City Creek History Lecture

Bring your lunch and enjoy a live presentation on the history of City Creek.

Salt Lake’s Neighborhood In A Park: City Creek Canyon

The site of this year’s Preservation Utah Historic Homes Tour, City Creek is arguably Salt Lake City’s most unique neighborhood. It’s the only one that is located in a canyon, on a creek, and in a park. Its homes, constructed before World War II, reflect its distinct residential development pattern. They crowd the sides of the canyon and the channel of the creek in a meandering layout defined by the topography. Because of its setting, City Creek feels secluded, removed from the city, even though it’s only a stone’s throw from downtown. In its early years, however, City Creek Canyon was a very different sort of place with mills, a gravel pit, even an asphalt plant. And various development proposals would have created a busy canyon “boulevard,” not the quiet lane that exists today, or even a civic center with a city hall, an auditorium, and an art museum. In anticipation of the Homes Tour, join Salt Lake historian Bim Oliver to learn about the history of development in the canyon, as it evolved from a place of industry to an idyllic park and secluded neighborhood.