Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Salt Lake County The first person of Norwegian origin that settled in Utah was Augusta Sondrason Bakke from Tinn, Telemarken. She came from Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Ill. to Salt Lake the 24th July 1847. This girl was married to a Mormon by the name of Kimball - and died the 22nd November 1871. Next after her came Knud Pedersen, Sarah Hersdal and Sjur Olson†, they reached Salt Lake in 1849. And a fairly short time after came Christian Olsen† from Kristiania and another Norwegian by the name of Henrik Eriksen Sebbe†. Sarah Hersdal* and Knud Pedersen* were a married couple according to Mormon teaching. Their son, Peder Cornelius Pedersen, born the 22nd June 1850, was the first Norwegian child born in Utah. The area in which these people settled and where Salt Lake City now stands was then a salt desert, virtually. But once the irrigation system was in use the soil became fertile. Mostly they grew potatoes, maize and lucerne hay. And all these things they had use for in the Mormon colony itself so they did not have to take them to market. Nor was there any marketplace in this area at that time. These people were in transition, far away from other people. In 1883 a Methodist congregation was established in Salt Lake City by P. A. Franklin (from Toten) who was converted from Mormonism. The congregation's church was built in 1887. The first Norwegian-Lutheran congregation in Utah was established in Salt Lake City in 1892 by Pastor Eivind Skabo, belonging to The Norwegian Synod. Its church was built in 1897. There are no other Norwegian congregations or churches (in Salt Lake City) outside of the Mormon society. It can also be said that the Mormons are in the majority. The much written about U.S. Senator Reed Smoot is half Norwegian, his mother came from Brekke at Fredrikstad. In one of his speeches he regretted that he could not speak his mother's tongue. For more information about thim and others see the section 'Norwegians in public positions in America'. In Salt Lake City there is published a Norwegian-Danish newspaper 'Bikuben' that started in 1875. *She belonged to one of the families that emigrated on the sloop 'Restaurationen' from Stavanger in 1825. But he (Pedersen) was from a Hardanger family. He later became a Bishop among the Mormons in this State.