Farms, Rails, and Growth: 1880–1929
The Progressive Era (1880–1929)
By the late 1880s, life on the west side of the Jordan River was changing. What had once been a patchwork of small, family-run farms was shifting toward commercial agriculture. Farmers no longer grew only what their families needed; instead, they specialized, selling crops for profit and buying the goods they once had to make or trade for. Fields of alfalfa, wheat, apples, and tomatoes stretched across the flats, while the area’s “world-famous celery” and especially sugar beets became prized cash crops. Sugar beets were hauled to the processing mill in West Jordan, tying the farmers of Granger and Hunter into a larger regional economy. Sheep, dairy cows, and poultry added to the mix, strengthening the livestock industry.
By the turn of the century, the west side was still sparsely settled. The 1900 census counted just 617 people in Granger and 354 in Hunter, barely 1.3% of Salt Lake County’s population. But small changes hinted at bigger transformations ahead. One of the most significant shifts came in 1906, when many farmers began taking jobs at the new Utah Copper Company (UCC). Instead of abandoning agriculture, families combined farm work with steady wages from mining and smelting. The lure of a dependable paycheck began to pull the community away from its purely agricultural roots.
Transportation was another force of change. In 1914, the Salt Lake and Utah Interurban line—a forerunner to today’s TRAX—was extended through Granger. The interurban station at 1950 West and 3500 South, across from Anasts’ Granger Market, became a lifeline. Farmers could ship produce quickly, and residents could ride inexpensively up and down the Wasatch Front. Roads were improving, too. By 1918, after draining swampy land between 3500 South and 3600 West, the county poured concrete, making 3500 South the first paved road in Granger. Automobiles were quickly becoming “the wave of the future,” reshaping how people lived and traveled.
Education also expanded. Until the early 1900s, children in Hunter and Granger could go no further than grade school. But as the population grew, new school districts formed, opening the door to higher education for west side families for the first time.
World events reached even this small farming and mining community. World War I created an insatiable demand for metals, fueling rapid growth at local mines and smelters and drawing many west side residents into the war economy. For a time, prosperity seemed assured, with farms, copper paychecks, and transportation all weaving together into a vibrant local economy.
But the boom was not to last. In 1929, with the onset of the Great Depression, the optimism of the Progressive Era came to a sudden halt. What had been years of progress and connection gave way to new challenges that would test the resilience of Granger and Hunter once again.
