"City of Good Neighbors" - Fruit Heights, UT
N 41° 02.679 W 111° 54.616
12T E 423496 N 4544112
Fruit Heights, situated in central Davis County, is a growing suburb of Salt Lake City.
Waymark Code: WMCH68
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 09/07/2011
Views: 2
This "Welcome to" sign in Fruit Heights portrays the area's heritage of orchards farms. Fruit Heights lies in the heart of Davis County. It is located between the Wasatch Mountains on the east and the towns of Kaysville and Farmington to the south and west. Fruit Heights has the conveniences of urban living with the quiet, rural charm that is so rare these days.
Some of the first settlers were Samuel Driggs, Joseph Taylor, Pleasant Green Taylor, and Allen Taylor. In 1854, Samuel Driggs died, after an illness of less than a week, leaving his widow, Elizabeth Taylor, and four small children. Brigham Young sent John Criddle, an unmarried man, to help run the farm. He married Elizabeth. In 1855 Grandison Raymond Sr. and his wife Celia Hall built a rock home on the Mountain Road. He was one of the first to raise fruit trees, peaches, apples, apricots, plums, grapes, berries and garden stuff. He owned his own molasses mills and grew his own cane. He was one of the first beekeepers in the area.
Over the years settlers changed the area to beautiful farms and orchards. Water was very scarce! Ditches had to be dug. Some families were able to get water from springs in the mountains, but many had to use water from Haight's Creek, Baer Creek and irrigation ditches. It was used for culinary purposes, farm animals and irrigation. Many buckets full of water have been carried from the creek to fill the old tin tub for the family bath or the boiler for the weekly wash! They tried to get the day's water before the cattle came to muddy it! Children were sometimes given the task to haul the water. If it spilled, they started over. This situation continued until 1939.
It was then the people voted to incorporate and become a town, and what was known as the area along the "Old Mountain Road" was named Fruit Heights, because of the fruit industry. Four friends: Archie and E. Glenn Green, Sam Raymond and Alden Burton met in Archie's garage. A town must have 100 inhabitants before it can become incorporated. Taking in as much territory as possible, only 99 heads could be counted. What a dilemma! Then someone remembered a baby was expected just before the petition had to be delivered to the Davis County Commission. If the Town could be incorporated they could bond for the $8,100 for pipe for a water system!
Type of community: Town
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Visit Instructions:
More pictures of the sign would be great. Try and take a picture of yourself with it if you can!