Podcast about the new Layton Images of America book

To watch a video about the Layton Images of America history book, go to, or copy this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFOPKdLZQGQ&ab_channel=WellerBookWorks 

The Podcast is courtesy of Weller Book Works.

1960: When dial telephone service finally reached Layton

                          A modern land line telephone, itself a rarity today.

 IN an era of smart phones and mobile telephone service extreme, it might be hard to image the past. However, it was in the spring of 1960 that Layton, Kaysville and Farmington were the last communities in Davis County to receive direct dial telephone service.

Before that, telephone users had to have the assistance of an operator.

According to the Weekly Reflex newspaper of April 21, 1960, it cost $900,000 to implement dial service in the three remaining cities of Davis County. And, some 50 telephone operators all lost their jobs at the same time.  

As another result of the change, new telephone directories had to be made available to the greater area, so that telephone numbers could be accessed readily by the public.

-Another "ancient" telephone limitation into the 1960s were the use of "party lines." This is where several houses nearby shared the same telephone line. Thus, at times, a resident might have had to wait to use the telephone if a neighbor was already talking on it.

The original Layton Drug Store on Main Street in about 1910. The upstairs rooms here housed Layton's very first telephone switchboard operators.

There could have been a Boy Scout cabin built in Adams Canyon

                                               The upper waterfall in Adams Canyon.

TODAY Adams Canyon is the most popular hiking route in all of Davis County. With plenty if shade and a spectacular waterfall, it appeals to families and many individual hikers.

However, if history had gone slightly different, there would have been a Boy Scout cabin built in upper Adams Canyon, just below the main waterfall.

According to the Lakeside Review newpaper of Jan. 29, 1991, Francis Eli Wiggill, a scoutmaster in Syracuse, had permission to construct a cabin in the cabin on land owned by the Morgan Lane and Livestock Company. (This land ownership preceded the U.S. Forest Service.)

The planning of this cabin took place in the early 1920s.

However, the date of August 13, 1923 changed all that. There were flashfloods in Davis, Weber and Box Elder counties that day. In Farmington Canyon, six people were killed by the flood -- including six Boy Scouts who were camping. The water and mud rushing out of Farmington Canyon at the height of the flood exceeded 10 feet in height and was up to 100 feet wide.

After that flood, fearful parents did not allow their boys to camp in Adams Canyon and the plans to build a cabin in the canyon were abandoned.

"You know, all the floods and damage in the canyon never bothered the spot where we were going to build the cabin," Wiggill told the Lakeside Review. "It would have still been there."

A bridge in Adams Canyon. A 1920s cabin would likely have been located about another 100 yards further along the trail, in a fairly flat place where Boy Scouts sometimes set up camp today.

(Note that there is one cabin halfway up the mountain side above Layton and another cabin found above Kaysville on the mountainside.)

-WHEN was the first hike up Adams Canyon mentioned in a newspaper? It was printed in the Weekly Reflex newspaper of May 1, 1930. Twenty boy scouts from Kaysville hiked up Adams Canyon. Mention was made of "magnificent waterfalls" and that five deer and an eagle were spotted.

Stimpsons Market -- A vanished business in Layton

                                Stimpson's Market after it closed for business in 2008.

IF you grew up in Layton in the late 20th Century, you likely recall Stimpson's Market. This convenience store was located at about 1475 North Main Street, where the Villas on Main apartments are today.

Stimpson's thrived in Layton from about 1965 to 2008. After it was sold to a buyer, store prices increased and the building closed shortly thereafter.

A church wanted to buy the building and convert it into space for worship services. It never came up with the money and after sitting empty for years, the building was razed and replaced by apartments.

Stimpson's Market in Layton also had a storm history of fire and robberies. On November 14, 1967, the barely two-year-old building was destroyed by a fire. Damage was estimated at $200,000 and 76 fireman were called to put out the huge blaze. Stimpson's was rebuilt.

                                 The Layton Stimpson's site, about 1475 North Main Street.

In 1970, the store was robbed and the robbers fled to the nearby subdivision and even took hostages there before being apprehended. The store also had many other robberies over the decades.

Stimpson's was a mini grocery market, sold gasoline and had a hand drive-up window option to purchase anything in the store. It also gave out "wooden nickels," that could be used to but items in the store.

The Stimpson's Market was NOT unique to Layton. There was a Stimpson's operating in Clearfield in the 1940s and 1950s.

Ogden also had a long-time Stimpson's Market operating at 2605 Monroe. That store, probably the chain's original, opened in May of 1936.

Washington Terrace in Weber County also had its own Stimpson's Market for many years. In fact, until Smith's Grocery came to the Terrace, Stimpson's was that community's only market for many years. That Stimpson's was also heavily damaged by a fire in September of 1958.

The earlier version of Thurston Peak in Davis County

                            The modern Thurston Peak, located east of Layton City.



THURSTON Peak is the not only the highest peak east of Layton city, but it is also the tallest peak in Davis and Morgan counties, straddling the county line.
At, 9,706 feet above sea level, this peak was not officially named until 1993. It had previously been labeled as a benchmark from Francis Peak.
However, the name "Thurston Peak" is not a unique title to Davis County.
When a United Airline Plane crashed in Davis County on Nov. 4, 1940, the crash site was identified as being on "Thurston Peak" or "Thurston Mountain." This peak was said to be on the south side of Ford's Canyon, east of Centerville.

                                              Thurston Mountain, east of Centerville.

A fleet of newspapers on Nov. 4, and Nov. 12-13 of 1940 all identified the crash site as being on "Thurston." These included the Salt Lake Tribune, the Salt Lake Telegram and the Davis County Clipper.
Although not named "Thurston" on official government maps, locals in the Centerville area had referred to the mountain as such for many years.
Yet, when the highest point in Davis County was officially named in 1993, the knowledge of this earlier "Thurston Peak" had been forgotten. Apparently, the name had been lost to history, some 50-plus years after the 1940 crash of the airplane, which killed all 10 passengers.
-The modern Thurston Peak is about 4 miles to the north of Francis Peak and directly east of Layton's Cherry Lane (about 1200 North).
Thurston Peak is almost 200 feet higher than Francis Peak. Thurston has a little knob poking out of its left-hand (north) slope. To its south, the mountain skyline dips sharply to its lowest point between Weber and Farmington canyons.
Namesake of the peak is a Mormon Pioneer, Thomas Jefferson Thurston, who had lived in both Weber and Morgan counties.
A brass plaque, encased on a concrete stand, atop Thurston peak and placed there in 1993 reads:

"Named in honor of Thomas Jefferson Thurston, a Centerville resident who viewed the virgin valley of Morgan from the summit of the mountain in 1852 and recognized its potential for colonization. Realizing its disadvantage was its inaccessibility, in 1855 Thurston influenced others to assist him to carve a passible wagon road through Weber Canyon. He was among the first to settle in Morgan Valley and is acknowledged for bringing about its colonization."

Dell H. Adams: Layton's 'Jim Bridger,' 'Mighty Hunter,' Sheepman and Civic Leader

A March 1934 photo in the Salt Lake Telegram. Dell Adams is on the left. A.M. Johnson is to the right.

LAYTON City used to have a modern day "Jim Bridger," who was also often heralded as a "mighty hunter, a sheepman and a civic leader. Dell (Delbert) H. Adams (1890-1971) was one of the most unique of persons in Layton's past. Sadly, he is often unheralded in Layton's history.
The Salt Lake Telegram of March 8, 1934 carried the headline, "Layton man mighty hunter of big game; Bagging mountain sheep biggest thrill." He also bagged deer, wild goats, cougars, plus wild hogs in Mexico.
 He also shot a hug bull moose in the wilds of Wyoming and it took him two days to get it back to civilization.
Adams lived at 600 West Gentile Street and was a lifelong resident of Layton. He married Sarah Kershaw in 1914 in the Salt Lake Temple and the couple had two sons and five daughters.
When the 1923 "Covered Wagon" movie was filmed on Antelope Island in 1922, Adams was the one in charge of buffalo herd on the isle.
He also came across the skeleton of a giant moose in Montana next to a hunter, who had likely died in a battle with the animal years earlier
His closed call while hunting was when a rat saved his life. Adams and friend were hunting in the wilderness of central Idaho and had to take shelter in an abandoned cabin. The exhausted hunters were annoyed by a rat in the cabin and they were about to shoot it, when they noticed the stove had set the cabin on fire. The rat had kept them awake, or they'd likely have perished in the blaze.
"We got the fire out before much damage was done," Adams told the Salt Lake Telegram newspaper in a March 8, 1934 article. "No, I never shot the rat. He proved about the timeliest pal I ever had."

    An August 19, 1959 photo of Dell Adams as "Jim Bridger" in the Ogden Standard-Examiner.

With Jim Bridger as his favorite mountain, Adams portrayed 
Bridger in every Pioneer Days Parade in Ogden for 25 straight years, from 1934 to 1959. He also rode as Jim Bridger in the Pioneer Days Parade in Salt Lake City prior to that, with a pack team of pack mules carrying furs and himself all adorned in period authentic dress.
The Ogden Standard-Examiner of July 21, 1943 described Adams as "a virtual reincarnation of Jim Bridger."
"Modern-day 'Jim Bridger' abandons rile for Pioneers Day celebration" was am Aug. 19, 1959 headline in the Ogden Standard-Examiner. "But I can't keep doing this forever," he told the newspaper. "After all, I am pushing 70."
He was a born story-teller and often traveled with his wife, from St. George to Logan to share his outdoor exploits. He had an extensive collection of pioneer relics and had been a long-time member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers.
According to Logan's Cache-American newspaper of Dec. 20, 1938, he also served wild meat at the big barbecue in Kaysville to 825 boys from the North and South Davis stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Adams was a well-known Utah sheepman and a past president of the Utah Wool Growers Association and also former leader of the Davis County Wildlife Federation. His sheep often won awards in livestock shows.
He received a community service award from the Layton Chamber of Commerce.
From 1920-1921, Adams was a member of the first town board in Layton City, after it became its own registered community in 1920.
L.W. Ellison. R. Adams, Francis Bone and Leonard Sandall were the other first Layton leaders after incorporation.

(NOTE that Adams was often referred to as "Del Adams.")

A timeline of Layton’s history

THE following is a chronology of important events in the history of Layton, Utah:

1849:  The first white pioneer, likely Edward Phillips of Salt Lake, settles in what will become Layton.
1850: Brigham Young makes his first visit to Layton.
1858: Christopher Layton, namesake of Layton City, opens a “Prairie House” at 128 South Main to cater to stage coach passengers.
1860: The first public school house in Layton opens.
1869-70:  Utah Central Railroad connects Ogden and Salt Lake City.
1881: The Davis and Weber Counties Canal Company is organized, bringing water to hundreds of farms.
1882: Denver and Rio Grande Railroad extends through the Layton/Kaysville area.
1886: Layton Post Office is established.
1891-1952:  Bamberger Interurban Railway operates between Ogden and Salt Lake City.
1902-1907: Layton de-annexes from Kaysville to become an unincorporated area.
1902: Layton Elementary School opens.
1903: Telephones appear in Layton; The Woods Cross Canning Company factory begins operations.
1905-06: First National Bank of Layton opens; Severe east wind storm destroys many Layton buildings.

1915: Layton Sugar Company factory is built and operations begin.
1920: Layton incorporates as a town.
1929: Layton’s first fire station opens.
1936-1984: East Layton town is incorporated and then annexed back into Layton.
1937-1957: Laytona incorporated and then annexed back into Layton.
1940: Ground is broken for Hill Air Force Base.
1941: Layton’s first subdivisions—Hill Villa, Skyline and Ellison -- are started.
1941-45:  Layton’s pre-World War II population is 646 residents; By the war’s end, it soars to 3,456.
1943: Verdeland Park housing complex is built to support Hill Air Force Base during World War II.
1949: Layton becomes a third class city.
1957: Layton City purchases Verdeland Park property from the Federal Government.
1963: Fort Lane Shopping Center opens; Layton Sugar Factory has its last run.
1964: Verdeland Park is dismantled and Layton Commons Park begins to take its place.
1965:  Layton High School begins its first classes.
1966: I-15 through Layton is completed.
1978: North Davis Hospital opens.
1979: Layton Pioneer Museum dedicated; its name later changed to Heritage Museum of Layton; its doors open in 1980.
1980: The Layton Hills Mall opens.
1981: K-Mart, Layton’s first non-grocery “big box” store, begins business.
1985: Layton surpasses Bountiful in population with 36,000 residents to become Davis County’s largest city.
1986: Surf N’ Swim facility premieres to the public.
1986: The Davis County incinerator starts up in Layton.
1988: Layton Branch of the Davis County Public Library opens.
1989: Layton City builds a new city municipal building and complex.
1991: Layton’s first Wal-Mart opens.

1992: Northridge High School begins classes.
1992: Layton’s second fire station opens, this one on Church Street.
1992: West Hill Field Road expands to the Industrial Park.
1992: Layton’s theme of lighted animals in its holiday lighting display begins.
1995: The Ed Kenley Amphitheater opens.
1996: Layton’s “restaurant row” becomes a regional draw.
1997: West Hill Field Road is extended one mile west to 2200 West.
1998: Layton’s new flagship fire station opens at 2200 West Hill Field Road.
1999: Ellison Park, a major Layton’s sports park, opens.
2003: The first sections of the Kays Creek Trail are opened.
2003: Weber State University Davis Campus opens in Layton.
2004: The Davis Conference Center opens.
2008: Train whistles stop in Layton, excluding emergencies, with new crossing signals in place.
2010: The U.S. Census lists Layton’s population at 67,311.
2010: Layton South Interchange opens.
2010: Layton becomes a second class city.
2011: 3.1 miles of the D&RGW trail completed in Layton, creating a trail system that traverses all of Davis County, north to south.
2012: Layton Parkway completed.

2012: The Andy Adams Community Fishery begins.
2013: Smart 911 program implemented.
2013: Weber State University expands.
2013: Public Safety Fire Training Facility opens.
2013: Heritage Park phase one completed.
2013: Ellison Park Splash Pad opens.
2013: Oakridge two-million gallon water tank completed.
2013: Layton “Lightspeed” Wi Fi is available in City parks.
2014: Antelope Drive is finally extended east to U.S. 89.
2018: Midtown Crossing over I-15 opens.
2018: Layton Intermountain Hospital is operational.
2019: Layton's first woman mayor is elected.

2019: I-15 expansion of express lanes begins.
2020: Highway 89 expansion starts.
2020: Coronavirus leads to resident isolation and less social contact.

When Layton began uniform street naming -- Avenues, drives and streets; Where did the name Gordon Avenue come from?

IT was 1959 when Layton City created standards in street names. From then on, any street that traveled east and west was a "drive," "lane" or "avenue" and roads going north or south were "streets" or "roads."
The Layton Planning Commission wanted this change to make it easier for residents or visitors to locate addresses in town.
However, there were some exceptions. For example, Fort Lane runs north and south and yet it is a "lane." That exception is likely because of the long standing tradition of calling it as such. (The road is named for the pioneer fort that used to exist along a section of the road.)

-WHERE did the name Gordon Avenue originated from?
Layton historian Harris Adams said he wasn't sure, as the name just seemed to be there in the late 1940s on. However,he said Gordon Gurr of Kaysville owned Security Title Company in Farmington and that company did a lot of business in Layton City. He said that's the only "Gordon" he recalls in the area, that somehow might have led to the street naming.

-Another variation in road names is Antelope Drive. That street was originally called "Syracuse Road" for many decades, until 1968, when Antelope Island was first developed. After that, Syracuse and Layton both agreed the Antelope name was more appropriate, even though the highway did lead into the center of Syracuse.

Bluff, Canyon and Mountain Road -- The 3 main pioneer trails in the Layton area

THE Layton area had three main pioneer trails back in the day.

According to Ken Day, the first curator of Layton's Heritage Museum, the forerunner of Church Street was Canyon Road, a path that followed the ridge above Kays Creek. Day said this Canyon Road used to go from Weber Canyon all the way southwest to today's Dawson and Weaver Lanes and eventually to where the Bluff Road used to traverse west Layton.
"The Kays Creen Corridor is loaded with history . . . It had to have been a known route," Day said of Canyon Road, explaining it was probably an Indian trail used by the Lienhard pioneer party in 1846 - one year before the Mormon pioneers arrived in Utah.

Day said journals from the Heinrich Lienhard party describe coming down Weber Canyon, crossing to the south side of the Weber River, going up a hill and then turning southwest along a good path toward the Great Salt Lake.

The three oldest paths or trails in the Layton area are Mountain Road, Canyon Road and Bluff Road. However, Day said Mountain Road was too rough and that's why Canyon and Bluff were used more often.

He also said trapper/explorer Jedediah S. Smith went through west Layton along the Bluff Road trail in 1826. Today the Bluff Road ends in southern Syracuse because construction of West Gentile Street in 1880 provided better east-west access into Layton.

                             Highway 89 today, at Oak Hills Drive.

The Mormon Pioneers also constructed a "Little Fort" along Canyon Road, which gave rise to the Fort Lane name for one of the city's major north-south roads. At that time, the big fort was in Kaysville - the larger settlement.

SOURCE: Deseret News Archives.

When Layton City considered two different railroad overpasses

LAYTON City has one railroad overpass, on the Layton Parkway. A second one is just outside the City's boundaries on Antelope Drive.
However, over the decades the Layton City Council has considered at least two other locations for possible railroad overpasses.
The first time was at the end of 1940. According to the Weekly Reflex newspaper of Dec. 6 that year, "Study to be made at crossing of U.P. Railroad" was the headline.
"The hazard in question is the railway crossing on Gentile Street," the story stated, "one of the heaviest traveled thorofares in Layton, at which point it is hoped either and overpass or an underpass will be constructed."
The possibility was studied, but obviously no overpass was ever built.
At another time in the early 2000s, the Layton City Council briefly discussed building an overpass on 2200 West over the tracks. That was considered the only place in town where it was financially feasible for an overpass. However, the close proximity to the Antelope Drive overpass, less than 1/2 mile away made that seem a waste of resources and no action was taken.

1920: When the opening of the new cement S.L.-Ogden highway was celebrated in Layton

The Layton portion of the first S.L.-Ogden concrete highway in the 1920s,  at 27 S. Main Street
                                                                 -Photo from the Heritage Museum of Layton collection.



"OPENING of Ogden-Salt Lake highway to be celebrated" was a headline in the July 18, 1920 headline in the Salt Lake Herald-Republican newspaper.
On July 22 that year, representatives of the Kiwanis, Rotary and Commercial clubs in northern Utah -- and the Motive Dealers' Association -- gathered in Layton to celebration the completion of the new hard-surfaced highway. The Commercial Club of Nation hosted the celebration of this 40-mile stretch of highway.
This concrete road was a narrow highway, with no middle stripe.
-Sadly, satisfaction for the new highway didn't last but less than three years.
"Wider highway from S.L. to Ogden sought" was a May 8, 1923 headline in the Salt Lake Telegram newspaper.
This story stated a four-mile section between Layton and Clearfield was of particular concern. That stretch of road was already crumbling after three years of use.
"...the road (there) is practically ruined and will have to be reconstructed," the story concluded.

This is a look at the section of road that was north of Layton in about 1920, that needed resurfacing less than three years later, in 1923.        -Photo from the Heritage Museum of Layton collection.

When North Layton Junior High School opened

IT was Tuesday Sept. 2, 1969 when North Layton Junior High School first opened for students.
Some Layton students had previously attended either North Davis Junior or Central Davis Junior High schools. Located at 1100 Antelope Drive, there was little else in this area of town when the school open. There was no nearby retail stores and even the Davis Hospital to the west had not been developed yet.
The only students originally bused to the school were those students from Hill Air Force Base/Hill Gate Terrace trailer court and those from the northeast area of Layton, near Church Street. All others had to walk to school, or be driven by their parents or in car pools.
Even students coming from the Holt and Vae View subdivisions, where the distance was in places more than a mile away, students were not initially bused.
However, there was a sidewalk on the south side of Antelope Drive to Main Street and sidewalks in the nearby Camelot subdivision. At least one crossing guard was stationed on Main Street, to assist students.
John Turner was the school's first  principal. Also, all of the kitchen facilities at the school were not yet ready when the school opened. Thus, cold lunches only were served during the first week of school.

1964: When Layton first enacted winter parking restrictions; A uniform street numbering system in 1962

IT is a well-known ordinance in Layton City that no one can legally park a vehicle on any city street overnight during the months of December, January and February). This law is to aid snow removal by keeping the roads clear for plowing purposes.
But, when did this law first come along?
According to the Ogden Standard-Examiner of Jan. 22, 1964, that year is when the Layton City Council considered such a ban.
"Layton may push city parking ban" was the headline.
At the time, this law in neighboring cities was also believed to produce a reduction in auto burglaries as well.
-It was in 1962 that Layton City adopted a uniform street numbering system, according to the Standard-Examiner of Jan., 10, 1962. Gentile Street was the north-south baseline and a portion of the historic south Main Street was the east-west baseline.

The beginnings of the Davis Hospital/Holy Cross in Layton

THE Holy Cross Hospital Davis, originally known as the Human Hospital Davis North, opened in the fall of 1976. A dedication and open house wee held on Sept. 25 of that year.
Ground was broken on the 22-acre site in late 1974. A silo and several farm buildings had to be demolished to make room for the facility, at 1600 Antelope Drive.
The $8 million hospital, with more than 90,000-square feet of floor space, began as a four story structure, with 100-beds and was expanded over the decades.
Humana Healthcare was the original owner and then Steward Health Care operated the hospital. Today, Common Spirit Health is the owner/operator.

SOURCES: Salt Lake Tribune of Sept. 28, 1974; and the Ogden Standard-Examiner of Sept. 5, 1976.

Layton's first concrete street work was in 1925

                                        Layton City in the 1920s.
LAYTON'S first curb to curb concreting of a street happened in October of 1925, according to the Weekly Reflex newspaper of Oct. 15, 1925.
This took place on Gentile Street by First National Bank of Layton and the Farmer's Union.
"This is the first curb to curb pavement to be laid in Layton and is being paid for the owners of the abutting property," the newspaper stated.
-A portion of Gentile Street, west of Main Street, was graveled in the spring of 1921, according to the Reflex of June 2 that year.

When Layton went after unlicensed canines and restricted open burning too

BEFORE the existence of Davis County Animal Control, back in the spring of 1957, Layton City went aggressively after unlicensed dogs.
"Look out dogs!" was an April 4, 1957 headline in the Weekly Reflex newspaper. 
"A crew of Layton City employees will canvass the community next week to pick up all unlicensed dogs. They will carry with them a list of all dogs that have been licensed. A house-to-house call was made recently for the purpose of selling tags for canines," the Reflex story stated.

-Also, at the same time, the Layton City Council banned the burning of any refuse, waste or combustible material, except on the days of Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
This regulation included any property, street or sidewalk within the City limits. Violation was a misdemeanor.

1940s-1950s: When Layton meetings were on Monday evenings

                                                 Layton City Hall in 1940.
                                                                -Photo from the Heritage Museum of Layton collection.

BACK when Layton City only had a town board, in the 1940s and the 1950s, the meetings of the City were on Monday evenings, at 7:30.
According to the Weekly Reflex newspaper of Kaysville-Bountiful on Jan. 15, 1948, the town board's regular meetings were every Monday night.
However, this was back before Monday night was commonly set aside as "Family Night," a feature that was supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and which came along universally in 1965. (The Church had began the Monday Night Family Home Evening back in 1915, but it didn't get widespread support until the mid-1960s.)
This Monday evening for City meetings also predated the new U.S. tradition of having a lot of holidays on Mondays (like President's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.)

What Layton residents did before a 911 system -- A scary emergency in 1947 Layton

                                         A Layton City ambulance.

WE take the 911 system and ambulance service for granted in emergencies today. But, what used to happen before that standard option came along? Here is the summary of an emergency in 1947 Layton City:
"Baby's antic; Mother frantic; All in panic" was a Feb. 6, 1947 headline in the Weekly Reflex newspaper of Kaysville-Bountiful.
Richard Anderson, 2, found a razor blade in his mother's sewing box. He put it in his mouth and his mother saw blood all over and could not get the blade safely out of his mouth.
First, she ran to a neighbor for help. They were unable to locate a doctor in either Layton or Kaysville. So, the two women flagged down a Utah Highway Patrolman and they were rushed to St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City, some 30 miles away, in his car.
X-rays showed the razor blade was missing. Later, the blade was found on the neighbor's porch.

                                             Layton City's modern 911 call center.

1952: When Bamberger passenger rail service in Layton ceased

The Bamberger trail is one of the last traces of the railroad line that until 1952 traveled through Layton where I-15 is today. The trail's black fence is part of the original Bamberger fencing.

WHEN the Bamberger passenger railroad ceased operations in 1952, it was because of declining business. Americans were in love with the automobile and used it, not railroads, for the ultimate in freedom of travel.
The Bamberger continued to haul freight for some years.
Picking up some of the slack was the Bamberger Transportation Company, which for a few years operated bus service in Davis County.
During the Great Depression of the 1920s, Bamberger had also used bus service, along with its train service, for some years.
Buses replaced train in Davis County on Sept. 7, 1952.
Utah Transit Authority came along in the 1970s and by the 21st Century, light rail for passengers returned to service with the FrontRunner.
Transportation is Davis County has gone full circle.

1981-2017: When K-Mart opened -- and Closed -- in Layton

K-MART was Layton's first stand-along "big box" retail store. It opened less than a year after the Layton Hills Mall began and spurred development in the area of Antelope Drive and Main Street.
June 11, 1981 at 9 a.m., was when K-Mart officially opened to the public. It was 72,300-square-feet and covered almost two acres. It employed 90 full and part-time employees and even featured an auto repair service center in its early years.
Before this K-Mart opened, the nearest KMarts were located in Riverdale or Bountiful.
The Layton K-Mart sparked area business growth. An Albertson's Grocery Store and a strip mall soon followed. McDonald's and Arby's restaurants also soon located nearby.
The K-Mart store closed in 2017, after a 36-year run.