Before Lagoon there was 'Eden Park' in Bountiful

BEFORE Lagoon Park moved east to its current location in 1896, there was a sister park, "Eden Park."
This was another attempt Simon Bamberger had at creating an amusement park. According to the Salt Lake Herald of June 15, 1894, the short-lived park was located along the railroad line,  the Great Salt Lake & Hot Springs Railway, partially owned by Bamberger -- and the goal of the park was to increase passenger traffic on those rails.
The Herald story states that Fred W. Milverton and A.H. Stewart suggested the Eden Park name to a committee and their title won out.
Eden Park opened on June 16, 1894, with music, dancing, a spacious bowery and illumination at night.
"Numerous attractions will be constantly added," the Herald reported.
Eden Park was a 30 minute trip by train from downtown Salt Lake. Roundtrip fare was 35 cents for adults and 20 cents for children -- and that included admission to Eden Park.
The resort only lasted two seasons, 1894 and 1895, because Bamberger's railroad expanded north and when "Lake Park" (Lagoon's original title) moved away from the shrinking Great Salt Lake and relocated east, he closed Eden Park, to concentrate on the renamed Lagoon Park.

Eden Park: Forgotten, short-lived, Bountiful, Utah Resort of 1894

By Lynn Arave

EDEN PARK, in Bountiful, is the most forgotten Utah resort of the 19^th Century. It was also the most short-lived recreational spot of its era, lasting just a single season.

The first mention of Eden Park was in June of 1894.

The Salt Lake Tribune of June 12, 1894 reported that a naming contest was held and “Eden Park” was chosen to be the new resort’s title.

Constructed by Simon Bamberger, manager of the Great Salt Lake and Hot Springs Railroad (later simply called the Bamberger Railroad), “Bamberger’s Park” and such titles as “Bamdale” were also suggested for the resort’s name. Eden Park officially opened on June 16, 1894 and was designed to drive more traffic to Bamberger’s railroad, as it expanded northward.

The Tribune of June 13, 1894 stated that music, dancing a bowery, refreshments and night-time illumination were the key features of the three-acre Eden Park.

The Davis County Clipper newspaper of June 14, 1894, described Eden Park as a pleasure resort near Stoker Station, featuring picnicking, fruit and shade trees, plus a new drinking water artesian well. From Salt Lake City, it was 35 cents for a roundtrip train ride and admission to the park for adults. (It was 20 cents for children). There were six roundtrip passenger trains a day, requiring about 30 minutes each way.

The Davis County Clipper Newspaper on June 21, 1894 reported:

“The indications are that before the summer has past that Eden Park will be among the foremost of Utah’s pleasure resorts. Last Saturday the evening train for Salt Lake was made of six coaches all of which were crowded ….. A band from Salt Lake plays in the pavilion each afternoon. A force of men are still at work completing and beautifying the park.”

(Few, if any photographs of Eden Park exist.)

The Salt Lake Tribune of June 24, 1894 reported that a grand masquerade ball was to be held there on June 26 that year. Some 400 patrons a day were stated as visiting the resort each day. There were also swings and a baseball field there. Professor Peterson’s Orchestra often played there too.

The Tribune of July 3 that year stated that barbequed oxen was to be  a holiday food highlight there.

The Salt Lake Herald of Aug. 7, 1894 said that an Eden Park road race was scheduled to go from Salt Lake City to the Park and that an observatory train would shadow the footrace.

The Davis County Clipper on Sept. 12, 1952 looked back at the resort and stated that it was located at the bottom of Barton Creek, on the east side of the railroad tracks.

The Davis Clipper of March 28, 1895 reported that the Eden Park pavilion had been moved that month to a hot springs. (The nearest two hot springs were on Beck Street in Salt Lake.)

So, the Bountiful garden resort lasted just a single season in 1894.

As Simon Bamberger moved the Lake Park resort in west Farmington northeastward to its current site by a Lagoon in 1895, that spelled doom for Eden Park. At an approximate half-way point between Salt Lake and Ogden, Lagoon resort was an ideal location and was Bamberger’s focus thereafter. Lagoon opened in July of 1986.

A shrinking Great Salt Lake had meant the briny water was a full mile from Lake Park resort’s facilities by 1895, making it unappealing to lake bathers, who wanted to “float like a cork” in the salt-laden waters. (Only Saltair resort survived into the 20^th Century along the Great Salt Lake.)

Notwithstanding the receding lake waters, Lake Park had always had a mud problem along its shore. The Salt Lake Herald of July 31, 1910 reported that no amount of gravel, sand or fill could overcome that vexing problem either.

In that era of the late 19^th Century/early 20^th Century, “resorts” were not the thrill ride dominated parks they are today. They were basically shady picnicking areas with tables, dancing, music and sporting activities. Lagoon didn’t receive its first ride (beyond the "Shoot the Chutes" activity of slidding wooden sleds down an incline and into lake water) until 1906, when the carousel arrived. The wooden roller coaster didn’t come along until 1921, same year as the opening of a cement swimming pool.

                            Lagoon's original cemented swimming pool.

1910: When Lagoon was threatened with closure

AS the largest theme park in the Intermountain West, Utahns probably take Lagoon for granted – always been there, always will be.

However, Lagoon was seriously threatened with closure in its early years, just over a century ago, back in 1910.

“May cut Lagoon into town lots” was an April 27, 1910 headline in the Standard-Examiner.

“’If Lagoon cannot be made to pay with the railroad fare at 50 cents the roundtrip , I will cut the resort up into town lots and sell it,’ said Simon Bamberger, president and general manager of the ‘Lagoon route,’’ this morning,” The Standard story stated.

 “’The fare to Lagoon will be 50 cents this year, he continued. ‘And it will remain at 50 cents for the round trip as long as I own the controlling interest in the road (the railroad line).”’

Bamberger, consider the father of Lagoon, established the resort to draw passengers to his railroad. He was solidly against the train fare being reduced for just Lagoon’s sake, for a business that is open only three months of the year. Railroad traffic was increasing between Salt Lake and Ogden for the sake of other, year-round businesses.

“’I might put it this way,’” Bamberger said. “We are not going to let the ‘tail wag the dog.’ In this case Lagoon is the tail, and I don’t propose that it shall wag the road.’”

In a few weeks Bamberger’s railroad line was also set to be made electric, another advancement in its operation.

Bamberger continued his lecture: “’We think that Lagoon is a beautiful resort, one of the finest, if not the finest in the state. We would like to see it a success. Not only the coming summer, but in many seasons yet to come, but we are not going to try to make it a success at the expense of the rest of the business of the road. If people wish to visit the resort at the added cost, we will be glad to do all in our power to make their visits pleasant. If they do not care to come we will do something else with the resort, but we will not reduce the railroad fare.’”

Lagoon did close during World War II, thanks to gas rationing and the war effort, in the 1943, 1944 and 1945 seasons.

Other historical tidbits:

-“Waiter threw eggs at customer” was a July 24, 1910 Standard headline. A man entered a downtown Ogden café in a big hurry, ordering hard-boiled eggs, and wanting to catch the next street car.

However, when the car came by, the man rushed out, just as the waiter came with the eggs. The waiter rushed out with the sack of eggs, also boarded the trolley and threw the eggs at the customer. He dodged the volley, but they hit another passenger in the back of the head.

“Dutch Henry,” the waiter, was charged with assault and battery by police.

-“Entertainment spoiled by bad behavior” was a Standard headline on April 4, 1909. Ogden High sophomores presented a play, “The Romancers” to a packed audience at the Fifth Ward Amusement Hall.

However, there apparently being no teachers or principals present, the schoolmates in the audience pelted the players with vegetables and fruit. They also belted out a chorus of cat calls.

The cast, featuring Leah Pardoe, Albert Moore, Fitch Kinney, Eugene Pratt, George Reeves, Eugene Carr and others, continued to perform as best they could.

-Two boys ordered to get out of town” was a June 25, 1909 Standard headline. Two boys were arrested for possessing a pair of allegedly stolen shoes. The boys claimed they found the shoes on a public lawn. The charges were dropped and the boys were ordered to get out of town, since chances for proving anything to the contrary were slim.

 (-Originally published on-line and in print on May 21-22, 2015 by Lynn Arave in the Ogden Standard-Examiner.)

-NOTE: The author, Lynn Arave, is available to speak to groups, clubs, classes or other organizations about Utah history at no charge. He can be contacted by email at: lynnarave@comcast.net