William Staines and William Jennings
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member brwhiz
N 40° 46.168 W 111° 54.046
12T E 423979 N 4513556
The two men responsible for the creation of the Devereaux Mansion in Salt Lake City
Waymark Code: WM9PZK
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 09/16/2010
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member hobbycachegirl
Views: 9

Two men figure most prominently in the history of Devereaux House. William Staines was the original occupant of this property. Staines was an English-born horticulturist whose dedication to his "mission to beautify Zion" helped establish the rich landscape tradition which has since characterized Salt Lake City. A convert to the Mormon faith, Staines, arrived in Salt Lake City in 1847. He acquired the property in 1855 and developed a cottage-style home in the midst of extensive English gardens. He later served as superintendent of Brigham Young's gardens. William Jennings purchased the property in 1867 and developed the present Devereux House, incorporating Staines' original cottage in the expanded structure. Jennings was also an English convert to the Mormon church. Arriving in Salt Lake City in 1852, he entered the mercantile business. Taking advantage of the business opportunities of a rapidly-growing regional center, Jennings branched out into freighting and banking, becoming Utah's first millionaire. In 1864 he founded the Eagle Emporium, which was later sold to the Mormon church and became the forerunner of the present-day ZCMI department store. In 1882 Jennings was elected Mayor of Salt Lake City, serving one term. A hospitable and gracious host, Jennings entertained the famous and influential of the day. Devereaux House was the scence of lavish dinners and accommodated such prominent guests as Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes, and General William T. Sherman.
Marker Name: William Staines and William Jennings

Marker Type: City

County: Salt Lake

City: Salt Lake City

Group Responsible for Placement: Not Available

Addtional Information: Not listed

Date Dedicated: Not listed

Marker Number: Not listed

Web link(s) for additional information: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark. If possible please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Utah history please include that in your log.

Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Utah Historical Markers
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
Chasing Blue Sky visited William Staines and William Jennings 03/27/2012 Chasing Blue Sky visited it
'39 Geezer visited William Staines and William Jennings 04/20/2011 '39 Geezer visited it
Lord Mot visited William Staines and William Jennings 03/14/2011 Lord Mot visited it

View all visits/logs