Christopher Layton’s short-lived boating career

                          A bust of Christopher Layon in the Heritage Museum of Layton.

 Christopher Layton, a prominent early Layton pioneer, is the namesake for today’s City of Layton. One of Mr. Layton’s lesser-known experiences was a shipwreck in the Great Salt Lake.

In April of 1872, a small steamship, the Kate Connor, owned by Layton, ran ashore off Antelope Island (then known as “Church Island”) and became stranded.

Layton had purchased the steamer and extracted its engine and boilers, for use in a grist mill. Then, the boat that was left was primarily used to transport sheep and cattle to Fremont Island, according to the Salt Lake Herald of April 21, 1882.

                                                              Christopher Layton

The Salt Lake Tribune had reported nearly a decade earlier, on May 2, 1872, the run around by Layton’s ship. The accident happened during a big storm. There were about 10 people on board the craft and it was carrying cedar posts at the time.

                 Antelope Island, with a dry Great Salt Lake in the foreground.

The fierce spring storm almost swamp the boat and the passengers scurried to safety on Antelope Island. Eventually, a sailboat was used to transport them back to the mainland.

What ultimately happened to Layton’s stranded boat is not known, but his young boating career was over.

However, the Herald in its 1882 story stated of the dismal history of boating in the GSL:

“The fate of these steamers makes it clear that the people of Salt Lake City are not of a sea-going turn …”

The story also described the lake as “capacious.”