Layton historical tidbits: From the Bamberger train to a riot to war books

                  Today's passenger railroad through Layton is the Frontrunner.

HERE are some historical tidbits from the history of Layton, Utah:

-The Bamberger Railroad started operations in Layton on May 27, 1906. The service began with 12 trains a day – six going south and six headed north.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune of May 19, 1906, Bamberger service was called the “Bamberger Road” and was offered then from Salt Lake to Roy. Another four miles needed to be completed for the passenger rail service to access Ogden.
The single rate fare from Layton to Salt Lake was 60 cents, or a roundtrip ticket cost 90 cents in 1906. (Adjusting for inflation, that 60 cent fare is worth $15.68 in 2019 dollar values and the 90 cent fare represents $23.52 in modern value. And, compare that today’s Frontrunner trail fares of $2.50 for adults on-way and $5 roundtrip.)

-A small riot occurred in Layton in December of 1907. According to the Salt Lake Tribune of Dec. 12, 1907, a fire had destroyed the Redman Van and Storage Company in Layton recently and piles of debris were slowly being hauled away by railcar.

A boy later probed the debris and found a diamond ring. The word got out and “almost the entire population was at the place,” according to the Tribune story.

The police had to be called when arguments and a free-for-all broke out. Some probers found other jewelry in the debris too. After the authorities had cleared the crowd, the landowner planned his own private search into the debris.

-War ration books in Davis County, during World War II, were distributed to Davis County in February of 1943, according to the Davis County Clipper of Jan. 29, 1943.

Layton received 5,000 books, while Boutniful got 8,000; Clearfield 8,000 and Kaysville 2,350.

The books contained stamps that had to be used for certain rationed foods (sugar, meat, cooking oil and other scarce items).

-One of the first reported automobile accidents in the Layton area happened on Aug. 28, 1918, when two seven passenger touring cars collided on the “Sandridge,” between Layton and Sunset. The accident left the cars undrivable, but the occupants of both were only shaken up.

-In the pre-freeway era of the 1950s, it was in 1953-54 that a four-lane highway was finally open all the way from Brigham City to Provo (with the exception of a short stretch of road at the north entrance to Ogden). At the same time, a divided highway between Lagoon Lane in Farmington and Layton was also opened. It included an overpass and underpass, so that Highway 89 could be accessed without crossing traffic. This project cost more than $1 million, according to the Ogden Standard-Examiner of Jan. 27, 1953.

-The Salt Lake Tribune of Dec. 8, 1958 reported that Layton City’s budget for 1959 would be $132,627. That included $16,375 for administrative services; $43,480 for streets; $22,275 for the police department and $4,175 for the fire department.

-“Kaysville -- Layton, a small town two miles north of here, is to have a gravity water system and it is to be operation by July next,” according to the Ogden Standard-Examiner of Nov. 17, 1910. Cost of the project was $25,000.