City Creek

The creek that built a city

As City Creek flowed out of the canyon, it split into two main branches – one of which ran through the western part of this block continuing on to the south of the city where it joined other creeks before reaching the Jordan River.  As the city grew, residents constructed bridges across the creek to allow the passage of traffic and built houses and stores along its banks.  Each spring brought a heavy run-off from the melting snow in the mountains, often causing property damage for those near the creek.

After particularly heavy flooding in 1853, the city consolidated both creek branches into a wide ditch down the center of North Temple Street to contain flooding.  The water went directly from the mouth of City Creek Canyon to the Jordan River.  The growing city soon obliterated the original creek bed and its original course was largely forgotten.