Provo Utah History

Provost and his party of mountain men set up camp near the mouth of the Provo River. It wasn't until 1849 that the first permanent settlement, begun by a party of Mormons, was established. The Mormon settlers erected Fort Utah as their first building. Today, Provo is the seat of Utah County and the state's third-largest city.

Provo lies in the middle of a lush, green valley. To the north stands 12,008-foot Mount Timpanogos; to the south is the perpendicular face of the Wasatch Range; to the east Provo Peak rises 11,054 feet; and to the west lies Utah Lake, backed by more mountains.