West Jordan Historical Society

The West Jordan Historical Museum is getting closer to completion with recent help from three Eagle Scout projects and work performed by West Jordan citizens. This past month an addition to our chicken coop was completed. The service porch was painted with a second coat and is ready for the floor & baseboards to be installed. The kitchen is nearing completion with help received with the tile on the kitchen counter. The barn is almost completed and the grainy (milk house) building is currently being renovated by an Eagle Scout Project. The museum building has been spruced up with new curtains. On Tuesday June 11, Linda and Bob Dalley, representing the West Jordan Historical Museum were invited to Camp Tracy by the Boy Scouts of America as the Greater Salt Lake Council honored them and others for providing Eagle Scout hopefuls with projects to complete their requirements for Eagle Scout during the last year. We wish to thank all of those who have come and helped the museum in the last few months. You have made a difference!

  We want to start filling up our display cabinets so the museum is looking for West Jordan/Utah memorabilia to house in the museum and on the grounds. Our partial wish list includes written family histories of original West Jordan Pioneer families. Pre 1940’s tractor. Old saddle, blanket, bridles, lasso. Ten-gallon milk can(s). Cream can, milking stool & pail. Old yearbooks and artifacts/pictures from West Jordan schools. Police/fire pictures, uniforms, and artifacts. Military uniforms and pictures of the men in them from all wars. Artifacts from all churches in West Jordan. Anything from the old Silcox Shell station, the Burton gas station, the Triangle Station and any service station garage memorabilia. Any artifacts from any old West Jordan business. Hogan Dairy artifacts, calendars, bottles, milk caps, cases. Beckstead Dairy artifacts, pictures, bottles, caps. McDougal Dairy artifacts and pictures. We are looking for information on any other dairies that were in West Jordan. We are looking for artifacts from Gardner Mill. We need old photos of anything in old West Jordan. Mining artifacts including an ore car from Bingham Canyon. Pictures of the Goff store that was on Redwood Road and 78th. Old West Jordan Post cards. Stationary, business cards, cancelled checks, calendars from any West Jordan businesses. Information, pictures, artifacts, of the silkworm or mink industry in West Jordan. Pictures, artifacts, etc of the Sugar Factory and sugar beet industry in West Jordan. Pictures, artifacts (arrowheads etc) from the Indians who lived in West Jordan. Pictures artifacts from the Wight Fort. Pictures and artifacts etc from the old Orem railroad line that ran through West Jordan. Old farm tools, anvil, windmill, pump house building, pull chain toilet. 1930’s Hoosier cabinet, pie safe and butterchurn. Supplies for canning. Spinning wheel, treadle sewing machine. Old Guns/rifles/shotguns. (Not working is great) An old Sheep camp is greatly desired as are some old wagons. We are also looking for volunteers for our committees to help run the museum.  For donations, volunteers or information concerning the museum contact Linda Dalley at 255-3116 or 941-0189. 

  The West Jordan Historical Museum continues to thank the volunteers and Eagle Scout projects that are helping us ready the museum for a grand opening. What an exciting time it will be. A lot of work and effort has gone into this museum and we hope will be enjoyed by the West Jordan residents for many years to come. 

 The Historical Society is looking for old pictures of West Jordan so we can have them enlarged, framed and hung in the museum. We are especially interested in photos, information and contact with the families who owned business that were located on 7800 S. and Redwood Road. Some of these businesses include: The Flying A Gas Station that was located on the southeast corner. The Silcox Shell Station on the Northeast corner. The Antifreeze and the Chick Beers’ grocery store. Across the street and to the west of the Silcox station was Don Hogan’s frozen food locker (built out of their old cow barn) and the old Goff store was nearby. We are looking for photos of the old Butterworth’s mercantile store that originally came from Welby and pictures of the Redwood Inn that years later went into the old Butterworth’s building. We are looking for early pictures of the Burton Oil garage and the Chevron Gas station where Walgreen’s now sits. We are looking for photos of the Jordan Center that use to be the Haun’s old store and later became Chick’s that was located about where McDonalds sits on 7800 south. Especially needed are photos of the old Hibbard train station that served the old Bamberger line which ran behind City Hall and pictures of the train itself.  This information and photos will later be used for future articles concerning West Jordan history.

 At one time there was a tree lined open-air bowery where church dances were held next to the old church building on Redwood Road. We would like to get information and photos regarding these activities for use in the museum. We need pictures of the Rock Church building that can be used in helping to restore the building back to its original condition. Close up pictures of the windows, the roof, the steeple and interior pictures will aid in this restoration.

 We are currently setting up our old time service porch display in the museum with wringer washers, tubs and ironing displays. If you have any old time laundry items such as bottles of bluing, boxes ofclothes soap, starch, clothes pins, flat irons, and pictures showing people doing laundry  tasks would greatly add to the display.

 We have started a display cabinet of old West Jordan school items so if you have any old school pictures, yearbooks, report cards, books and other items from the old West Jordan schools, please let us know.

  Other items of interest we are looking for include: Any old dairy items, pictures, milk bottles, milk caps, calendars, milk cans, cream cans, butter churns (all types) milking stool and milking pails from West Jordan dairies including Hogan Dairy, Beckstead Dairy, McDougal Dairy, Leak Dairy and any other West Jordan dairies.   Sugar Factory and sugar beet photos, equipment, tools and stories about the Sugar Factory and the sugar beet industry in West Jordan. Mining artifacts including an ore car. We need information and photos concerning the silkworm and mink industry in West Jordan Old West Jordan postcards and military uniforms with photos and stories about the men and women who served.

 We would love to find a running pre 1940’s tractor for use in hay rides.  We are looking for photos and memorabilia of the Triangle Gas Station that was located at 7800 south and 1300 West.  An old Sheep camp is greatly desired as are some old wagons. 

 So please check up in the attic, down in the basement, out in the barn or garage, check grandma’s house and help us preserve West Jordan’s history for all to enjoy!

 We are also looking for volunteers for our museum board and people to staff committees to help run the museum. For donations, volunteers, Eagle Scout projects or information concerning the museum contact Linda Dalley at 255-3116 or 941-0189.