Posted by:
Wally Prince
(
)
Date: October 06, 2018 02:24AM
to turn around without blocking traffic.
Related article:
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/705316561/Salt-Lake-streets-have-seen-many-changes-over-past-150-years.html"Shortly after the Mormon pioneers arrived, Brigham Young directed that the streets in downtown Salt Lake City be wide enough for a wagon team to turn around without 'resorting to profanity.'
"Over the years, those streets have maintained their 132-foot width."
It's always important to remember that Brigham Young was a practical businessman and organized crime boss who found it useful to pretend to be a prophet. When SLC was established, they had all the space they ever could want. They were aware of the messy horse, wagon, buggy traffic in old cities in the east that had haphazardly grown out of small settlements.
Brigham Young had big plans for commercial activity in downtown SLC and didn't want traffic nightmares to slow things down. Deliveries would have to be made. Supplies would have to be supplied. Visitors to the city would have to be impressed.
Large delivery/freight wagons in the day of horse-based transportation actually required more lateral space and turning space than modern automobiles.
Just another case of Mormons trying to make the unremarkable seem like a miracle.