Growth of Hunter, Utah Area - (1847–Present)
1847–1875: Early Settlement and Struggles
1847–1848: Led by Brigham Young, pioneers began settling the Great Salt Lake Valley. Hunter, located west of the Jordan River, was initially used for grazing. While the land held promise, early settlers could not establish permanent farms due to the lack of reliable water.
1848–1849: Determined pioneers built temporary shelters like dugouts and relied on subsistence grazing and agriculture. However, without irrigation, full agricultural development was not yet possible.
1876–1881: Water and Community Development
1876: A turning point came when irrigation water finally reached Hunter, making permanent settlement viable. This allowed the community to transition from seasonal grazing to year-round farming.
1878: Joseph N. Morris dug the first irrigation ditch, transforming the area into arable farmland and stabilizing life in the valley.
1880: The creation of the Hunter voting precinct formalized the community. It was named after Edward Hunter, the Presiding Bishop of the LDS Church, underscoring the Church’s growing influence.
1882–1888: Church Organization and the Rise of Hunter Ward
1881–1882: The arrival of irrigation brought a sense of celebration and progress. A Sunday School was soon established, followed by the Mutual Improvement Association (MIA) for youth in 1883, deepening the area's religious foundation.
1885–1886: A community-built adobe meetinghouse marked the start of permanent religious infrastructure. In 1886, Hunter became an official Church branch, and in 1888, it was organized as a ward, with William Miller as the first bishop.
1890–1900: Leadership Changes and Early Expansion
1890: The short-lived Eldorado Branch was established northeast of Hunter but dissolved by 1895 due to failed land developer promises.
1892: With the community expanding, the Hunter Ward boundaries were enlarged to accommodate agricultural and population growth.
1894–1899: Joseph N. Morris became Second Counselor, and later Christopher E. Layton replaced William Miller as bishop. Layton oversaw the construction of a new ward house to replace the original adobe building.
1900–1941: Infrastructure Expansion and Great Depression Resilience
1912: The ward house was expanded to include classrooms and additional facilities to support a growing membership.
1920–1930: Fresh water was piped into the chapel and school in 1921, and the Oquirrh Stake was established in 1923.
1930s: Despite the Great Depression, the Hunter community banded together to maintain and improve church facilities. Relief Society sisters and others played key roles in supporting families and renovating infrastructure, including a new water pipeline in 1937.
1941–1958: The New Meetinghouse and Post-War Growth
1941–1944: A new chapel was constructed amid WWII-related delays. Services temporarily moved to a school and then to the completed recreation hall in 1941.
1947: The new Hunter chapel was dedicated by Apostle Spencer W. Kimball and also served as the Stake Center for the newly created North Jordan Stake.
1948–1958: Under Bishop E. Verne Breeze, the ward experienced both economic and spiritual growth. Despite weather-related disruptions like the great snowstorm of 1949, the Hunter community remained committed to its faith, family, and fellowship.
1959–Present: Suburban Growth and Integration into West Valley City
1959–1980s: As farmland gave way to neighborhoods, the Hunter area saw a boom in housing developments. Former homesteads were subdivided, and home construction became the area’s largest industry. This suburban transformation attracted hundreds of new families to the Church and community.
In the 1974 phonebook here is a list of Churches in Hunter:
LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Buildings
Hunter Second Ward – 3970 S 5200 W
Hunter Third Ward – 3970 S 5200 W
Hunter Fourth Ward – 7200 Loch Ness Ave
Hunter Fifth Ward – 5000 Pavant Ave
Hunter Sixth Ward – 5985 W 3500 S
Hunter Seventh Ward – 3970 S 5200 W
Hunter Eighth Ward – 5000 Pavant Ave
Hunter Ninth Ward – 7200 Loch Ness Ave
Hunter Tenth Ward – 5000 Pavant Ave
Hunter Eleventh Ward – 5000 Pavant Ave
Hunter Twelfth Ward – 7200 Loch Ness Ave
Hunter Ward Meeting House – 5985 W 3500 S
Hunter Stake Center – 5000 Pavant Ave
Non-LDS Congregations
Granger Unit – Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses – 4880 W 4100 S
1980: Hunter was officially incorporated into the newly formed West Valley City, now Utah’s second-largest city. The once-rural ward became part of a thriving urban-suburban blend.
Today, Hunter remains a vibrant and diverse community, enriched by its pioneer past and strengthened by its unity in faith and service.
From dugouts to dedicated chapels, the story of Hunter is one of faith, grit, and growth. May we always remember the sacrifices that built our community and continue their legacy of service and strength.
—Sheri Kimball Biesinger
