The Great Salt Lake Base and Meridian

Photo from familysearch.org

18. On the southeast corner of Temple Square (outside wall, on the sidewalk), there is a sandstone marker that says “Great Salt Lake Base and Meridian”. Immediately behind the marker, on the wall, is a bronze plaque that lists the latitude, longitude, and altitude of that exact spot. Brigham Young declared this point the center of the city, and all streets were built and numbered around it, giving us the city street system we know today. 

Photo from deseretnews.com

19. Inside Temple Square, near the southeast corner, there’s an oddly-shaped sandstone marker that says, “United States Meridian Base 1869”. This marker indicates the spot where United States officials set up an observatory to determine the Mountain Daylight Timezone, and thus establish standard time throughout the United States.