Groundbreaking for the Granger Library – 1967
Construction Begins on the Granger Library – April 1967
In April of 1967, another important step was taken in expanding library services to the growing Granger community. The Salt Lake County Library System officially awarded a $237,276 construction contract for the new Granger Branch Library.
The contract was awarded to a Salt Lake City construction company after submitting the lowest bid for the project. Shortly afterward, groundbreaking ceremonies were held, and construction began on the new building.
The library was planned for a site at 2850 West 3650 South, adjacent to the Granger Shopping Center, placing it in a convenient location for residents of the area.
Chief Librarian Ruth Vine Tyler reported that the federal government was helping fund the project through the Library Construction Act, providing $111,000 toward the building cost.
The new Granger Branch Library was designed with both large adult and juvenile reading rooms, similar to the newer branch in Midvale. One special feature of the building was an auditorium that could seat about 100 people, intended for community gatherings, meetings, and educational programs.
Additional furnishings were also approved for the new building, including steel shelving purchased from Remington Rand for $3,033.
At the time, the Salt Lake County Library Board was led by Henry Beckstead as president, with Marlon S. Bateman serving as vice president and Richard W. Winder as secretary.
The construction of the Granger Library represented an important investment in education and community life for the rapidly growing west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Today, that library continues serving the public as the West Valley City Library, carrying forward the same mission of providing knowledge, learning, and gathering space for the community.
Groundbreaking for the Granger Library
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Granger Branch of the Salt Lake County Library System were held in 1967 as community leaders gathered to celebrate the beginning of construction.
Turning the first shovel of earth was Henry Beckstead, who was serving as president of the library board. Joining him at the ceremony were library board member Marlon S. Bateman, Frank B. Schick, Richard W. Winder, and architect J. Leonard Harman, who designed the building.
Also present were contractors O. Thayne Acord and M. L. Harris, along with Salt Lake County librarian Ruth Vine Tyler, who held the architectural plans for the new facility.
The new library was planned for a site near 3650 South and 2850 West in the Granger community—today part of West Valley City—and would soon become an important center for learning, reading, and community gatherings for west-side residents.
