About Our amazing History

Celebrating the Heart of West Valley City (formerly Granger/Hunter/Chesterfield, Utah)

Wide open spaces stretched in every direction, with irrigation ditches flowing beside rows of wild asparagus. Crickets chirped, and the lowing of cows from a neighbor’s farm drifted through the summer air. We rode our bikes on dusty dirt tracks, always bringing a shovel to build the next epic jump. We played baseball on the corner fields, coached by someone’s dad, and celebrated big wins at the Burger Chalet after taking region.

We climbed the towering rocket at Granger Park, then ran to the city pool to cool off with our Lifetime swim passes. Root beer floats at the Frostop and Prince Burgers were childhood staples—though the debate over who had the best root beer, Frostop or Ab’s, still rages on. We’d drop a quarter at the corner store and come out with a bag full of candy, convinced life couldn’t get better.

We camped out in our backyards, lulled to sleep by train whistles in the distance. We shopped along Market Street, where store clerks greeted us by name and everything we needed was just a few steps away. We looked forward to the Lion’s Club community pancake breakfasts and gladly bought a broom or a calendar, knowing the proceeds were going to build a park for the kids of Granger.

Evenings were spent helping neighbors raise a new place of worship, and weekends brought parades down 3500 South where everyone waved, cheered, and belonged. We saw Dr. Wilson when we were sick, and the VanOrden Drug Bug would deliver our medicine right to our door. After the hunt, we took our deer to Hunsaker’s for cutting and packing, then stored the meat in Al Warr’s freezers.

We met friends at the Valley Vu or Redwood Drive-In, played pool at Plaza, skated at S&M, and bowled at Delton’s. For special nights out, we dined at the Oaken Bucket or joined our buddies at Francesco’s for the legendary pizza and lasagna special. We watched drag races on 3200 West, and if you were lucky, caught a flight from the little airport on 2100 South. We thought it was the coolest thing that Kimbo taught at Granger High and secretly hoped to be picked for Romper Room or Fireman Frank’s show.

These moments—and a million more—are why we loved growing up in Granger/Hunter/Chesterfield, and why we still cherish West Valley City today.