Locals choose favorites for historical marker sites

Nicole Kunze | Lehi Historical Society

Lehi residents ranked their top ten locations for historical markers and shared memories at the Lehi Historical Society’s open house on Wed., Aug. 16, in the Broadbent Community Room of the Public Safety Building.

Over the next four years, the Lehi Historical Society and Lehi City will install 36 historical markers inspired by similar markers found in Philadelphia, PA. The aluminum-cast markers will sit on seven-foot posts, measure approximately 29″ x 40″, and be installed on sidewalks. A PARC (Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture) tax grant from Lehi City and a generous donation from HADCO Construction funded the project.

“It’s hard to choose a favorite,” said Lehi Historical Society Board member Lee Anderson. “Mine is probably the Rodeo Grounds, but it’s not because maybe other people would pick it. It was Lehi’s first park, decades before it was the Rodeo Grounds. They had a baseball diamond, a bike track and dance pavilions.”

“My wife and I grew up here, so the places we remember from our childhood are important to us,” explained Jared Peterson, a Lehi Historical Preservation Committee member. “Many important places, like the Tabernacle and the junior high, aren’t here anymore. We must preserve that history, look back, and realize how the community has grown. In my mind, we’re still a little community…of 80,000 people. This is one of the ways we can stay connected to our history.”

Lehi Historical Society Board member and longtime Lehi resident Renita Revill chose Carter Airport in her top ten. “Lehi had a pilot, so they had an airport,” Revill joked, regarding the site near the Lehi Cemetery and Family Park.

“It would be cool to have a marker at Carter Airport, so everyone knows why we have an aeronautical theme at Family Park,” added Lehi City Councilmember Paige Albrecht.

Mayor Mark Johnson chose Relief Society Hall, now a car dealership on Main Street, as his number one choice for a historical marker. “Carl Mellor gave me a tour of Relief Society Hall years ago, and there are great stories of miracles that took place there,” remembered Johnson.

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Many citizens at the open house chose Lehi Roller Mills at the top of their list for a historical marker. “The Roller Mills is just so iconic. It’s my number one choice even though my Grandpa William Hadfield’s house is on the list,” said Amy Barnes, a Lehi Historical Society Board member.

Johnny Barnes, a former Lehi City Councilmember and longtime resident suggested a site that wasn’t on the list of options. “Cutler Junction on 2100 North and Railroad Street used to be a hub with nine tracks,” he explained. “They’d put all their locomotives together and take them to Point of the Mountain. That would be a great place for a marker—it could revitalize the history of that area a little.”

“I want markers throughout Lehi, not just the downtown area,” said Anderson. “I love all the suggestions on the list. I’d add Christofferson Creek, where we had many Boy Scout activities when I was growing up.”

“I hope this project gets Lehi citizens thinking about our rich heritage,” Anderson concluded.

To nominate a location, email lehihistory@gmail.com or go to LehiHistory.com, choose the Lehi Historical Marker Program button and click “locations here.”