1901: First organized sporting event in Layton?

                    A 1912 women's basketball team in Layton, sponsored by an LDS Ward.

                                      An undated baseball game in Layton.
                                                            (Photo from the Heritage Museum of Layton's Collection.)



WHAT was the first sport ever played inside today’s boundaries of Layton City?

The first official sporting event recorded in a newspaper was a baseball game between the unincorporated community of Layton and Kaysville residents.

The game was played in Layton on Decoration Day, May 30, of 1901, according to the Davis County Clipper newspaper of June 7, 1901.

Layton defeated Kaysville 2-0 in a morning contest on the diamond and then it blanked a team from South Weber 2-0 in an afternoon contest.

On Saturday, June 1, 1901, Layton traveled to Morgan and played the team there, losing 15-3. As was a custom in that era, Morgan hosted a youth dance in the evening and most of the Layton baseball players stayed late into the evening and danced too.

“The Morgan people treated them (the players) right royally,” the Clipper concluded.

There, of course, were other baseball games (or even much earlier played games of Cricket) likely played before 1901, but these were the first three contests recorded involving a Layton team.