Karl Winsness: From West Valley Tradesman to Owner of a Desert Town

Karl Winsness and Wisness Heating & Plumbing – From West Valley to the Utah Desert

Karl Winsness and Wisness Heating & Plumbing – A Legacy of Service, Skill, and Vision

For more than four decades, Wisness Heating & Plumbing stood at 4190 West 2100 South, serving the growing Granger and West Valley communities. Founded and operated by Karl Winsness, the business became known for quality workmanship and community trust, providing essential plumbing and heating services across Salt Lake County for an impressive 46 years.

Born in 1925, Karl Winsness was a man of service, both to his country and his community. A U.S. Army veteran, he continued his dedication after military life as commander of the AARGONE Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, where he worked tirelessly to support fellow veterans. His leadership extended into civic and outdoor organizations—he was a past president of the Salt Lake County Fish and Game Association, past director of the Utah Wildlife Federation, and president of the Utah Mechanical Contractors Association, representing tradesmen statewide

In addition to running his successful plumbing contracting business in Salt Lake County, Karl Winsness once owned an entire town—Delle, Utah, a small desert outpost located about 60 miles west of Salt Lake City along Interstate 80. Delle began as a steam locomotive water stop in the early 20th century and later developed into a roadside stop with a café, gas station, motel, and garage.

Winsness had been fascinated by the lonely little town all his life. Drawn by its wide-open spaces, starry skies, and the quiet beauty of the Salt Flats, he eventually bought the 640-acre property with a dream of bringing it back to life. “I watched it all my life,” he said in a 1977 interview. “I saw the grasses and the mustangs watering and the cowboys. So I took everything I had and bought it. It’s so cool at night and the moon is bright and sits right down on you. There are millions of stars.”

For several years, Karl poured time, effort, and resources into rebuilding Delle. He restored the café and motel, brought in a gasoline company to reopen the service station, and revived the town’s business district. At its peak, Delle had about a dozen families and a steady flow of travelers stopping to rest from the long drive across the desert.

At one point, Winsness’ revitalized Delle was grossing around $240,000 a year—a remarkable figure for such a remote location. But running a town came with challenges: leasing issues, transient residents, and the constant struggle to truck in water across the barren landscape. Eventually, Winsness decided to sell Delle, but he never lost his affection for the desert town he had resurrected.

Back home in Granger, his name remained synonymous with honest trade work and community reliability. The old Wisness Heating & Plumbing building at 4190 West 2100 South is now gone, but the legacy of Karl Winsness lives on—a man who built his livelihood with his hands and his dreams with his heart, both in the city and out on the open desert.