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Fascinating Historical Photos of Salt Lake City in the Early 20th Century

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At the beginning of the 20th Century, Salt Lake City was home to Industrial Workers of the World. The city was developing rapidly, and the population was also growing rapidly. Many historic buildings were constructed, including the State Capitol. Residents of the Avenues, Capitol Hill, Liberty Park, and Sugarhouse areas could commute to downtown by way of electric trolleys parked at Trolley Square. Over the years, trolleys were gradually replaced by buses. Eagle Gate, which had previously been used as a gate into Brigham Young’s estate, was rebuilt so traffic could flow properly. Several parks were constructed, sewer systems and streetlights were installed, and roads were paved during that time.

The economy of Salt Lake City was disrupted during the Great Depression. About 36% of the workforce was unemployed at its peak. Job opportunities were scarce. The growth resumed again during World War II when the war industries and military installations revitalized the economy.

Below are some stunning historical photos of Salt Lake City from the 1900s to the 1930s. These photos depict streets, landmarks, and the life of the city in the early 20th century.

#1 5-10 and 15 Cents Stores, August 1909.

5-10 and 15 Cents Stores, August 1909.

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#2 Yellowstone Park Sign on Smith Drug Store, Salt Lake City, 1910.

Yellowstone Park Sign on Smith Drug Store, Salt Lake City, 1910.

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#3 Main Street Looking South, Salt Lake City, 1920

Main Street Looking South, Salt Lake City, 1920

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#4 Newhouse Building and Federal Building From Rear of Greenewald Furniture Store, Salt Lake City, December 1908.

Newhouse Building and Federal Building From Rear of Greenewald Furniture Store, Salt Lake City, December 1908.

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#5 Native Americans of the Shoshone tribe in Salt Lake City, 1900.

Native Americans of the Shoshone tribe in Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#6 E. L. Horr opened a bicycle repair and rental shop in Murray Utah at 4473 South State Street in 1902.

E. L. Horr opened a bicycle repair and rental shop in Murray Utah at 4473 South State Street in 1902.

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#7 Stonecutters split granite boulders in Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, for use in building the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City.

Stonecutters split granite boulders in Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, for use in building the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City.

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#8 A view down one of Salt Lake City’s main thoroughfares, 1935.

A view down one of Salt Lake City's main thoroughfares, 1935.

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#9 Frankenstein and Dracula 1938 Double Bill at Victory Theatre, Salt Lake City.

Frankenstein and Dracula 1938 Double Bill at Victory Theatre, Salt Lake City.

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#10 Swimmers at the original Saltair

Swimmers at the original Saltair

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#11 Centre Theater 300 S and State Street in Salt Lake City in 1937.

Centre Theater 300 S and State Street in Salt Lake City in 1937.

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#12 Downtown Salt Lake City, 1930s.

Downtown Salt Lake City, 1930s.

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#13 Salt Lake City, 1930s.

Salt Lake City, 1930s.

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#14 Main Street in Salt Lake City in 1936.

Main Street in Salt Lake City in 1936.

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#15 One of Great Salt Lake City’s first fire engines featured steam-powered pressure.

One of Great Salt Lake City's first fire engines featured steam-powered pressure.

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#16 Salt Lake City, 1930s.

Salt Lake City, 1930s.

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#17 Keith O’Brien Company Millinery Department with Women, March 1908.

Keith O'Brien Company Millinery Department with Women, March 1908.

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#18 Gardner and Adams Window at Night, 1908.

Gardner and Adams Window at Night, 1908.

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#19 Inter-mountain Electric Company Window, 1916.

Inter-mountain Electric Company Window, 1916.

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#20 Keith O’Brien Company, Millinery, 1908.

Keith O'Brien Company, Millinery, 1908.

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#21 Bill Rishel in Velie Pathfinder, Salt Lake City, 1913.

Bill Rishel in Velie Pathfinder, Salt Lake City, 1913.

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#22 Auto Supply Company, B.F. Goodrich Tires, Salt Lake City, 1918.

Auto Supply Company, B.F. Goodrich Tires, Salt Lake City, 1918.

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#23 Ambulance, The Boss Rubber Company, Salt Lake City, December 1915.

Ambulance, The Boss Rubber Company, Salt Lake City, December 1915.

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#24 Clayton Picture of Daynes Music Company, Salt Lake City, 1909.

Clayton Picture of Daynes Music Company, Salt Lake City, 1909.

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#25 Sixth Avenue Drug Store Interior, 1920.

Sixth Avenue Drug Store Interior, 1920.

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#26 Lucas Truck, Salt Lake City, February 1914.

Lucas Truck, Salt Lake City, February 1914.

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#27 Halliday Drug Store Interior, Salt Lake City, October 1905.

Halliday Drug Store Interior, Salt Lake City, October 1905.

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#28 O’Brien Company, Dry Goods Department, March 1908.

O'Brien Company, Dry Goods Department, March 1908.

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#29 Huddart Floral Exterior, Salt Lake City, October 1904.

Huddart Floral Exterior, Salt Lake City, October 1904.

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#30 Meredith Auto Company, Ford Auto in Front of Store, July 1910.

Meredith Auto Company, Ford Auto in Front of Store, July 1910.

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#31 A wooden Mormon ‘punishment horse’ at Salt Lake City, 1900.

A wooden Mormon 'punishment horse' at Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#32 The building of the railway bridge over the river at Salt Lake City in Utah with the beginnings of a settlement by the Mormon sect evident.

The building of the railway bridge over the river at Salt Lake City in Utah with the beginnings of a settlement by the Mormon sect evident.

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#33 View along Main Street in Salt Lake City, 1900.

View along Main Street in Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#34 East Temple Street Unpaved East Side Now Called Main Street As It Appeared In Early Frontier Days Salt Lake City, 1900.

East Temple Street Unpaved East Side Now Called Main Street As It Appeared In Early Frontier Days Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#35 View over Salt Lake City with a Mormon Temple in the centre, 1900.

View over Salt Lake City with a Mormon Temple in the centre, 1900.

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#36 Main Street, Salt Lake City, 1990.

Main Street, Salt Lake City, 1990.

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#37 West Side Main St., Salt Lake City, 1900.

West Side Main St., Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#38 The Temple square, 1990.

The Temple square, 1990.

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#39 One of the main roads in Salt Lake City, 1900.

One of the main roads in Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#40 Psychomotricity session for a cerebral handicapped child at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, 1900s.

Psychomotricity session for a cerebral handicapped child at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, 1900s.

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#41 The Beehive (one of B. Young’s Residences.) Salt Lake City, 1900.

The Beehive (one of B. Young's Residences.) Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#42 A mother holding her daughter from a balcony, preventing her elopement with a man sprawled on the ground below, 1905.

A mother holding her daughter from a balcony, preventing her elopement with a man sprawled on the ground below, 1905.

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#43 The Salt Lake Drawbridge in Long Beach, 1909.

The Salt Lake Drawbridge in Long Beach, 1909.

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#44 Mansions in the main street, Salt Lake City, 1910s.

Mansions in the main street, Salt Lake City, 1910s.

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#45 Crowd rushes to see President Franklin D. Roosevelt on his stop in Salt Lake City, 1935.

Crowd rushes to see President Franklin D. Roosevelt on his stop in Salt Lake City, 1935.

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#46 Brigham Young’s Gabled House, Salt Lake City, 1934.

Brigham Young's Gabled House, Salt Lake City, 1934.

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#47 Salt Lake City, 1930.

Salt Lake City, 1930.

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#48 Salt Lake City street at night, 1930.

Salt Lake City street at night, 1930.

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#49 Looking down Main Street in Salt Lake City

Looking down Main Street in Salt Lake City

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#50 George Albert Smith and temple electrician Ephraim Holding install electric lights on the copper finials on the southeastern tower of the temple.

George Albert Smith and temple electrician Ephraim Holding install electric lights on the copper finials on the southeastern tower of the temple.

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#51 E. L. Horr opened a bicycle repair and rental shop in Murray Utah at 4473 South State Street in 1902

E. L. Horr opened a bicycle repair and rental shop in Murray Utah at 4473 South State Street in 1902

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#52 People swimming in The Great Salt Lake at the Saltair II in 1933

People swimming in The Great Salt Lake at the Saltair II in 1933

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#53 On the Great Salt Lake, salt harvesters line up.

On the Great Salt Lake, salt harvesters line up.

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#54 Situated on the opposite tower, Carter photographed temple workers standing on the pinnacle where the capstone was to be lowered into place.

Situated on the opposite tower, Carter photographed temple workers standing on the pinnacle where the capstone was to be lowered into place.

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#55 Part of Main Street, 1900.

Part of Main Street, 1900.

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#56 Salt Lake City Intersection, 1900.

Salt Lake City Intersection, 1900.

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#57 C.W. Carter’s gallery moved to 207-209 West First South.

C.W. Carter's gallery moved to 207-209 West First South.

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#58 Workers in the Utah Woolen Mills.

Workers in the Utah Woolen Mills.

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#59 Salt Lake City, 1930s.

Salt Lake City, 1930s.

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#60 The Town Clock Store on East Temple Street.

The Town Clock Store on East Temple Street.

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#61 Clerks in Samuel Teasdel’s general merchandise store on East Temple Street.

Clerks in Samuel Teasdel's general merchandise store on East Temple Street.

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#62 Salt Lake City, 1900s.

Salt Lake City, 1900s.

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#63 Salt Lake City, 1930s.

Salt Lake City, 1930s.

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#64 New Mormon Temple under construction, 1900.

New Mormon Temple under construction, 1900.

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#65 Mormons – Conference in the Mormon Temple of Salt Lake City, 1900.

Mormons - Conference in the Mormon Temple of Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#66 View of Mormon Temple Salt Lake, 1900.

View of Mormon Temple Salt Lake, 1900.

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#67 The Mormon Temple at Salt Lake City, 1900.

The Mormon Temple at Salt Lake City, 1900.

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#68 The Celestial Room in Salt Lake City’s Mormon Temple, 1911.

The Celestial Room in Salt Lake City's Mormon Temple, 1911.

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#69 Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

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#70 Mormon missionaries on their way east.

Mormon missionaries on their way east.

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#71 Workmen on the interior of the temple.

Workmen on the interior of the temple.

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#72 An early view of the Beehive House, the residence of Brigham Young.

An early view of the Beehive House, the residence of Brigham Young.

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Written by Aung Budhh

Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.

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Armin Salem says:

October 17, 2021 at 08:11 Copy Link of a Comment

I really like this

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Theodore Roy says:

October 17, 2021 at 08:12 Copy Link of a Comment

The geography has never changed. Wood and coal were the primary methods of heating back then, and emission standards did not exist. Per capita, we’re so much better now, but our air is still polluted.

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