Random Rambler: Veterans Memorial Park

Veterans Memorial Park is a large park in West Jordan. Aside from your regular park amenities, playgrounds, pavilions, sports fields, etc. It features a calisthenics course, a local museum, and lovely mountain views.

Quick Details:

Length: The main loop is about 8/10ths of a mile. I did a little extra exploring today though.
Trail Type: Loop. Loop with spurs, other configurations, or meander.
Difficulty: It is flat, and paved. DR2.
Elevation Gain: NA
Restroom: Yes, but I am not sure if they are open in winter.
Dogs? Dogs are allowed, leashed. Please clean up after your furry friends.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

From i15 take the 7200 South exit heading west. skootch over to 7800 south using 7th west, 13th west, or Redwood. Keep heading west to the north entrance of the park at 1985 West and turn left. The road around the park is a one way loop.

Alternately you can take Trax using the West Jordan City Center Station. It is then just a ~10 minute walk.

The Trail:

I started on the west end today.

Mountains above the sports fields.

Unlike the calisthenics course in Murray Park, the one here is broken up by stations. I think I stumbled upon the first station by chance today. They call it the Vitacourse 2000. This station is designed to determine if you are fit enough to do the rest.

One of 2 rentable pavilions, and 1 of 4 playgrounds.

Baseball diamonds.

Another Vitacourse station and the basketball courts.

Mountains and a volleyball court plus the big fancy playground, Wild West Playground, to the right. That playground is super fun looking, and thus crowded. I don’t feel comfortable getting much closer shots. But it is super cool! They have zip lines and other fun stuff.

The Viridian Center and the West Jordan Library.

Another Vitacourse station. So far, they do not seem as fancy as the ones in Murray.

Another Vitacourse station and another small playground to the right.

Short trail into the center area of the park. I wanted to see some historical signs back here, so quick detour.

Random stage.

Monument to the Utah Idaho Sugar Factory, which was just a little ways south of here. Check out the new, and neat Sugar beet statue called Rooted.

“Utah Idaho Sugar Factory

West Jordan, Utah 1916-1970

In 1849 Governor Brigham Young sent Apostle John Taylor on a mission to France to investigate industries that could be successfully established in the New Mountain Empire. There he met Philip De Lamare, a man of exceptional talents and substantial means, who had a knowledge of the sugar industry. In Orras, France, they carefully examined the sugar beet industry, and convinced of its possibilities, raised funds in England and purchased equipment in Liverpool, England. Early in 1852 the equipment was shipped to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Then it was placed on 40 sturdy Santa Fe wagons; each drawn by 4 to 8 oxen. This private enterprise faced monumental setbacks and many wagons were replaced before they reached Provo, Utah one year later. Due to insufficient funds, ownership of the property was transferred to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who set up a “pilot plant” on the northeast corner of the Temple block. Another plant was built on Parley’s Creek and later known as “Sugarhouse”. In 1854 the factory was ready for operation but it never flourished due to inexperience, lack of organization, marketing, weather and spoilage.

The vision was not dead, however. Arthur Stayner examined the industry in California and with 20 stockholders, he organized the Utah Sugar Company of Lehi, Utah, August 30, 1889. The original principals involved were: Elias Morris, President; Franci Armstrong, Vice President; James Jack, Treasurer; Arthur Staymer, Secretary and General Manager, and James H. Gardner, Sugar Boiler.

This venture was successful and provided the incentive for other factories in Utah and Idaho, including the large U & I Plant at West Jordan, which became the model of productivity, research, and cooperation between farmers, producers, and consumers for 55 years. Great economic growth was derived from the millions of dollars dispersed throughout Utah and Idaho from research and the manufacturing of sugars and syrups.

Over 13,163,157 one-hundred pound sacks of sugar were produced from over 4,910,869 tons of sugar beets. The West Jordan Plant’s research contributed to the control of sugar beet diseases, including the dreaded “curly top,” and in development of Hybrid Monogerm seeds. The factory was constructed at West Jordan, Utah, for Utah Idaho Sugar by F. M. Dyers & Company. The original officers were Joseph F. Smith, President; Thomas R. Cutler, Vice President and General Manager and Horace G. Whitney, Secretary and Treasurer."

The other side.

“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 receivership 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.”

The random stage again.

Heading back to the main outer loop.

South Redwood WIC, The West Jordan Fire Department, and West Jordan City Hall.

The park.

Another Vitacourse station.

Or you know, monkey bars as we called them on the school playground back when the earth was young.

The park again.

Looking back at the large pavilion and the random stage.

The park.

Faint sun dog.

The park.

Military Services Monument.

They have a little alcove with the flag for each branch of the military. This one for Army.

And benches dedicated to veterans.

Coast Guard.

I did take a picture of all the flags, but it is a super calm day and furled they all look the same.

Another bench.

Air Force.

The a little opening with the American flag.

Cool panels.

I like this monument.

For the “Air Pirates”.

Gold Star Families Memorial Monument. This looks like the one we saw in Draper City Park.

The south side of the monument.

South side of the fountain. It is better in the summer.

Continuing back along the other side.

Another tribute.

At first glance I thought the trees were holding some autumn foliage (with this weird ass warm and dry winter it didn’t seem like too much of a stretch of the imagination). But, upon closer look they are berries of some sort.

Using image search suggests they might be Washington hawthorn trees.

Navy.

Merchant Marine.

Marine Corps

Another bench.

Just to the northeast of the memorial is the West Jordan Historical Museum grounds. We still need to come back when it is not a special event.

I decided to do another little detour out to the north end of the property.

The Cottage Inn to the left. It was West Jordan’s first soda fountain/lunch counter/small grocery store from 1937. They are still working on restoring it. Right is the old Steadman Barn.

More of the grounds.

Well snap. I thought it was just Murray that was super happy about putting their logo on everything. It looks like West Jordan is too.

More of the museum property.

The museum itself. It is an old homestead.

The north end.

The sign.

The other side.

The museum is only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-5 PM and is donation based. One of these days we will come check it out when it isn't a special event.

West side.

East side, which has a little orchard.

Panoramic of the east side.

Back to the main loop.

The Cottage Inn building again.

The Steadman Barn again.

Another baseball diamond.

Nice bench with the West Jordan logo.

Mountains, and another path into the park.

Panoramic.

Well, that is the park. It has some neat stuff to see, but I think it falls into 5th place along my favorite large parks in the valley. Liberty Park being my favorite. Sugar House Park in 2nd place, Murray Park in #3 and Bingham Creek Regional Park at #4. But, again, it is a good park on the west side of town with some neat stuff. The main loop is a little short. But, if you have more energy, do 2 loops. Meh, 6 out of 10 squirrels.