History of Salt Lake City the Salt Lake Valley. At the time of its founding there were no Indians present in the Salt Lake valley. The first two in this company to enter the Salt Lake valley were Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow. These members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("LDS Church") sought to establish an autonomous religious community and were the first people of European descent to permanently settle in the area now known as Utah. Thousands of Mormon pioneers would arrive in Salt Lake in the coming months and years. Brigham Young led the Saints west after the death
William Huntington (Mormon) as president of the LDS Church's Relief Society. His son Dimick B. Huntington was a major figure in relations between the Mormon settlers and the Native Americans in Utah Territory. William Huntington (Mormon) William Huntington (March 28, 1784 – August 19, 1846) was an early leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), most prominently during the time the Mormon pioneers were moving from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City. Huntington was born in New Grantham, New Hampshire. In 1804, he and his parents moved to Watertown, Jefferson County, New York. In 1806, Huntington married Zina