Utah Territory

The Utah Territory was an organized territory of the United States from 1850 to 1896, formed on September 9, 1850, from the northeastern portion of the territory ceded to the United States by Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. On the same day, the state of California to the west was admitted to the Union and the New Mexico Territory to the south was formed. This was preceded by the Compromise of 1850.

In 1849, Mormon settlers in the Salt Lake Valley had unsuccessfully petitioned Congress to admit the provisional state of Deseret, with capital at Salt Lake City, to the Union. In the Utah War of 1857/58, the Mormon state was crushed.

In 1861, the new Nevada Territory was formed from the western portion of the territory, and portions to the east were ceded to the Colorado Territory and the Nebraska Territory. In 1868, more territory went to the State of Nevada and Wyoming Territory (see maps).

In 1869, the First Transcontinental Railroad was completed with the closing of the line between the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Point, Utah.

Ongoing disputes with the Mormons were one reason for the long period between the Territory's formation and its admission into the Union as the State of Utah (45th state) on January 4, 1896.