Brigham Young First Governor of the Territory of Utah from 1850–1858 Brigham Young, first Governor of the Territory of Utah, from 1850–1858 Named governor in 1850 by Millard Fillmore, he was reappointed in 1854 by Franklin Pierce when Lt. Col. Edward J. Steptoe refused the post. Young as territorial executive was concerned with organizing the territorial government, selecting the location of the …