-NW Summit County Locations & Homes
NW Summit County Locations & Homes
Summit County, Utah Driving Tours
Moose Valley aka Snyderville Basin Driving Tour
c. 1900’s – Parley’s Park, Snyderville Basin now known as Moose Valley
“Undaunted and eager, the last century’s pioneers rushed into this wild frontier. To them it was a limitless land, full of riches and treasure. Yet so uncaring they cut and dug with little foresight, they used the land, fashioning empires of gold and silver. Few glimpsed this land’s future wealth. For within these rock peaks and green valleys hid a different treasure, a rich and robust landscape of clean, spacious beauty for a new century’s frontier.This wondrous place is Parley’s Park, a broad valley backed by high, glaciated peaks, where spring run-off has layered it with deep, dark earth; and where along its weaving streams, native cottonwood and willow, grow white aspen and oak. Spruce and pine cover the western slope.
Our valley recovered with an ever-giving and bountiful display of beauty. Then provided us with a new wealth, the rich resource of white powder that is bountifully harvested at Silver Lake, Treasure Mountain, ParkWest, and around each of our homes. This new century has brought new pioneers who saw a different view of this land. They have embraced the meadows, and the streams, and the peaks, and share in its clean, ever-changing, breath-taking splendor.
People work better where they live better. We are so fortunate to live in this diverse and inspiring mountain meadow, governed by the unity of nature herself.” — Text paraphrased from the original Silver Springs sales brochure, 1979 Vern & Virginia Hardman.
Snderville in Summit County, Utah is four miles northwest of Park City (originally known as Parley’s Park City. Parley was the Mormon apostle Parley Parker Pratt. Early settlers were Jedediah M. Grant, Heber C. Kimball (another Mormon apostle), and Samuel Comstock Snyder, who developed mine holdings, a sawmill, and a grist mill in the area now developed as Snyder’s’ Mill and Silver Springs. After this intersection became a station for the Overland Stage it became known as Snyders’ Station, then years later Snyderville, named for George Gideon Snyder (1819-1887; a probate judge who named Park City), the younger brother of Samuel.
Condas sheepherder cabin off White Pine Canyon Road and Highway 224
Samuel Stockwell Snyder – (1808-1866) In 1850, when the road was completed up “Big Kanyon”, Sam Snyder chose a location for his home on Spring Creek. This being in the Southwest section of Parley’s Park, where the streams come down from the high mountains, and the land starts to level out toward the flat meadows. Here he started to build a saw mill. The waters from White Pine, Red Pine, and Willow Creek were directed into a reservoir – the water then used to turn the wheel and operate the first grist mill,saw mill, and turning and lathing machines in Summit County and one of the first in Utah.The mountains were heavily forested with pines and quaking aspens. Many of the first homes in Salt Lake City were built from lumber from “Snyder’s Mill”. To help in this business Samuel brought with him his two married daughters and families Parmelia (Meltiar) Hatch and Betsey (Jesse) Johnstun, as well as his oldest son, Ephraim Stockwell Snyder, who was 20 years old.
William Henry Kimball – another early settler in Parley’s Park. He started a stagecoach business in 1854, vying with Brigham Young’s X-Y Express for the federal mail contracts. His business was interrupted when Pres. Young called him to serve a mission for the Mormon Church to England 1854-1857. After his return, around 1860 or 1862 William built the Kimball Hotel and Overland Stage Stop in Parley’s Park, a place well known for many years to travelers on the “Old Overland Pony Express” mail route, and eventually the route was part of the coast to coast Lincoln Highway.. William lived most of the time in Salt Lake City with his first wife Mary Davenport. He married his second wife on December 24, 1851, the widow of William Coray. Melissa Burton Coray Kimball (1828-1903) and her seven children were the resident proprietors of the Kimball Hotel. Melissa ran the store, hotel and post office at Kimball Junction in Summit County, Utah for many years until they sold it c.1868 to Mr. Sellars. William served as the Postmaster (Melissa taking on the daily duties), leaving the actual work in Melissa’s care. The hotel was a massive eleven room structure constructed of native stone, at a cost of $10,000, nails and materials being so costly. It stands today near Kimball’s Junction north off I-80 at 1318 Bitner Road.
Kimball Overland Stage Hotel now Bitner homestead and sheep ranch (2009)
A.k.a. Kimball Ranch and Bitner Ranch (630 W. Bitner Road) Summit County, Utah
Chester Comstock Snyder (1815-1888) – son of Isaac Snyder and Lovisa Comstock, brother of Samuel Snyder, brought his third wife Electa Murdock (1841-1887) to Parley’s Park, they were the first couple to remain here and be buried here at Snyder’s Cemetery.
1860 – Spring Creek Ranch a.k.a. now as the home of Nichols Swaner. This early pioneer home was built from local red sandstone blocks.
Spring Creek Ranch belongs to Nichols Swaner at 1318 W. Bitner Road
however the mailing address is 6598 Glenwild Dr., Summit County, Utah 84098
This historic home serves as the headquarters for the Swaner Nature Preserve Organization.
[This home was once known as the “Black Angus Ranch” that belonged to Patriarch Gayle Evans and his wife Lola around the mid-1980’s. It is in the vicinity of the recently built Black Hawk Station subdivision.]
This red sandstone house was built by Stovens, later acquired by Burt Kimball then was later occupied by the Edward Tree family, who sold to a group called “3Ms”, who sold to Leland Swaner in the 1960’s(?).
Another home built in the 1860‘s was the Thomas Powers Ranch at 4137 Hwy. 224.
In 1887 William Archibald purchased the Powers Ranch. This house was built in 1927.
Thomas Powers Ranch barn and shop, cinder block small milking barn on right.
In June of the same year Ephraim S. Snyder was called to preside over the Saints by William W. Cluff, the Presiding Bishop in Summit County. Ephraim, Chester, Jake Workman, and Joseph Black were the trustees for the first schoolhouse, a small log building in the heart of Snyder’s Village, located north of where Jim Murnin lives today.
1874 – the Snyder Pioneer Cemetery began on what became the Richards Farm off Hwy 224. Today it is located at the end of Roffe Road (a short cul-de-sac) just off Mahre Drive from Highway 224 in Summit County, Utah. First Recorded Burial in 1874 ~ Last Recorded Burial 1920. Samuel Snyder purchased the ground from Parley Pratt for a yoke of oxen. Snyder Cemetery – The settlers had been here long enough that death started touching their lives. An area was chosen on a prominent knoll in the Snyder area, one quarter mile west of Highway 224, as a Cemetery. This remains today (1979, 2008), enclosed by a black iron fence. The headstones vary from big, beautiful, ornate ones to only a rock with one name and dates scratched on it by a saddened parent. About 30 people are at rest there, many children, but among the adults are Chester Snyder, his wife Electa, and Ephraim and his wife Susannah. The record of this is in the Genealogical Library.
James Archibald (Snyder) home sold in 1900 to George Q. Cannon
James Archibald house (now painted green)- smaller building Pace-Archibald store (2008)
located at 4459 Highway 224, Summit County, Utah
Mormon apostle George Q. Cannon purchased the property in 1900 for $10,400 from the Snyder family.
Another saw mill was built at the mouth of White Pine Canyon by William Gibson. Sam Snyder’s saw mill had been closed.
George Milton Pace – was Bishop from 1881-1897, the year of his 60th birthday he died at Atkinson, Summit, Utah. He was married to Sarah Alvira Standley, they had fourteen children.
In 1883 a new meetinghouse was built, at the cost of $1,200. The funds raised by the Bishopric. A rustic building 28 X 18 feet located further north where the State Highway Road Dept. buildings stand today, only closer toward the hills. There is a natural spring there, and this is where they would get water for the Sacrament. A Parley’s Cemetery was started there, but you can find graves out closer to the Highway, not in the Cemetery, maybe because of weather they were unable to take and bury th deceased into the higher elevation.
Wilford Woodruff was now President of the L.D.S. Church in Salt Lake City. At long last Utah is a state, no longer a territory.
Stoven Dairy and Ice House were built around 1880 (ice house burned down in 1990’s) was a popular dairy with an underground earthen vault where winter ice was kept until mid-July or longer. The Stoven Dairy & Ice House farmhouse has been converted into an office for Mike Barnes of Trend Construction. Address is 6600 Glenwild Drive.
Some pioneers in the Gorgoza area include Eaton (Ethan) Jeremy and his son Tom Jeremy. They owned a very large tract of land. Part of the Jeremy Ranch went to the now improved dirt road State Road 65 in East Canyon along Mormon Flat. They would need to hire 2- to 30 young men each summer to work their large livestock business. They built one of the lovelier homes in the area, known as the Jeremy Ranch House, which has been kept intact and moved into Snyderville on Old Ranch Road when the Interstate Highway cut into the area. Jack Gallivan of the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper restored it and used it to entertain international friends and his family.
Besides farm and dairy products, there was the famous “Stoven Ice House’ located north of Kilby’s home on the creek next to the railroad. Here ice was cut during the winter and stored in an Ice House, probably in coal slack and sawdust., then in summer shipped on the train into Salt Lake City, for the ready market there. Also school students traveled into “the new schoolhouse” which had just been built – 2 rooms on Old Ranch Road, and near the railroad tracks. One half mile from Snyder’s Junction . The railroad crossed the valley in a north and south direction where the large sewer system was installed in 1979, the tracks were removed in the early 1940’s. This schoolhouse was used by all students until school buses were started, taking the students into Park City.1900 – A two story brick house was built on property on the west side of what is now Highway 224, about a half mile south of Kimball Junction probably by Hans O.Young. This property now includes a dairy farm with a milking house and a large white barn probably built in 1930 with wood drop siding. Residents Bill and Diane Wallin lived there until around 1994. Currently the farm is part of the Swaner Nature Preserve along Hwy 224, near Kimball Junction in Summit County, Utah.
Hans O. Young Ranch, later Wallin Dairy Farm at 5376 (aka 5683) Hwy 224, Summit County, Utah
Now part of the Swaner Nature Preserve founded in 1993, in memory of Leland S. Swaner (1920-1992). 
Wallin Dairy Farm – Swaner Nature Preserve home at 5376 Hwy 224 Summit County, Utah, 2009
Wallin Dairy Farm – milking barn at 5376 Hwy. 224.
Wallin hay barn, now a part of the Swaner Nature Preserve (1993)
Angus J. Cannon – was Bishop between 1901-1916. He lived with his family in a big rock house in the heart of Snyderville. This home had as its later owners, Gene Cannon, Hugh J. Joseph, R.H. Fletcher, and Lou Felton. Rock houses were now being built because of the many sandstone quarries in the surrounding mountains. The rock was also being shipped by train to Salt Lake City and being used in road building.
The Church Meetinghouse (1883) was centrally located for Gorgoza members and other Parley’s Park members. In 1910 Heber J. Grant, a General Authority, visited. He made two strong suggestions. 1. Move this building away from this cold spot. 2. Put glass in the windows. The people were so poor that they had put cloth or other coverings over some of the windows as they had done in their own homes and barns.
1911 – George Sweeney Pace was born and died in 1911 in Summit County. He was buried in a little known patch of ground near the Chevron pumping station located on the southwest corner of Kimball Junction. This area is rumored to have two or three groups of graves, one group of Indian graves, one for the local early Pace family, and another not identified. This cemetery dates later than the Snyder Cemetery at Bear Hollow. Another headstone records the birth and death of Clyde Elisha Johnson born and died on December 5, 1933. Clyde was the son of Irvin William Johnson (son of Clyde Linton Johnson and Jennie Syvilla Noll Johnson) and Vera Pace Johnson (daughter of Freeman Elisha Pace and Minnie Isabell Sweeney Pace). 1915 – Ecker Hill
Ralph Bistila of Ishpeming, Michigan flies from Ecker Hill, Summit County c.1915-1920 or 1949.
1938 – This house at 5373 Highway 224 was built (PP-93) in 1938. Owners were Lewis and Jean Hixson.
Hixson House at 5373 Highway 224 was built in 1938.
Marie Rasmussen enlarged their store and added a small restaurant know as the “Welcome Inn Cafe” for years on Highway 40.On December 8, 1941Selma married James Kilby (1921-2009), a local judge (1961-1987), a charter member of the Summit County Planning Commission, and prominent citizen in ParkCity and Snyderville. They had to rebuild because of the Interstate Freeway 80 came through their property, which Chris had settled. They built a house located south of I-80 until around 2002 when it was razed for a new development.
Jim Dahl built Hi-Ute Ranch, and had a large piece of land fanning south into the mountains, which was later sold to Otto and Paul Buehner.
c.1995 is now 200 acres.
Hi Ute Elk Ranch Sleigh Rides
c.2001 Winter at Hi Ute Ranch, Summit County, Utah. Contact them at [email protected]
During the time it was called Hi Ute Elk Ranch because there was an elk herd of approximately 60 being grazed behind the barn. Partner Chris Denver from Roosevelt, Utah helped maintain the herd.
Ranch panorama – see barn on left
Burt Kimball, then Stovens who built the rock home, was later occupied by the Edward Tree family, who sold to a group called “3Ms”, who sold to Swaner in the 1960’s.
The Flinders Mountain Meadow Ranch of today had been Pace property, they had sold to A.E. Carter, this area being an important dairy producer.
Black Willow trees lined Hwy 224 for around 100 years until they were irreverently cut down by UDOT when the highway was widened c. 1988. A travesty. The roadway was a long line of fallen giants. Did anyone take pictures? It was heartbreaking.
Home of Wilford W. Snyder off Hwy 224 (2008)
Wilford W. Snyder’s house was demolished on May 5, 2009 on behalf of P.C. Ventures.
1921 – Frances Redmund built a dairy farm at 1352 White Pine Canyon Road.
Other names would include
On the southeast corner of Snyderville Center (Old Ranch Road and Highway 224), lived the Dan Sorenson family.His son Jim Sorenson also built a new home there.Next to them Will Durant (Bishop of Park City Ward), his married son and family were living in the home when a terrible fire early in the morning of December 2, 1958, destroyed the home and killed their four children.Bloom’s live in the new home there now. In 2013 Soaring WIngs Montessori tore down the Bloom’s house and trees to build a new school on the property.
Next would be Dave Loerstcher (Bishop in Park City) who bought property on both sides of the road, from the big property owner Mr. Powers.This today is the Entrance to the Park West Ski Resort. Bishop Loerstcher built the home on the east side of the highway (where Ray Fry built the red brick Park West condos).
Jim Murnin lives today in the Wilford Snyder home, which neighbors what was once known as the “Upper” Fletcher Ranch.R.H. Fletcher had been one of the original settlers, and built the home and barns where Bill Wallin now lives (that is Diane & Bill Wallin who was the Summit County Commissioner for many years in the 1980s and early 1990s) .Later Fletcher’s bought extensive acreage from Gilmores and Cannons, which was the heart of the Snyder holdings years past, and meant that they owned property on both sides of Highway 224.When Lou Felton, who had been in the area working, married Ellen Fletcher, this couple lived in the old rock house on the upper Fletcher Ranch.This couple are the parents of Beverly Jean Felton Pace who is so active in the Snyderville Ward at this time. (She married Standley Brown Pace of the Pace family in Silver Creek or the Pace-Atkinson Junction mentioned in the NW Summit County People & Events webpage.)
The meetinghouse stood many years after members started meeting with ParkCity. It is fondly remembered for its neighborhood dances and community parties.Also a piano was left there and people could use and enjoy it as this was probably one of the few in the area.
Avaron Osguthorpe, or Doc, owned more land at this time than any other person.He bought some property from Pat and Nan McPolin, and had other property along Highway 40 where he has been in the dairy business for 30 years (written in 1979).He runs sheep in the Red Pine area during the summer, and has many acres of hay which he cuts for his livestock business.His son Steve Osguthorpe and family live in the ward and run this section of his business.
1996-1999 – The Swaner Nature Preserve grows to more than 1,000 acres, thanks to the donation of seven additional parcels of land.
1997 – Wolf Mountain is purchased by American Skiing Company and is renamed The Canyons Resort. The Canyons embarks on phase 1 of a $500 million expansion plan. Initial resort acreage: 1,400 acres. IMA [Iron Mountain Associates – Walt Brett and Keith Kelly] planned a development of a low density, large lot residential subdivision on the IMA/ASC Property to be known as The Colony. Six hundred fifty acres in White Pine Canyon were recently acquired by ASC from the George and John Condas Family, referred to as “The ASC/Condas Property.”. The Colony includes 4,600 acres, including just over 300 homesites, and 9 of The Canyons 19 ski lifts are located within The Colony.
1997 – December – The Canyons opens for its inaugural season. New amenities include the Red Pine mid-mountain lodge, the Flight of The Canyons Gondola, Saddleback Express, Snow Canyon Express, and the High Meadow Lift. Total acreage grows to 2,200 acres.
1998 – December -The fabled Ninety-Nine 90 peak, Utah’s most dynamic extreme terrain, opens bringing resort acreage to 2,800 acres.
2000 – September – The Canyons Cabriolet is installed, allowing access from the lower parking lot to the Resort Village.
2001 – The Canyons installs the Day Break lift. The resort’s acreage hits 3,500 acres making The Canyons Utah’s single largest ski and snowboard resort and the 5th largest resort in the United States.
2009 – August 22: Discovery could delay road work if human remains are found
Patrick Parkinson, Of the Record staff
Posted: 08/21/2009 04:01:40 PM MDT
“Plastic flowers adorn several headstones encountered by crews building a road near Utah Olympic Park west of the Library at State Road 224 (Utah Olympic Highway) and Landmark Drive. “They appear to be historic, maybe pioneer graves,” Assistant State Archeologist Ron Rood said. But excavation is underway as The Boyer Company builds a road near the possible grave markers. At least some of the graves are in proximity [of the new road], if not very threatened by what they are doing,” Rood said he met with the contractor Tuesday in the Snyderville Basin. The Boyer Company agreed to hire an archeological excavator to search for human remains, Rood said. State law prohibits the “abuse and desecration of a dead human body,” he explained.
“[Boyer Company] would have to get somebody who is legally able to do that work,” Rood said. The grave stones of George Sweeney Pace 1911 and Clyde Elisha Johnson 1933 are visible at the site. But graves are regularly disturbed by land developers, said Gary Kimball, a historian in Park City. It’s done all the time and I don’t have the answer,” Kimball said. “In the name of progress, they’ll always get disturbed.” But it’s in the public’s long-term interest to respect the past.
2012 – January – James William Bloom house and property at 4290 S.R. 224, Snyderville, UT
4290 Highway 224, Snyderville, Summit County, Utah (PP-102-F)
This house built on 1.89 acres around the early 1970’s belonged to James William Bloom. Upon his death in 1986 it was left to his daughter, Carolyn C. Bloom. She later married Tommy Tanzer a Park City school teacher. The house was sold to Dr. Jeff Sumsion mid-2005; Sumsion sold it to Solim Gasparik in January of 2007; Gasparik sold it to Dr. Mark L. Wisniewski in 9/2010; he sold it to Gregory Meacham (189 Scholastic) who sold it to Falconhead Management Group/ Capitol Investment Group in January 2012. As of April 2012 Solim Gasparik is the Project Manager for ILOS, LLC the Developer who is constructing the controversial project for Soaring Wings Montessori School principals Bruce King and Duna Strachan. The project school came under hot public disapproval, evidenced by letters to the editor and articles in the Park Record newspaper, when the house was torn down without recycling the doors, windows, rock work, etc., and nearly century old black willows and spruce on the property were cut down and destroyed without consideration to their historical and environmental value.
Before demolition and tree removal in June 2012 by Souring Wings Montessori School.
Snyder’s Mill property formerly home of David Stockwell Snyder and wife Maud Lincoln Snyder
Their cabin home was demolished c. 1990.
More fallen giants along Highway 224 in Snyderville. -2018-18-13 These were cut by Dominion Energy Company.