Dairying in Utah started with the arrival of the first settlers on July 24 1847. This company had with them ninety oxen forty-one cows three hulls and seven calves. The second group of immigrants arrived in Salt Lake September 19, 1847 and they had 2,213 oxen and 887 cows with them. It is from these that the dairy Industry got Its better start.  

These cattle represented some of the best Shorthorns developed in Illinois and other middle West states. During the years of 1849 to 1854 the gold seekers going to California traded their good but sore footed cattle to the Utah settlers for mules and Indian ponies [t]hat they could better use to continue their journey to California. This left several thousand more cattle in the state. 

There was one large drove of cattle brought from California to Utah, but they proved to be of Mexican blood and very Inferior to the eastern cattle that came to Utah so they were discarded as rapidly as possible. Because of the good cattle that had been bred in Illinois and Missouri. Utah had a better reputation for good cattle than many of the western states where here was a dominance of Mexican blood in most of them. Statistics compiled by the territorial assembly showed that there were some 170,000 cattle in the territory in 1875. 

It is definitely stated that the eastern cattle that came represented the Shorthorn, Devon, Jersey and Hereford breeds. Many of these cattle were what we now call dual-purpose. The pioneers realized the value of butter and cheese for food, so very early pro[s]pets were started to ma[k]e these products. Butter was made i[n] small chur[n]s on the farms and there were cheese factories started in various parts of Utah during the first few years after settlement.

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