What factors affected the settlement of California and Utah in the west?

California was settled primarily by settlers looking to strike it rich after the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill. When news spread of the find, people from all over the world rushed to California, making the territory a state. Most of the newcomers would not find gold, but many would establish successful businesses or start successful farms. The lure of gold combined with the possibility of attaining good farmland was a strong lure for many in the eastern United States, and California was one of the fastest-growing regions of the country up until the Civil War. After the war, the United States constructed a transcontinental railroad with its western terminus in California.
The Mormons settled in Salt Lake City in order to practice their religion in peace. The group was persecuted in the east, and they looked to establish a new community away from the United States. They picked Salt Lake due to its easily defended mountain passes, and the area was relatively temperate compared to the surrounding mountainous region. The Mormons irrigated the region and became successful farmers. The settlers also founded Brigham Young University in 1875. After contentious debate with the US government over the tenets of their faith, Utah became a state in 1896.