West Jordan City Hall is located at 8000 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, UT 84088.
Phone: 801‑569‑5100.
Neighborhoods
Settlement of the land along the Jordan River in the area that is now West Jordan began in the fall of 1849. Due to the imminent onset of winter and the lack of readily available timber, the first homes were "dugouts" excavated into the hillsides above the river. Most of these dugouts were replaced the following spring as soon as weather permitted the hauling of timber from Bingham Canyon. By 1853, the population of the West Jordan area was 361.
The Jordan River, like the River Jordan in Palestine, flows from a fresh water lake (Utah) to an inland salt sea (the Great Salt Lake). Early settlers recalled the "good old days" when the Jordan River would fill to its banks and create dangerous whirlpools. It is reported in several old histories that the bridge between Midvale and West Jordan washed out every spring. At one time, a ferry provided river crossings until a substantial bridge could be built
Archibald and Robert Gardner built the first saw mill in the area in 1850, powered by a 2-1/2 mile long mill race, the first important canal in Utah. Lumber to supply the mill was hauled fourteen miles from the Oquirrh Mountains to the west. In 1854, Archibald added a grist mill to the site which introduced some excellent machinery to the area. The Gardner Mill is still standing at approximately 1050 West 7800 South. The current owners have converted it into Gardner Village, a theme restaurant and retail shops, reminiscent of the days of Archibald Gardner.
The first blacksmith's shop in south Salt Lake County belonged to Alexander Beckstead who settled in West Jordan in 1850. The shop was completed in 1853 and operations consisted of setting wagon ties, repairing wagons and farm implements, sharpening plows, and shoeing. In 1851, Matthew Gaunt started a woolen mill. In that same year, Samuel Mulliner tanned leather in the first tannery built west of the Mississippi River. School opened in West Jordan for the first time in 1852. Classes were held in a small log house, about 14 by 15 feet, situated southwest of the West Jordan Ward Meeting House at 1137 West 7800 South.
West Jordan was incorporated as a town on January 10, 1941. The first U.S. Census taken for West Jordan in 1950 reported a population of 2,107. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of West Jordan has increased over 49 times to 103,712. During the same time period, the population of Salt Lake County increased only threefold.
Nearby Towns: Murray City • South Jordan City • West Valley City •