Utah Centennial Studies

 


Ghost Riders and Rest Stops Packet B

 

MOUNTAIN DELL STATION

Dear Students,

From Snyder's Station the road climbed steeply to the small rest stop at the head of Parley's Canyon, where teams and passengers rested a few minutes before starting down the steep west slope. In earlier days the pass had been known as Golden Pass. The stage station know as Mountain Dell was located by what is in your day called, Mountain Dell Reservoir. in 1858 Ephraim K Hanks and Augustus P. Hardy built a hotel there. Later it was sold to Leonard Hardy, and many called the station Hardy's Place after that. A small section of land near the creek was cultivated and several sawmills were erected. A few settlers moved nearby. A little town began growing up near the station with a log meeting house being replaced by a fine stone building. Further growth was impeded when Salt Lake City acquired water rights in the canyon and eventually dried up the town. By the turn of the century it was nearly deserted.