Provo City                                                                    Bridal Veil Falls Provo Canyon

 

       J. Reuben Clark School of Law...one of the top ten law schools in the U.S.          The Angel Moroni on top of the Provo Temples with moon backdrop

Provo Utah

Provo is a city in Utah and the county seat of Utah County, located about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. It lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south. It is the home of Brigham Young University, operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The LDS Church's largest Missionary Training Center is located in Provo.

Situated in the heart of Utah Valley between the east shore of Utah Lake and the towering Wasatch Mountains is the city of Provo. Mount Timpanogos (elevation 11,957 feet) dominates the northern view from the city. Other rugged mountains east of the city provide one of the most picturesque backdrops for a Utah city.

Today, Provo is a thriving community of over 100,000.  The city's downtown heart is no larger the center of Utah Valley commerce, having lost that honor to large suburban shopping malls. Provo's once proud train depot was recently demolished, a symbol of the declining importance of passenger rail transportation in the West. Provo's downtown area remains, however, the focal point of Utah Valley political life, and nearby Brigham Young University remains the education center of the area. Provo has grown from a quiet, small Mormon city to a substantial modern metropolitan area. Some of its traditional quaintness is gone, but its heart and soul continue to thrive.

Provo was originally called Fort Utah when it was settled in 1849 by 33 Mormon families from Salt Lake City, but was re-named Provo in 1850 for Étienne Provost, an early French-Canadian trapper who arrived in the region in 1825. Father Silvestre Velez de Escalante, a Spanish Franciscan missionary-explorer is considered the first explorer to visit the area in 1776, but only came as far north as Utah valley (Provo), some 30 miles south of the Salt Lake City area. Escalante chronicled this first European exploration across the Great Basis desert.

Provo was settled by Mormons in 1849, and was the first Mormon colony in Utah outside of Salt Lake Valley. Troubles with Indians gave rise to a popular saying in early Utah: "Provo or hell!" When President James Buchanan sent United States troops to Salt Lake City to put down the "Mormon insurrection" in 1858, thousands of Mormons, including leader Brigham Young, moved to Provo. "The Move South" came to a quick end as the Mormons were "pardoned" and new governor Alfred Cumming made peace with the Saints.

Provo remained the second largest city in Utah until Ogden became Utah's primary railroad terminus in 1869. 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 1875 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 1860s) 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 1920s and later the much larger Geneva steel plant. The railroads brought in needed raw materials and transported finished steel products from Provo. Area residents currently argue about whether the Geneva plant, which many assert is a major cause of Provo's serious air pollution problems, should continue to be operated or whether Provo should rely on new high technology as its industrial base. As county seat of Utah County, Provo is the home of county offices and courts. Since the mid-1880s Provo has been the home of the State Hospital, originally the Territorial Insane Asylum.

Provo residents have long been proud of their city. Supreme Court Justice George Sutherland, United States senators Reed Smoot (who also served as an apostle in the LDS Church) and William King; LDS Church apostle Dallin Oaks (who also served as president of Brigham Young University and as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court); Jack Dempsey, former heavyweight champion of the world, and numerous less well-known political, church, sports, and business figures have lived in Provo.

Because of its close proximity to the mountains, Utah Lake, and rivers, Provo residents have many recreational outlets. In winter, alpine and cross-country skiing, ice skating, and other winter sports are available within minutes. In summer, hiking, camping, fishing, and boating are equally accessible.

Provo has grown to a population of 115,135^[1] —making it the third-largest city in Utah, only about 3,000 people smaller than West Valley City. The Provo-Orem Metropolitan Area, consisting of Utah County and Juab County has 474,180 residents as of the July 1, 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate.

Geneva Steel Plant, which provided employment for thousands over the years, has been torn down as it became unprofitable. The land is in the process of being cleaned up making way for new commercial businesses and residential on the east shore of Utah Lake.

The BYU Cougars make their home in Provo Utah. Sundance Village and Robert Redford's Sundance Ski Resort are just up the road. Other noteworthy attractions, businesses, and facilities in Utah County include Timpanogos Cave National Monument, the annual Freedom Festival/4th of July celebrations, the Novell headquarters and Utah Valley State College (located in nearby Orem). This beautiful destination was made notorious by the mountain adventures of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The region is crowned by the stunning peaks of Mt. Timpanogos, which tower above the Provo Canyon and Provo River.