Murray is a city situated on the Wasatch Front in the core of Salt Lake Valley in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for territorial governor Eli Murray,and according to the 2020 census,Murray had a population of 50,637. Murray shares borders with Taylorsville,Holladay,South Salt Lake,Millcreek and West Jordan,Utah. Once teeming with heavy industry,Murray's industry mix has now shifted significantly toward healthcare,retail,and professional,scientific,and technical services. Known for its central location in Salt Lake County,Murray has been called the Hub of Salt Lake County. Unlike most of its neighboring communities,Murray operates its own police,fire,power,water,library,and parks and recreation departments and has its own school district. While maintaining many of its own services,Murray has one of the lowest city tax rates in the state.
Eagle Mountain is a city in Utah County,Utah. It is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The city is located to the west as well as north of the Lake Mountains,which are west of Utah Lake. It was incorporated on 3 December 1996 and had been rapidly growing. The population was 43,623 at the 2020 census. Although Eagle Mountain was a town in 2000,it has since been classified as a third-class city by state law on Sept. 4th 2001. In its short history,the city has quickly become known for its rapid growth.
The Salt Lake City Council Hall is currently home to offices of the Utah Office of Tourism and the Utah Film Commission and is located on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City,Utah. Built in 1864-66,the building is historically important as the Old Salt Lake City Hall or just Old City Hall from 1866 to 1894. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975,as an emblem of the conflicts between the governments of the Utah Territory and the United States in the 19th century.
Originally,the Salt Lake Valley was inhabited by the Shoshone,Paiute,Goshute and Ute Native American tribes. At the time of the founding of Salt Lake City the valley was within the territory of the Northwestern Shoshone,who had their seasonal camps along streams within the valley and in adjacent valleys. One of the local Shoshone tribes,the Western Goshute tribe,referred to the Great Salt Lake as Pi'a-pa,meaning "big water",or Ti'tsa-pa,meaning "bad water". The land was treated by the United States as public domain;no aboriginal title by the Northwestern Shoshone was ever recognized by the United States or extinguished by treaty with the United States. Father Silvestre Vélez de Escalante,a Spanish Franciscan missionary is considered the first European explorer in the area in 1776,but only came as far north as Utah valley (Provo),some 60 miles south of the Salt Lake City area. The first US visitor to see the Salt Lake area was Jim Bridger in 1824. U.S. Army officer John C. Frémont surveyed the Great Salt Lake and the Salt Lake Valley in 1843 and 1845. The Donner Party,a group of ill-fated pioneers,traveled through the Great Salt Lake Valley a year before the Mormon pioneers. This group had spent weeks traversing difficult terrain and brush,cutting a road through the Wasatch Mountains,coming through Emigration canyon into the Salt Lake Valley on August 12,1846. This same path would be used by the vanguard company of Mormon pioneers,and for many years after that by those following them to Salt Lake.
The Liberal Party was a political party established in the latter half of the 1800s in Utah Territory before the national Democrats and Republicans established themselves in Utah in the early 1890s.
William Spry was an American politician who was the third governor of the State of Utah. He is the namesake of the William Spry Agriculture Building that houses the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
The Murray Downtown Residential Historic District is the best representative area of the residential settlement and development of the city of Murray,Utah,United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. It is locally significant as a physical reflection of its residential architecture and the historic development of the city from its agricultural beginnings through its industrial era and current status as a small suburban city. The buildings within the district represent the wide range of architectural styles and plans popular in the city and the state of Utah between 1870 and 1954 and retain a high degree of integrity.
Vaughn Carvel Soffe was mayor of Murray,Utah from 1971 to 1977. During his administration,Murray established Ken Price Field and Murray Parkway Golf Course,in addition to youth baseball and basketball programs. Murray also successfully defended itself from Salt Lake County challenging its re-development plans.
John Ream Curtis is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Utah's 3rd congressional district since 2017. Before his election to Congress,Curtis,a Republican,served as mayor of Provo,Utah,from 2010 to 2017. On November 7,2017,he won a special election to replace Jason Chaffetz in Congress after Chaffetz resigned. He was reelected in 2018,2020,and 2022. He is a candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in Utah.
Ray P. Greenwood was a Utah State Legislator,Salt Lake County commissioner and Mayor of Murray,Utah. He was a lifelong resident of Salt Lake County and born near Sandy,Utah where he graduated from Jordan High School. He served in the field artillery overseas during World War I,and returned to be a farmer and cattle rancher.
William Ernest "Ernie" Smith served one term as mayor of Murray,Utah from 1946-1947. He preferred to be known as Ernest or Ernie to differentiate between him and his father. Ernest was son of local businessman William Smith who owned the Murray Meat and Grocery store and whom later oversaw the store.
Charles Anderson (November 18,1875 –October 11,1949) was mayor of Murray,Utah from 1920 to 1923.
Gottlieb R. Berger served as mayor of Murray,Utah from 1934 to 1941. He was a foreman for the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO),and was a member of Fraternal Order of Eagles. He was a son of Murray founding father Gottlieb Berger who served on the city council when the city was incorporated.
Isaac Lester (1875-1956) was mayor of Murray,Utah from 1923 to 1929. He was Murray's first mayor to serve three terms. Lester defeated incumbent Charles Anderson. Lester's term was noted for improving a lighting system for the city and offering a contract through Utah Power and Light Company for the service. He was a member of the fraternal order Woodmen of the World. Prior to his election,he was a Sergeant in 4th Regimental Cavalry in the Spanish–American War and was a chief in the Murray fire department.
James Wilson McHenry was mayor of Murray,Utah from 1916 to 1917. McHenry was born in Nashville,Tennessee and moved to Murray in 1881. He worked for the LDS Church supervising its tithing yard in Salt Lake City. He helped organize the Murray Commercial Club and later formed the Salt Lake Commercial Club. He later oversaw the foundation of a West Jordan sugar beet factory.
George Albert Huscher was elected mayor of Murray,Utah from 1912 and re-elected in 1914. He ran for the statewide office of Secretary of State in 1916 but was defeated. He remains to date the Socialist party’s highest elected official in Utah. Murray had a huge labor and union population that was affiliated with the many smelter operations in the area,which backed Murray’s Socialist party over the competing Citizen’s party. Huscher’s victory caused a two-day celebration,including a parade and bonfires that was finally put to an end by the city marshal. Huscher was born in Windsor,Ontario Canada. He came to Murray in 1900 and owned the Murray City Pharmacy until 1920 when he moved to California. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Samuel C. Park was an American businessman and politician from Utah. A Republican,he served in the Utah State Senate from 1905 to 1909 and on the Salt Lake City School Board from 1909 to 1912. Park served as Mayor of Salt Lake City from 1912 to 1916.
Erin Mendenhall is an American politician and activist who has been serving as the mayor of Salt Lake City,Utah since 2020. Upon taking office as Salt Lake City’s 36th mayor,Mendenhall became the city’s third and youngest woman in the role. Prior to assuming office,Mendenhall represented the city’s 5th district on the Salt Lake City Council.
Blake David Moore is an American politician and former diplomat from the state of Utah. He is the U.S. representative for Utah's 1st congressional district,serving since January 2021. Since November 8,2023,he has been vice chair of the House Republican Conference.
Trent Staggs is an American politician,serving as the mayor of Riverton,Utah since 2018. A member of the Republican Party,he previously served on the Riverton City Council and is a candidate for the United States Senate. He was the Republican nominee for mayor of Salt Lake County,Utah in the 2020 election,losing to Democrat Jenny Wilson.
