Growth and Change on the West Side, 1946–1980

Post-War Transformation: West Valley, 1946–1980

In the decades following World War II, the west side of Salt Lake County experienced rapid growth and transformation. Water continued to be a key factor influencing development. As late as 1951, roughly 90 percent of west side residents had inadequate culinary water, relying on wells and septic tanks. Low water tables frequently caused septic backups, contaminating wells and limiting new housing development.

The creation of the Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District in 1952, and the delivery of clean water from Deer Creek Reservoir, resolved many water-related issues. With reliable water lines in place, septic systems were gradually replaced with sewer lines, drastically improving living conditions. Between 1953 and 1954, the Granger and Hunter areas experienced more population growth than in the previous 100 years combined.

Infrastructure improvements in the 1950s through 1970s further fueled development. Streets like 3500 South, 3900 South, 4500 South, and 4800 South became major east-west corridors. Street lighting arrived in the early 1960s, and bus service in the 1970s connected residents more easily to the rest of Salt Lake County.

Despite rapid growth, development was often haphazard. Subdivisions lacked sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting, and rural and urban lots intermixed. By the 1970s, small lot subdivisions, high-density apartments, and poorly maintained streets defined much of the west side. Industrial employers like Kennecott and Hercule’s Bacchus Works provided stable jobs, drawing many former farmers away from agriculture. Rising land values and housing construction ended much of the area’s traditional farming, completing the shift from an agricultural to an industrial and suburban economy.