John Willard Clawson (1858-1936),
Portrait of Brigham Young, c.1900, oil on canvas, 72 1/2 x 41 3/4 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art.
On this day in 1801, Brigham Young was born in Vermont. As second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and namesake of Brigham Young University, Brigham Young is also well-known for leading the Mormon pioneers across the Great Plains into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and coordinating the journey of tens of thousands of pioneers in the years thereafter. He was the Territorial Governor of Utah for two terms and brought the telegraph and railroad to the area, encouraging industry and economic growth. He sent groups of Latter-day Saints to remote locations around the territory, leading to the settlements of St. George and Logan, Utah, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Brigham Young also served ten missions in Canada, the Eastern United States, and England. Brigham Young died in 1877 in Salt Lake City, Utah, having served as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 30 years.