Murray City Diesel Power Plant

The Murray City Diesel Power Plant was built in four major phases between 1927 and 1959. It is located at 157 W 4800 South in Murray, Utah.

The plant is a brick building in the early twentieth century commercial style with Roman-style arched windows.

The building appears to be two-stories tall on the exterior, but is one-story with a small mezzanine on the interior.

Each time the building was expanded exterior walls were removed to allow additional diesel generators to be moved in and to maintain the open floor plan.

The original section was built in 1927 and is in the southwest corner of the current building.

In 1934, the building was doubled in size to the east. In the southeast corner of the building, a Fairbanks-Morse diesel generator (installed in 1934) is in its original location.

Between 1947 and 1948, the building doubled in sized again to the north. The last major modification came in 1959 when the roof structure over the south half was replaced.

A neon sign installed in 1952 is a prominent feature on the façade.

The Murray City Diesel Power Plant has excellent integrity and is a contributing historic resource in the industrial corridor just west of Murray City’s historic downtown business district.

Text/images from NRHP nomination, Utah Historical Society

A Peek Inside the Historic Henry Dinwoodey Mansion

 A peek inside the historic Henry Dinwoodey House, at 411 East 100 South Salt Lake City.

Built in 1890 and designed by Richard Kletting, architect of the Utah State Capitol and other prominent SLC buildings. The house was built as a home for Sara Kinersley, the third polygamous wife of Henry Dinwoodey, a Mormon. It is historically significant mostly for its connection to Henry Dinwoodey, owner of a very successful furniture business in Utah and the broader Intermountain region. Dinwoodey was jailed as a polygamist in the 1880s.  Text from Wikipedia.

I was able to tour the interior of the house on January 21, 2026. Here are a few photos:

Dinwoodey House, at 411 East 100 South Salt Lake City

Main floor

Main floor

Main floor

Main floor

Main floor

Main floor

Main floor

Main floor

2nd floor

 3rd (Top) floor

Exterior

Downtown SLC Lamp Posts

 An original to SLC, these ornamental lamp posts feature a medallion depicting the profile of a Native American man.

Installed in 1921 as part of the second phase of SLC’s streetlighting upgrades, they added a decorative element to the new lights along State Street and Broadway (300 South).

Photograph of post on State Street (2022).

Electric streetlights were first installed along Main Street in 1881, making SLC the fifth city in the US to do so.

In 1916, SLC upgraded the Main Street lights from arc lamps to tungsten incandescent lighting. When the new tungsten system was switched on along Main Street on September 30, 1916, SLC became the first city in the United States to illuminate a street with tungsten lighting. San Francisco followed four days later, on October 4, 1916.

Utah Power and Light Company pole, December 27, 2021. Image from USHS.

Detail of above.

In 1921, tungsten lighting was extended to State Street and Broadway (300 South). A distinguishing aspect of these streetlights was the addition of a decorative motif at the base of the lamp posts: a medallion bearing the profile of a Native American man.

At the time of the lighting ceremony, the Deseret News described the design as representing “the head of Chief Timpanogos, an Indian chief [perhaps referring to Chief Tabby-To-Kwanah]” and “reminiscent of the days when State Street was an Indian trail." Neither claim is historically accurate and instead reflects the romanticized “Vanishing Indian” mythology prevalent in the 1920s.

In 1951, a Salt Lake Telegram article explained that the Utah State Historical Society and Utah Power and Light Co. agreed the design was not intended to represent a single individual. Instead, the motif originated with the casting company Union Metal, with additional redrawing by H. Allan Gardner, an engineer with Utah Power and Light, the company responsible for installing the streetlights.

H. Allan Gardner, from Salt Lake Herald Oct 20, 1920 p35.

Union Metal was particularly proud of the design (number 1161) and featured it prominently in their 1920s catalogs to showcase the sharpness and quality of the casting.

Examples of designs from the 1924 Union Metal Manufacturing Co. Catalog. From Internet Archive.

Highlighting the SLC design in the 1924 Union Metal Manufacturing Co. Catalog. From Internet Archive.

I have not identified another city where this Native American profile medallion was utilized. Perhaps you know of another?

Updates on Adaptive Reuse and Preservation Projects in SLC

 A few of my observed updates on Adaptive Reuse and Preservation projects in Salt Lake City. 

1) The Pickle & Hide building at 739 S 400 W SLC. Some new windows in the Hide building. The Utah Pickle building was demolished in May 2025 and a replacement is being built with a similar design.

2) The Salisbury Mansion at 574 E 100 South is slowly advancing. The old Evans and Early mortuary is being transformed to an assisted living facility. Some non-contributing additions to the primary structure have been removed and the stonework repaired. The old 1972 garage was demolished and a new addition is being completed. This project has oversight by the SLC Historic Landmark Commission as the building is a local historic landmark.

3-4) The Liberty Wells Recreation Center at 707 S 400 East SLC is finished with the modifications to some windows/door openings and  new windows have recently been installed. Construction of new single family attached houses continues on the old recreation field. 

5) The remaining silos of the old Cereal Food Processors and one associated building have recently been repainted. Construction for the new apartment buildings are continuing. The Midwest Casket Co Building at 440 W 600 South is part of this overall project and is planned to also be adaptively reused.