Roads and Rails: How Transportation Shaped Hunter-Granger’s Growth, 1914–1941
Transportation Connections 1917–1941: The Dawn of Modern Mobility in Hunter-Granger
As World War I drew to a close, the Hunter-Granger community began to feel the profound impact of modern transportation. The automobile was emerging as the transportation of the future, and infrastructure improvements soon reflected this shift. One of the earliest major developments was the paving of 3500 South through Granger and Hunter, completed in 1920 by Salt Lake County. This was the first paved road in the area, transforming the dusty rural thoroughfare into a reliable route for motor vehicles.
In addition to improved roads, the Salt Lake and Utah Interurban Railroad extended its reach into the area with a new branch line completed in 1917 running through Granger into Magna. This electrified rail line was a game changer. It not only transported passengers but also allowed local farmers to send their products directly to market. This connectivity boosted agricultural production, especially peas, tomatoes, and the region’s largest crop—sugar beets. At one time, four beet dumps along the Interurban tracks from Granger to the West Jordan Sugar Refinery supported this booming industry. Fruit from local orchards was also shipped in large volumes, sometimes filling up to 75 rail cars.
The railroad encouraged new business ventures to emerge in Granger, including coal and lumber yards, as well as feed companies servicing the agricultural community. Unlike many traditional Utah towns that had developed centered business districts, Hunter and Granger’s commercial growth was largely concentrated along 3500 South, which by 1920 had become the main artery and business corridor. Notably, all sixteen businesses established in Granger between 1920 and 1956 were located on this street.
The improvements in roadways increased not only local travel but also traffic from surrounding communities. This wider accessibility led to the construction of large recreational venues in Granger, including Mickey’s Dance Land and S&M Skating rink. In 1949, the Redwood Drive-in Theater further enriched the community’s entertainment options. These attractions were supported by patrons from Salt Lake City and nearby areas, as Granger’s smaller population alone could not have sustained such enterprises.
The community also contributed to regional culture through touring theatrical productions directed by Ruth and Nathan Hale of Granger, which brought live theater to audiences throughout the Salt Lake Valley during the Great Depression.
With the influx of businesses and enhanced mobility allowing residents to commute more easily to jobs outside the area, Hunter-Granger’s population grew steadily. By 1930, the community’s population had reached approximately 1,600 — a number poised to grow even more in the coming decades as transportation continued to shape the neighborhood’s development
Key Events and Developments (1914–1941):
1914 – Completion of the Salt Lake and Utah Interurban Railroad from Salt Lake City to Payson.
1917 – Extension of the Interurban Railroad branch line through Granger into Magna.
1920 – Paving of 3500 South through Granger and Hunter by Salt Lake County — the first paved road in the area.
Increased agricultural production due to improved transportation, including peas, tomatoes, fruit, and especially sugar beets.
Establishment of four beet dumps along the Interurban tracks from Granger to the West Jordan Sugar Refinery.
Development of coal yards, lumberyards, and feed companies in Granger.
Concentration of all new businesses (16 between 1920 and 1956) along 3500 South.
Growth in population and commerce fueled by transportation improvements.
Construction of recreational venues such as Mickey’s Dance Land and S & M Skating rink.
1949 (just after this period but related) – Opening of the Redwood Drive-in Theater in Granger.
Touring theatrical productions by Ruth and Nathan Hale originating from Granger during the Great Depression.
Population reaching approximately 1,600 by 1930 due to better transportation and business opportunities.
………Rails, Roads, and Rising Neighborhoods: Transportation and Growth, 1917–1941
Between 1917 and 1941, transportation played a quiet but vital role in shaping the neighborhoods west of Salt Lake City, including what we now know as West Valley City. Local stories tell of train tracks once running along what is now Lancer Way and farther west, connecting these farming communities to Salt Lake City’s rail network and markets beyond. These rail lines made it possible for families to ship produce and livestock more easily, linking once-isolated farms to urban centers and helping transform the rural landscape.
During this same period, sturdy brick bungalows began dotting the area—many of which still stand today as silent witnesses to this era of change. While homes sprang up near the tracks and along new roads, residents relied on the expanding rail and road connections to travel to work, school, or the city for supplies. For families living in the small wood-sided bungalows—many with charming period revival details like clipped gables—the tracks and improved roads meant greater access to opportunity and community life.
Though fewer than half of the original buildings from this period still retain historic integrity, the surviving bungalows and brick cottages along roads like 4100 South and 3500 South offer glimpses of the early growth sparked by rail and road ties. These transportation links—some still whispered about today—helped turn scattered farmland into close-knit neighborhoods, setting the stage for the communities that thrive there now