North Salt Lake History

A town born to protect its own water • Incorporated 1946

North Salt Lake incorporated on September 3, 1946 for a very practical reason: residents wanted control of their water system after a developer bought rights to the McDuff and McNeil springs. The new town — about 456 acres — took its name from the small post office by the railroad tracks.

Worth Knowing

  • A weigh station for a town hall: the first city hall was a purchased former Utah Highway Patrol weigh station
  • One-party politics: the first election (1949, Mayor Ray Hatch) featured a single party — the “North Salt Lake Citizens Party”
  • Historic industry: the Bamberger Train yard, Beck’s Hot Spring, and the Cudahy Packing Plant all shaped the early city

Source: History of the City.

Explore more: North Salt Lake City Guide • Davis County Trails • Events Calendar • Get the Monthly Roundup