considerable extent; nothing has been done on it since spring, until recently." More progress was reported on January 24, 1852, "The grading of the Rail-Road is progressing; all under contract. It is proposed to use broad tire on the grade, at present, without rails."

"In the interim between the breaking of the ground and the April conference, the wooden railway projected to Red Butte Canyon was hurried towards completion, for the hauling of rock for the foundation. This railway, however, was never operated, as the bringing of the rock was given by contract to the Sharp brothers, John, Joseph and Adam, who used ox teams for the purpose." ("The Contributor," Vol. XIV, No. 6, April, 1893, p. 262)

Work on the Salt Lake temple stopped in 1857, and remained halted through 1858 after the U. S. Army came through. Work resumed in the late fall of 1861, after the Army left the area. By that time, the temple builders had discovered that sandstone cracked due to the heavy stones above, and granite from Little Cottonwood Canyon was substituted. But the granite quarry was 20 miles away. A call went out for oxen and wagons, and the work began to move granite blocks, large and small, on a round trip that took four days.

A canal was started in 1854, taking its water from Big Cottonwood Creek, but its location would not hold water.

(Read more about the canals along Salt Lake City's east bench; includes a map)

The following comes from the December 18, 1909 issue of the Deseret News newspaper, "How The Salt Lake Temple Was Built."

With the railroad completed to Sandy in September 1871, just five miles from the granite quarries, a branch was begun in 1872 to reach the granite quarries. But work was abandoned after a narrow gauge line was organized for two purposes, to get to the granite at the mouth of the canyon, and to get up the canyon to move the high-value gold and silver ore. The Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railway was completed to the granite quarries in April 1873, but financial problems and construction delays kept the line from reaching the mining town of Alta until 1875, serving the gold and silver mines discovered in Little Cottonwood Canyon in 1864.

(Read more about the Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railway)

The last large granite stones were moved in mid 1891. The ceremonial "Last Stone" was on site at the temple block by early October 1891, and was laid on April 6, 1892.

In 1914, granite from the same quarries was used for the state capital building, and the LDS church's administration building in downtown Salt Lake City, as well as the D&RGW freight house in Ogden. The Salt Lake & Alta railroad was organized specifically to move the granite for these two projects.

(Read more about the railroads of Little Cottonwood canyon; includes a map)

Another bit has come to light... Ron Andersen wrote in 1997: Vine Street follows the north bank of Little Cottonwood Creek and was apparently a trail used by Indians and probably animals before them. The first store and post office in Murray was at the corner of State and Vine. The road along Vine Street was narrow between the springs on the Mick Riley golf course and Little Cottonwood Creek. Wagons hauling granite rock to Temple Square would frequently bog down, if this stretch of the trail was wet.

The actual location of the church granite quarry appears to be near today's intersection of North Little Cottonwood Road, and South Little Cottonwood Road, in the mouth of the canyon.

The community known as Wasatch, where in later years the D&RGW standard gauge branch ended and the narrow gauge branch of the former W&JV began, along with being the interchange point between the standard gauge Salt Lake and Alta Railroad and the narrow gauge Little Cottonwood Transportation Company, appears to be near what today is known as Wasatch Resort, approximately one mile further east (up-canyon) from the granite quarry.

The community of Granite was centered around the Granite ward house, at the intersection of today's 9800 South and 3100 East. Granite was the community that grew up at the location where the granite wagon teamsters would overnight and graze their teams of oxen and draft horses.

Granite For the Temple Milestones

• 1853-1857 -- Construction started, using sandstone blocks from Red Butte canyon
• 1857-1860 -- Construction halted due to occupation by U.S. Army
• 1860-1868 -- Construction resumed, using granite from Little Cottonwood quarry transported by wagon
• 1868-1872 -- Construction severely reduced account workers and wagons needed for construction of transcontinental railroad, and Utah Central railroad
• 1872-1892 -- Construction resumed using granite transported by rail; last stone moved in 1891; temple finished in 1893

Map

Railroad Map -- The alignment of the Wasatch and Jordan Valley Railroad, and the later D&RGW Wasatch Branch, was along today's South Little Cottonwood Road east from the intersection of 9400 South and Highland Drive. West of there, the alignment matches a diagonal line that includes today's Cy's Road, to the approximate center of historic Sandy at about 8800 South and 150 East.

Temple Block

The Temple Block in downtown Salt Lake City is a square of ten acres, and was designated as early as 1847.

At the General Conference of the Church held in April, 1851, an official vote was taken whereby the erection of the Temple was authorized. A general epistle issued by the First Presidency of the Church, April 7, 1851, reads as follows: "A railroad has been chartered to extend from the Temple Block in this city to the stone quarry and mountain on the east, for the conveyance of building materials; the construction to commence immediately." (See Contributor, Vol. XIV: No. 6. April, 1893; p. 248.)

In April, 1851, the members of the Church, assembled in general conference, voted unanimously to build the temple.

"We contemplate laying a wall around the Temple Block this season, preparatory to laying the foundation of a Temple the year following; and this we will be sure to do, if all the Saints do not pay their tithing, we can neither build nor prepare for building; and if there shall be no endowments, and if they do not receive their endowments, they can never attain that salvation they are anxiously looking for." (James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, p.114 - p.115)

The wall surrounding the temple block was started in August 1852 and was completed in May 1857. ("The Contributor," Vol. XIV, No. 6, April, 1893, p. 249)

March 27, 1867
"About a week ago we completed a good, substantial rock wall, eight feet high, around our public square, or what is commonly called Temple Block." (Deseret News, March 27, 1867, "Correspondence")

April 1867
Buildings within the temple block included the "old" tabernacle, known as the "great bowery," the "new" tabernacle, and the temple foundations, "well laid of massive granite," along with many temporary buildings. (Deseret News, April 10, 1867)

January 27, 1869
An observatory was being erected by the "United States Coast Survey, inside the wall and near the southeast corner of Temple Block, to obtain an exact meridian, and for the purpose of determining the difference of longitude across the continent from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to San Francisco, California." An intermediate station had already been established in Omaha, Nebraska, 1,500 miles west of Cambridge, and another station was being established in Salt Lake City, 1,000 miles west of Omaha and 900 miles east of San Francisco. Observation of stars, astronomical clocks and telegraphic connections are being used to establish at each station the exact time, and thereby the difference in longitude. Then latitude is determined by compass. The stone for the observatory came from the same quarry in Weber Canyon that was furnishing stone abutments for the heaviest Union Pacific bridge in that canyon. (Deseret News, January 27, 1869)

Red Butte to Temple Block Railroad

April 7, 1851
"A railroad has been chartered, to extend from Temple block in this city, to the stone quarry and mountain on the east, for the conveyance of building materials; the construction to commence immediately." (Fifth General Epistle, Deseret News, April 8, 1851; See also: The Latter Day Saints Millennial Star, Volume 13, Number 14, July 15, 1851)

May 17, 1851
"The railroad grading is progressing well, considering the frequent hindrance by rain." (Deseret News, May 17, 1851, page 4)

September 1, 1851
"The city and mountain railroad has been commenced; the sleepers and rails contracted for, and a part of them delivered by the brothers Gardner. The river Jordan is found to be navigable from the city to Gardner's mill, and if no obstacle is found above the mill, its navigation from that city to Provo city will prove highly useful at no far distant period." (The Latter Day Saints Millennial Star, September 1, 1851)

November 15, 1851
"The rail-road is progressing, the grading is completed to a considerable extent; nothing has been done on it since spring, until recently." (Deseret News, November 15, 1851)

February 14, 1853
Discussing the need for a railroad to get stone for the construction of the Salt Lake Temple, Brigham Young stated, "While the brethren are before me, let me say, that we cannot commence to lay rock here without time, and we cannot get the stone for the foundation without the railroad from this place to the quarry is completed; these two items must be attended to. This is sufficient to say upon that matter." (Brigham Young, delivered on the temple block on the occasion of dedicating the ground where the temple was to be built, Great Salt Lake City, February 14, 1853; Journal of Discourses, Volume 1, page 279)

January 24, 1852
"The rail-road is progressing; all under contract. It is proposed to use broad tire on the grade, at present, without rails." (Deseret News, January 24, 1852)

Canals

After work started on the LDS Salt Lake City temple in 1853, heavy wagons with wide wheels were used to move sandstone blocks from Red Butte canyon to the temple site. The short distance allowed two trips in a single day. Work on the temple stopped in 1857 when the U. S. Army came through, and resumed in 1862. When work resumed, they discovered that sandstone cracked due to the heavy stones above, and granite from Little Cottonwood Canyon was substituted. But the granite quarry was 20 miles away. A call went out for oxen and wagons, and the work began to move granite blocks, large and small, on a round trip that took four days, much too long to complete the project in the time period desired.

To expedite delivery and also to reduce the cost by three-fourths, a canal was proposed on which the granite stones could be delivered on barges. Though conceived as early as 1849 the canal was long in coming. A first attempt was begun in 1855, taking its water from Big Cottonwood Creek, but its location would not hold water.

(Read more about the canals along Salt Lake City's east bench; includes a map)

Temple Construction Started

October 9, 1852
As far back as the October conference of 1852 the question of material had been considered. Oolite from the quarries in Sanpete County, red sandstone from the hills near-by, adobes with intermixed pebbles -- each had been suggested; and the matter was brought to vote, though it must be admitted, the question presented was somewhat indefinite in form. At the forenoon session of the conference on October 9, 1852, President Heber C. Kimball submitted the question: "Shall we have the Temple built of stone from Red Butte, adobes, rock, or the best stone the mountains afford?"  In reply a resolution was adopted by unanimous vote to the effect "that we build a Temple of the best materials that can be obtained in the mountains of North America, and that the Presidency dictate where the stone and other materials shall be obtained." (James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, pages 117-119)

The site was dedicated and ground first broken for the foundation February 14, 1853. The occasion was a notable one, and was observed by the Saints as a day of general rejoicing. Between the date of breaking ground and the time of the next succeeding conference of the Church, preparations for the laying of the corner-stones were carried on with determination and vigor. The glad event occurred on the 6th of April, 1853, -- the twenty-third anniversary of the organization of the Church, -- and was celebrated by the people with such evidences of thanksgiving and genuine joy as assured their devotion to the work so auspiciously begun. Civic and military bodies took part; there were processions with bands of music, and solemn services with prayer. The mayor of the city was marshal of the day; the city police served as a guard of honor, and the territorial militia marched with the congregation of the Saints. The placing of the corner-stones was celebrated as an accomplished triumph, though but a beginning. (James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, p.115 - p.116)

The plan of the building was given by Brigham Young, President of the Church, and the structural details were worked out under his direction by the Church architect -- Truman O. Angell. A description by the latter was published as early as 1854, both in Utah. (James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, p.119)

(Talmage Note: See "Deseret News," Salt Lake City, August 17, 1854.)

(Talmage Note: See "Millennial Star," Liverpool, Vol. 16, p. 753. "The Illustrated London News" of June 13, 1857, contains an article, "Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City," in which are given many specifications of construction. In connection with the text appears a large woodcut of the great building in perspective; and this picture is a true representation of the finished structure except as to details of spires and finials.)

"The foundation was commenced at the south-east corner June 16, 1853, and was completed July 23, 1855. A course of rubble was laid on the actual foundation and this was succeeded by courses of flagstone." (James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, p.116 - p.117)

Temple Construction Halted

July 22, 1857
A party of people including Brigham Young were en-route to a lake in Big Cottonwood canyon to celebrate the upcoming 10-year anniversary of the July 24th arrival of the pioneers in Salt Lake Valley. At noon on the 24th, Bishop Smoot and Judson Stoddard arrived in camp with the unhappy news with them from the East that the government had withdrawn the mail contract, and were sending a new governor, judges, and 2500 troops to Utah to suppress an insurrection that had never existed. (Wilford Woodruff: History of His Life and Labors, by Matthias F. Cowley, 1909, page 382)

Work on the temple foundations continued until late 1857 when rumors of rebellion by the Mormons reached President Buchanan in Washington D.C. In response, Buchanan dispatched U. S. Army troops to Utah to put down the rumored rebellion. The news caused widespread fear among the citizens of Utah Territory. The period of late 1957 to late 1858 was the period of the so-called "Utah War," in which federal troops passed through Salt Lake City and settled in Camp Floyd, 50 miles southwest of the city.

(Read the Wikipedia article about the so-called Utah War that brought the U. S. Army to Utah)

(Read more about Camp Floyd, later Fort Crittenden; Utah Historical Quarterly)

James Talmage wrote of the work on the temple being halted (James E. Talmage, "The House of the Lord," pages 116-119).

Johnston's Army passed through Salt Lake City on June 26, 1858, finding the city deserted. This included the temple foundations being buried and the temple block being plowed to appear to be a normal field. This was before the surrounding wall had been built. The army settled in Camp Floyd, 50 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. The troops left Utah in 1861 when called to serve in the Civil War.

"Among the principal attractions was the temple block, surrounded in 1860 with a wall of red sand-stone, on which were placed layers of adobe, fashioned in imitation of some richer substance, and raising it to a height of ten feet. On each face of the wall were thirty pilasters, also of adobe, protected by sandstone copings, but without pedestals or entablatures. Up to the year 1860 the cost of the wall and the foundations of the edifice already amounted to $1,000,000, a sum equal to the entire outlay of the temple at Nauvoo. In August, 1860, the foundations, which were sixteen feet deep and of gray granite, had been completed, but no further progress had been made..." (Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 4, p.5)

Granite For The Salt Lake Temple

The so-called "temple granite" is in reality a syenite, and occurs as an immense laccolith in the Cottonwood section of the Wasatch. The erosion of long ages had cut deep canyons through the eruptive mass; and glaciers, descending with irresistible force, had dislodged and transported countless boulders, many of them of colossal size. These isolated blocks, known as erratics, furnished the supply of building stone; it was not found necessary to quarry into the granite mountain-mass in place. In the canyon the boulders were divided mostly by the use of hand-drills and wedges, though low power explosives were used to a small extent. The rough blocks were conveyed at first by ox-teams; four yoke were required for each block, and every trip was a labored journey of three or four days. A canal for the conveyance of the rock by water was projected, and, indeed, work thereon was begun, but the plan was abandoned as the prospect of railroad transportation became more certain. (James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, p.119)

The temple was constructed of gray granite taken from a mountain of that enduring material in Little Cottonwood Canyon, twenty miles southeast of Salt Lake City. Many of the blocks of granite in the walls are so large that four yoke of oxen were required to haul each of them, occupying four days in transit. This process of hauling rock by ox teams, from the quarry to the Temple site, was so slow and expensive that President Young decided to have a canal made to carry the rock by boats. Accordingly, the canal was dug, at great cost, from the mouth of the Canyon across the bench land to an outlet in City Creek, near Temple block. But in 1873, before the canal was sufficiently completed to be made available for the main purpose in view, a line of railway was laid which supplanted this contemplated use of the canal. (Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 14, p.415)

Temple Construction Resumed

Spring 1860
"The first contract issued to haul rock from the new quarry was given to John Sharp in the spring of 1860. Under the terms of the agreement he was to haul five hundred cords of granite for the foundation of the Temple. The new granite foundation stones weighed from two to six thousand pounds each. The heavy loads required three or four yoke of oxen, the employment of full time teamsters, and four days to make a round trip from the quarry to the Temple Block." (Story Of The Construction Construct Of The Salt Lake Temple, BYU Thesis, Wallace A. Raynor, 1961, page 89)

The following comes from Raynor, page 90.

October 1861
"There has been a large quantity of granite blocks hauled from the Little Cottonwood quarry during the last two months, most of which have been squared and fitted for the places they are to occupy in the walls." "The foundation walls of the temple, which were temporarily covered up when the work there on was suspended in 1858 to prevent injury while the war cloud then approaching from the east, was passing over, have recently been uncovered and the rubbish cleared away preparatory to the recommencement of the work of building early in the in the coming spring." (Deseret News, December 18, 1861, "last two months")

1864
Construction work began on the Salt Lake Tabernacle in 1864. "Construction of the Tabernacle began on July 26, 1864, but construction of the roof did not begin until 1865, when all 44 supporting sandstone piers were in place. There were difficulties when finishing the semicircular ends of the unique roof, resulting in the roof not being completed until spring of 1867, before the interior of the building was finished. The Tabernacle was first used for the October 1867 conference." (Wikipedia)

April 6, 1864
In the morning session of the general conference of the Church held in the Old Tabernacle, April 6, 1864, President Wells addressed the conference on the aims of the Public Works, urging the necessity of the wards in the Territory furnishing teams to haul the granite rock from the quarries during the spring and summer for the Temple, in order to meet the demands of workmen for labor during the fall, winter, and following spring. He called attention to the rock and timber required for the erection of the New Tabernacle for the approaching fall. Large red sandstone blocks quarried in Red Butte Canyon were brought to the site on heavily-constructed drays that sometimes required 2 or 3 yoke of oxen and by July 26, 1864, enough rock had been provided to lay the cornerstone, which was probably the first stone in one of the piers which supported the roof. Gradually the piers or pillars which were to support the roof were constructed, and sometime in late 1864 were completed. At this point, it is said, Brigham Young advised the superintendents to stop work for some months so that the pillars might settle before the massive roof was built. In the meantime, however, materials that would be needed for the large construction were being gathered. More than three-fourths of the timbers were supplied by Elder Joseph A. Young. Several hundred thousand feet of finishing lumber was furnished by President Wells, and a large quantity was provided by Elders Feramorz Little, Samuel A. Woolley and a few others. (Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 11, p.80)

(See also: "The Salt Lake Temple," by James H. Anderson, in "The Contributor," Vol. XIV, No. 6, April, 1893; available at the HathiTrust. The article gives much detailed information concerning the work of erecting the temple.)

November 20, 1867
In October 1867 as call was issued to teamsters in Salt Lake and surrounding counties to haul 1500 loads of rock from the granite quarries to the temple block. The call was answered and each teamster furnished his own provisions and forage for his animals. "For weeks the road has been lined with loaded and empty wagons returning from and going to the quarry. Bishop John Sharp has had all he could do, with all the help of quarrymen, etc., he has been able to obtain, to furnish them with loads." (Deseret News, November 20, 1867)

Wagons drawn by oxen were driven down Fifth East loaded with blocks of granite stone to be used in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The folks living along the street enjoyed watching them pass by. Anyone living above or below Fifth East had their view blocked by sunflowers along the street growing so high that the wagons could not be seen. The rumble of the heavy wagons and the call of the drivers to their oxen was a signal to hurry out to the street if one wished to see them. (An Enduring Legacy, Volume Three, p.98)

(Between 1860 and 1868, the movement of granite from the Little Cottonwood quarry to the temple block was the major work effort for the church and its members. The local congregations were assigned to furnish sufficient numbers of wagons, oxen, and drivers to keep fifty to sixty wagons constantly moving, hauling 6000 to 8000 pounds per wagon. This massive effort came to an end when Brigham Young took the contract to construct the grade for the the transcontinental railroad through northern Utah. In addition to being employed by subcontractors to Brigham Young, large numbers of men took work by their own choice to work for the railroads laying ties and rails. Also, many of the stonecutters working on the temple itself were moved to work on bridge abutments in Echo and Weber canyons.)

(The thousands of men working on building the railroad from mid 1868 through to mid 1869 meant little was done to keep the granite moving, as well as construction of the temple itself. The completion of the railroad in May 1869 continued throughout 1869 as the Utah Central railroad between Ogden and Salt Lake City was completed in January 1870, at which time the quarry was reopened and granite shipments restarted. Then the Utah Southern was organized in May 1871, and workers were used to build this railroad south from Salt Lake City, reaching Sandy in September 1871.)

November 30, 1870
"A block of granite for the temple, weighing nearly five tons, was hauled to the Temple Block to-day, from the Little Cottonwood quarry. This is the heaviest piece we believe ever yet hauled from that place." (Deseret News, November 30, 1870)

Moving The Granite By Rail

The entrance of the Union Pacific Railway into Utah, in 1868, served temporarily to retard the work on the Temple, as the call for laborers on the great transcontinental line was deemed imperative. Eventually, however, the activity in railroad construction operated as a great assistance in the undertaking; for, to the main line, branches succeeded; and, by 1873, a side line had reached the granite quarries. From the city station a track was constructed up South Temple Street, and into Temple Block. (James E. Talmage, The House of the Lord, p.122 - p.123)

The construction of the Utah Southern between Salt Lake City and Sandy was financed in part by the Mormon church from tithing resources because the completion of that portion of the road would provide better transportation access to the granite quarries in Little Cottonwood canyon; access that the church needed for granite to complete its Salt Lake City temple. (Arrington: Great Basin, p. 277)

With the completion of the Utah Southern to Sandy, that station became the shipment point for granite blocks used in construction of the Salt Lake Temple and allowed for the faster construction of that sacred structure. (Reeder, p. 118)

The previous method of transportation for the granite blocks had been through the use of large, heavy carts pulled by oxen; a journey that took about three days to complete. The availability of railroad transportation shortened the journey to just a half day. To allow the shipment of the huge granite blocks, a spur was built from the Utah Central depot in Salt Lake City east along South Temple Street direct to the temple block, construction site of the temple. (Arrington: Great Basin, p. 278)

When the Utah Southern reached Sandy in September of 1871 and the Sandy station was finished, the granite blocks quarried in Little Cottonwood Canyon for the Temple, previously carried by ox-drawn wagons, were now transported by rail to the depot in Salt Lake City from which a spur had been built to the temple grounds. It was then that Church officials and others planned the construction of a narrow-gauge branch to run east to complete connections with the Church granite quarry and the mining district at Alta. (An Enduring Legacy, Volume Ten, p.299)

(With the completion of the railroad between Sandy and Salt Lake City, the granite was loaded on wagons at the quarry and moved to Sandy where the stones were transferred to rail cars. The rail cars were moved to the depot area in downtown Salt Lake City, where the stones were transferred again to wagons for the trip eastward along South Temple street to the south entrance of the temple block. South Temple street soon became well known for the dust clouds being kicked up, or for the deep ruts caused by the heavy wagons during bad weather.)

"On the approach of the Union Pacific railroad, in 1868, work was again retarded on the Temple. Only one or two stonecutters and a few other workmen were retained; the rest were employed in the construction of the great transcontinental highway. For three years there was very little done on the Temple Block. To this interruption and that of 1858 may be added a few winters and two occasions in the summer of grasshopper visitations as the only times of cessation of work upon the building." ("The Contributor," Vol. XIV, No. 6, April, 1893, p. 265)

November 30, 1871
"We opened a telegraph office yesterday a. m. at Sandy Station, on the U. S. R. R. Yesterday p.m. we opened another telegraph office at Despaines, near Granite City, alias Temple Rock Quarry, and Messrs Buel and Bateman's Smelting and Reducing works, at month of Little Cottonwood Kanyon, Miss Ella B. Despaine, operator." (Deseret News, Wednesday December 6, 1871, "From Friday's Daily" "yesterday" was Thursday November 30th)

1872
"In 1872, the Utah Southern railway was built south through Salt Lake County, and those engaged in hauling rock no longer followed the route which was strewn with the wreckage of wagons unable to bear the load placed on them. The rock was conveyed to Sandy station, and from there brought into the city by rail." ("The Contributor," Vol. XIV, No. 6, April, 1893, p. 266)

June 5, 1872
"It is purposed by the company to run a branch track from near the Valley House into the Temple block in order to transport the rock from the depot for the building of the temple." (Deseret News, June 5, 1872)

(The Valley House hotel was on the southwest corner of the intersection of South Temple street and West Temple street, where today's symphony hall is located. The Valley House hotel was in business from about September 1871 to ???)

(The street railroad had just finished its line from the depot to the Townsend House, and a large number of workers were preparing to lay ties and rails between Townsend House and East Temple street.) (The Townsend House hotel was on the southwest corner of the intersection of West Temple street and 100 South, and was in business as one of the better known hotels in the region from 1867 to 1877.)

(Prior to the laying of the new track, there were complaints in the newspaper about how dusty South Temple street was between the depot and the temple block due to the sudden increase of wagon traffic hauling stone.)

June 19, 1872
The temple foundation was complete enough that on June 19, 1872, the four corner stones were moved from the quarry to the temple block. Each of these stones weighed an average of 9000 pounds, and it was reported that there were 32 more just like them at the quarry ready for movement to Salt Lake City. (Deseret News, June 20, 1872, "yesterday")

July 13, 1872
"The new switch from the Utah Southern line, by which the cars carrying granite for the Temple can be run on the street railroad, and the one at the south entrance to the Temple block, are nearly completed." (Millennial Star, August 13, 1872, citing the Salt Lake Herald of July 13, 1872)

July 31, 1872
"Granite By Rail. - On July 31st the first car load of granite for the Temple, 10 to 12 tons, entered the Temple Block, being hauled on the street railroad track by two span of horses and two yoke of cattle. It moved along very smoothly, and was a wonderful improvement on the old ox-team arrangement." (Millennial Star, August 27, 1872, page 559, citing the Deseret News)

One story has it that this was the first use of a point switch in the United States. Due to the extreme weight of the granite blocks (some as heavy as 10-12 tons), the design of the then-standard railroad stub switch simply spread the rails, allowing the loaded flat cars to settle onto the ties. The addition of the tapered "point" strengthened the turnout and kept the heavy cars on the track as they were pushed into the temple block. (Interview with Robert W. Edwards, circa 1979)

July 31, 1872
The following comes from the July 31, 1872 issue of the Deseret News newspaper.

Josh Bernhard found in his research on the use of the point switch in the United States that this use in July 1872, as designed and installed on the Salt Lake City street railroad by William Silver, was likely the first use of the design in the U.S. The point switch was in use in England, where Silver may have seen it prior to his immigrating to New York in 1855, and to Utah in 1859. Josh also found that the adoption of the point switch in the U.S. most likely took place after the "Lorenz Switch" was adapted from an English design in 1875, and adopted for limited use by the Philadelphia & Reading beginning in 1878. Boston & Albany fully adopted the point switch across its system in 1883.

August 15, 1872
"Local Brevities." "A track is to be laid from the depot to the Temple block strong enough to permit a locomotive to haul the cars of rock upon it. The horse railroad is found to be not sufficiently strong." (Utah Mining Journal, August 15, 1872)

(Although the gauge of the street railroad is not indicated when it was organized in January 1872, nor when the first cars arrived in March 1872, nor when construction was under way, various investment guides such as Poor's and Moody's, indicate that the street railroad was standard gauge. In August 1872 a second track was laid to standard gauge along South Temple street, specifically to use heavier rail and a steam locomotive to move cars of granite stone from the Utah Central depot, east along South Temple street to the temple block. There were very soon complaints by teamsters about South Temple street being "well cut with railroad tracks," leaving the teams and wagons "no room on that side of the street for teams to pass." -- Utah Mining Journal, August 15 1872; August 21, 1872)

August 21, 1872
"Salt Lake Railroad. - A petition was introduced to the City Council last night, from W. W. Riter, secretary of the street railroad company, asking the privilege for the company to use a locomotive on the second line of railroad which they propose building from the depot to the Temple block, for the purpose of freighting rock for the building of the Temple. The petition set forth that the iron now in use on the line was entirely too light for the hauling of exceedingly heavy freight, and that, at least, thirty pound iron would have to be used for the purpose specified, and showed the advantages that would accrue from using a locomotive over the system of hauling by means of cattle, the latter plan not being in keeping with the advanced state of the times. The petition was granted." (Deseret News, August 21, 1872)

August 28, 1872
"An Event. - Five car loads of rock were hauled by locomotive today from the U. C. Railroad depot to within the Temple block enclosure. This was the inauguration trip of the hauling of freight on the new line of street railroad by steam power. Progress is the order of the day." (Deseret News, September 4, 1872, "From Wednesday's Daily, Aug. 28")

August 28, 1872
"The Temple. - On the 28th ult. five car loads of rock were hauled by a locomotive from the U. C. Railroad depot to within the Temple block enclosure. This was the inauguratory trip of the hauling of freight on the new line of street railroad by steam power. Progress is the order of the day. On the 29th five more car loads arrived." (Millennial Star, September 24, 1872, page 622)

August 29, 1872
"Rolling In. - The rock for the building of the Temple keeps rolling in. Five more car loads were laid down within the enclosure of the block yesterday." (Deseret News, September 4, 1872, "From Friday's Daily, Aug 30")

October 2, 1872
The masons on the Temple Block are engaged in laying two additional courses of rock on the walls of the Temple. The courses on the East wall are nearly completed, which enables a person to form a better idea than formerly of the magnificent character of the building and what it will be when it is completed. The progress being made in the erection of the house of God cannot be otherwise than gratifying to every true-hearted Latter-day Saint. The greatest care is exercised in the performance of the work in the building of the house. All the mortar used is put through a horsepower mill and ground before it is applied to the structure, in order that it may be rendered as fine as possible, making it impervious to air and moisture, and thus precluding the possibility of early decay. The greatest nicety is manifested by Brother Angell, who superintends the work, in having the stone laid to a "hair's breath." Several car loads of granite were brought to the block this morning, by locomotive, which is a frequent occurrence. (Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 16, p.15, citing the Deseret News of October 2, 1872)

1873
"The year 1873 witnessed the construction of the Wasatch and Jordan Valley railway from Sandy to the granite quarry. A track had also been built from the Utah Central (now Union Pacific) depot in Salt Lake City to the Temple Block, and the rock was hauled the entire distance on the cars." ("The Contributor," Vol. XIV, No. 6, April, 1893, p. 266)

"My father [John Sharp] afterward became superintendent of the Utah Southern railroad, and a line was constructed from the station on Third West street up South Temple to the south gates of the temple grounds. This was the first railroad to build Into the heart of the city, and the trains laden with granite blocks for the temple were switched up this road and delivered right at the temple grounds The branch road from Sandy to Little Cottonwood was not the same gage as the Utah Southern, and all the stone had to bo transferred at Sandy." (Deseret News, December 18, 1909; "John Sharp [Jr.] Talks")

(This transfer of stone from the Wasatch & Jordan Valley narrow gauge cars, to the Utah Southern, and later Utah Central, standard gauge cars at Sandy continued from 1873 until 1882 when D&RGW took over the operation, then until mid 1891 when the last stone was shipped over the branch In June 1891, the branch was changed from narrow gauge to standard gauge, making the trip easier still.)

April 5, 1873
The following comes from the April 5, 1873 issue of the Deseret Evening News.

(A photo by C. R. Savage, apparently taken on the day of President Young's trip on April 4, 1873, shows a scene at Granite, the transfer point between steam trains and mule-powered trains for both passengers and empty ore cars. The photo shows a mule powered train blocking the view of a steam train.)

April 28, 1873
During the summer of 1872 the Utah Southern began construction of a standard-gauge line east from Sandy to the granite quarries in Little Cottonwood Canyon. On October 24, 1872 the Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railroad was incorporated to build a narrow-gauge line from Sandy to the mines further up Little Cottonwood Canyon. In November the Wasatch & Jordan Valley took over the Utah Southern grade and two months later they began laying track. On April 28, 1873, the line was completed to the quarries, at a new station appropriately called Granite. There was now an all-rail route from the granite quarries direct to Temple Square. (Reeder, pp. 170, 176, 180, 181)

May 3, 1873
The Wasatch and Jordan Valley Railway was completed to Granite, at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. (Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 17, p.4)

(Read more about the Wasatch & Jordan Valley Railroad)

October 8, 1873
"We have now gained an advantage that we never had before -- that is, railway communication directly with the granite quarry. It is true that we have to change from narrow to broad gauge, causing a little trouble; we bring from two to four carloads a day of this granite on to the Temple Block. There are some eighty men cutting these stones, and there is a party of men now engaged in laying them." (George A. Smith, delivered at the Semi-Annual Conference, held in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, October 8, 1873)

May 10, 1874
"For the last year we have had from sixty to ninety men engaged in cutting stone on [the temple block], and a number of other mechanics to supply them with tools and other necessaries; last summer we had a considerable force of men laying these stones on the walls. In Little Cottonwood Canyon we have continually at work a force of from twenty-five to sixty men quarrying granite, and every day, Sundays excepted, two or three carloads of this granite, from ten to twelve tons each load, are brought from the quarry to the Temple Block." (George A. Smith, delivered at the Semi-Annual General Conference, held in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, May 10, 1874)

August 1, 1885
"Some boulders are blasted, while other are drilled and split with wedges to the proper size. They are turned over to the derrick, which places them on the car, at which point Conductor Dumny takes them in charge and guides them to the switch, where he superintends transferring them to the D.&R.G. cars, and he is not long abut it, with bars and rollers." (Salt Lake Herald, August 1, 1884)

1891
The last large granite stones for the temple were moved in mid 1891, with the ceremonial "Last Stone" being on site at the temple block by early October 1891, but held awaiting other materials. (Salt Lake Herald, October 4, 1891)

June 2, 1891
"The Rio Grande Western announce the completion of the broad-gauging of their branch line from Sandy to Wasatch, and hereafter no freight destined to points on the branch need be transferred at Sandy." (Salt Lake Daily Herald, June 2, 1891)

June 25, 1891
"Plenty Of Granite. - At the mouth of Little Cottonwood—Wasatch—there are hundreds of carloads of granite blocked out and placed in piles. Much of this was laid aside while the dimension stones for the Temple and for other purposes were being gotten out. A track is laid up to two piles of such stone and it will soon begin to come in for the erection of a power-house in the northeast corner of Temple block, and which will require 100 carloads of granite. Then some ten or fifteen more car-loads of dimension stone will be required to complete the Temple, and now that the broad-gauge track it completed to Wasatch, this will soon come in. The Pacific Paving Company of Utah have secured by purchase a large lot of this granite, and they are making it into paving blocks, in size about four by five inches and ten inches long. They have thirty or forty car-loads now ready, and expect to make in all some 600 car-loads of such stone, to be used in paving within the next few months." (Salt Lake Tribune, June 25, 1891)

Granite Quarries After 1913

Quarrying Granite, 1913-1917 -- Information about shipping granite from the Little Cottonwood quarries for the state capitol, the D&RGW freight terminal in Ogden, and the LDS office building in Salt Lake City; all of it shipped over the Salt Lake & Alta Railroad, organized and built for the purpose.

More Information

Little Cottonwood Canyon -- Brief notes about Little Cottonwood Canyon, before the ski resorts. Includes a map and links to separate pages about the railroads and the mines.

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