Kaysville Cemetery offers a glimpse into Layton’s history

ONE of the most overlooked of places to discover the history of Layton City is the Kaysville City Cemetery, where many Layton residents are buried.

Since Layton City was an outgrowth of Kaysville City and because Layton has no City cemetery, hundreds of Layton residents are interred in Kaysville.

(A large private cemetery, Lindquist Memorial Park, 1867 North Fairfield Road, Layton, opened in 1988, somewhat reversing the Kaysville burial trend for Layton.)

A visit to the Kaysville Cemetery, 500 East Crestwood Road, offers a lengthy legacy of prominent Layton residents. With burials dating back to 1857, the Kaysville Cemetery has many pioneer monuments.

-Here’s a sampling of 10 prominent Layton residents, who are buried in the Kaysville Cemetery (not in any particular order):

1. Elias Adams, 1792-1886. Early area pioneer and the namesake of Adams Canyon.

2. Christopher Layton, 1821-1892. Early pioneer leader and the man for whom Layton City is named.

3. Sterling W. Sill, 1903-1994. A famous Boy Scout leader and an Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

4. George D. Watt, 1815-1881. Brigham Young’s stenographer.

5. Edward M. Whitesides, 1865-1960. Prominent educator and namesake for Whitesides Elementary School.

6. Golden Sill, 1916-2002. Former Layton mayor and councilman.

7. Wendall T. Snow, 1924-1988. Former Layton mayor.

8. Elias A. Dawson, 1897-1980. Former Layton mayor.

9. A.Z. Tanner, 1881-1946. First full-time physician in Layton City. Founder and namesake for Tanner Clinic.

10. E.P. Ellison, 1850-1939. Namesake of West Layton’s Ellison Park. Also, the first manager of Layton’s Farmers Union and former president of the Davis and Weber Canal Company.