Bathing Resorts

Since pioneers of the Church of Latter Day Saints arrived in the valley of the Great Salt Lake in the 1840s, they were drawn to the Lake for the purposes of taking a refreshing dip. It wasn’t long before bathing resorts sprung up to cater to the bathers. The most famous, Saltair, first opened its doors in 1893, and was jointly owned by the LDS church and the Salt Lake & Los Angeles Railway. It was designed by the Utah architect Richard Kletting, and some of the 2,000 pilings and posts that it rested on are still visible. Saltair contributed to the early history of amusement parks, intended as a western version of the popular Coney Island. The church sold the resort in 1906. In 1925 the original pavilion was destroyed by fire. The resort was rebuilt, but it didn’t achieve the same success as the original incarnation; new technologies such as motion pictures and radio kept people amused closer to home, in addition to the dampening effect of the Great Depression. Saltair II’s new dancefloor was the largest in the world at the time, and the amusement and bathing activities became secondary to dancing and traveling bands. Two arson-lit fires in 1967 and 1970 destroyed the structure, which, by then, had seen better times. A third manifestation of Saltair was built in 1981, out of a salvaged aircraft hangar from Hill Air Force Base, about a mile west of the original. Saltair’s biggest competition came from the Garfield Beach Bathing Resort, in addition to Lake Side, Lake Point, and the short-lived resort at Black Rock. The Garfield Beach resort began in 1881, was purchased by the Utah and Nevada Railroad six years later, and by Union Pacific five years after that, with each investing in upgrades and improvements. It was the first resort on the Lake to have an electric generator and lights.

Photo of the Garfield Beach Bathing Resort at south end of Great Salt Lake, probably in the 1890s. From the Great Salt Lake Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Garfield Beach Resort, Great Salt Lake.

Photo of people swimming in the Great Salt Lake at Saltair Resort, 1908. From the Edward P. Jennings Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Photo showing people swimming in Great Salt Lake at Saltair Resort, 1908; north end of Oquirrh Mountains in distance. From the Edward P. Jennings Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

A hundred thousand dollar smile at the 'Saltair,' August 22, 1917: Photo shows Henry Kasai (upper right) and others on the swimming pier at Saltair Resort (south end of Great Salt Lake) in August of 1917. From the Henry Y. Kasai Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Photo of Saltair Resort with swimmers in the Great Salt Lake. From the Edward P. Jennings Photograph Collection, Marriott Digital Library.

Saltair, July 4th, 1913. From the Harry Shipler Commercial Photograph Collection, Copyright Utah State Historical Society.

Saltair, circa 1910. From the Harry Shipler Commercial Photograph Collection, Copyright Utah State Historical Society.

Click here for the full oral history with Dave Shearer

Dave Shearer is currently the harbormaster at the Great Salt Lake State Park Marina. He has been serving in that post since 1998. He moved to the marina in 1998, living on a boat docked there, and began volunteering with the Park Service on search and rescue until his appointment as harbormaster. Dave grew up in the Salt Lake area and first came to Great Salt Lake on a field trip in elementary school. He started sailboating with his family when he was ten. Eventually, along with his father and brother, he began sailboat racing and competed for many years all over the world. In this interview, Dave talks about his life and work at the Marina. He describes the business of running the marina. He discusses his search and rescue activities on the lake. He shares his thoughts about the lake, along with his hopes and vision of the lake’s future.

Click here for the full oral history with Tiff Jackson

Tiff(any) Jackson was born and raised in Bountiful, Utah. She grew up with a perfect view of the Great Salt Lake from her east bench childhood home. Her family spent time horseback riding on Antelope Island and swimming on the south shore of the lake. Tiff took her first sailing trip on the lake in the early 2000s and joined the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club the same year. She became involved with the club leadership first as the Social Director, and then was elected Commodore in November 2013. Tiff talks about the history and purpose of the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club, the activities of the club, and her involvement with the group. She relates personal experiences she’s had on the lake, along with favorite locations and memories.

Click here for the full oral history with Gordon Gridley

Gordon Gridley was born and raised in Utah. He graduated from West High School, where he participated on the school swim team. He attended Ricks College in Idaho, the University of Utah, and Weber State University. He works as a software developer. Mr. Gridley was first introduced to open water swimming as a Boy Scout. He later participated in triathlons and became interested in swimming at the Great Salt Lake. He started the Great Salt Lake Open Water Marathon, and trained at the lake in preparation for swimming the English Channel, which he completed in August 2012. He is a Triple Crown open water swimmer, having swum the English Channel, Catalina Island, and the Manhattan Island Marathon. He successfully completed the Ice Mile Swim at Great Salt Lake in December 2013. He is actively involved in the Utah Master’s Swimming Program.

Click here for the full oral history with Gordon Gridley

In this clip, Gordon talks about the Great Salt Lake Open Water Marathon

Click here for the full oral history with Joshua Kelly Green

Joshua Green was born and raised in Centerville, Utah. He graduated from Viewmont High School, where he was on the school swim team. He then attended the University of Utah, where he received his business degree. He is also a certified general appraiser. Joshua was co-founder of the Great Salt Lake Open Water Marathon, and the Bear Lake Monster Swim. He is also actively involved in the Utah Master’s Swimming Program. He regularly swims and trains in the Great Salt Lake.

Click here for the full oral history with Joshua Kelly Green

In this clip, Josh Green talks more about the Great Salt Lake Open Water Marathon.

Photo of Peter Panagos and son John swimming in the Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1941. From the Greek Archives Photograph Collection, Mariott Digital Library.

Swimmers at the Great Salt Lake, Circa 1910s, 1920s. From the Japanese Church of Christ Photograph Collection, Mariott Digital Library.

Seth Horowitz swimming in the Great Salt Lake, April 2020. "I am an avid Masters Swimming, since all the pools have closed, I have decided to socially distance and swim in the Great Salt Lake, despite the 55 degree water, it has been an awesome and unique new routine." From the Utah COVID-19 Photograph Project, Marriott Digital Library.