Utah's Experience with the Desert Land Act BY S T E P H E N W . STATHIS
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Arid sagebrush plain in Box Elder USHS collections.
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/ V N X I O U S L Y AWAITING PRESIDENT U L Y S S E S S. G R A N T ' S arrival in U t a h on the first Sunday in October 1875, the Deseret Evening News lauded his decision to cross the Rocky Mountains and become the first American president to visit the Mormon capital. How could he better understand and appreciate the "peculiarities" of the territory, the newspaper asked, than by a personal visit. Considering the widespread national interest in Utah, the president's gesture was looked upon by the News as both commendable and wise. T h e Salt Lake Tribune viewed the significance of the chief executive's stay in an entirely different light, considering the unofficial visit an opportune time for the president to see firsthand the atrocities of the Mormon majority that controlled everything in the territory, including appointments and the courts. 1 Mr. Stathis is an analyst in American history, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. He expresses appreciation to his colleague Thomas H. Neale for his generous comments and insight. 1 Deseret Evening $ews, October 2, 1875; Salt Lake Tribune, October 2, 1875.
