Salt Lake and Utah Railroad
The Salt Lake and Utah Railroad—better known in Utah as the “Orem Line”—extended from Salt Lake City through the city of South Jordan, at this location, and to Payson, a distance of 67 miles. A branch line of 9 miles in length served the town of Magna. Service between Salt Lake City and Provo was established early in the year 1914.
July 18, 1915, twenty trains a day ran to Springville. By July 1, 1916, these runs extended to Spanish Fork, Utah. May 20, 1916, saw the last day of rail-laying on the main line to Payson.
With the end of World War I, automobiles and trucks began to be in common use, and Salt Lake and Utah R.R. business, both passenger and freight, began to suffer.
July 24, 1925, Salt Lake and Utah R.R. entered receivership. Henry I. Moore of Salt Lake and D. P. Abercrombie of Boston were appointed receivers.
Court orders dated July 31, 1937, and December 17, 1937, ordered receivers to sell all property of Salt Lake and Utah R.R. to the highest bidder.
Although the receiveship and foreclosure sale of the new company had relieved a lot of problems, the operating revenues of $717,678 were in the red $44,489. By the end of 1945, the deficit had grown to $220,600. Competition of subsidized highway transportation, both public and private carriers, made it impossible to compete.
The Salt Lake and Utah R.R. was dead physically and legally. In June, 1946, the UPSC gave its permission to abandon S.L. & Utah R.R. Receiver J. Quinney granted authority to sell the company's property for salvage. He realized $1.10 for each $1.00 invested.
Marker is on 1825 West (State Highway 48) 0.1 miles south of 7800 South (State Highway 48), on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
