City of Pleasant Grove

After initial settlement by Mormon pioneers in September 1850, Pleasant Grove was incorporated on January 19, 1855. The first municipal election was held in May 1855 and Henson Walker took office as the first Mayor.

The city was originally called Battle Creek, named for a battle which took place near there in 1849 between settlers and a small band of Ute Indians. The settlers later decided they needed a more uplifting name and began calling their town Pleasant Grove after a grove of cottonwood trees located between Battle Creek and Grove Creek, near the current-day intersection of Locust Avenue and Battle Creek Drive. A monument with a plaque describing this battle is located at Kiwanis Park, at the mouth of Battle Creek Canyon.

Because of the Indian conflicts, the settlers were instructed to build a fort for protection which occupied 16 city blocks. At the time, homes were built inside the fort. Although the fort no longer stands, memorial cornerstones were erected by local historians. A meeting house and school house were also constructed to meet the spiritual and educational needs of the people who came to Pleasant Grove.

Life was difficult. The settlers were terrified of the Indians but also had to face famine and hunger. They had to rely on one another to survive winters. The meeting house was also used as a storehouse, but a fire brought the building and its contents to the ground without enough time to re-stock before winter came again.

Life wasn't only filled with hardships, however. The people often met socially and created an annual festival – Strawberry Days – named for the abundant strawberry crop every summer. First held in 1921, Strawberry Days continues to this day as the longest continuing community celebration in Utah.