This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Salt Lake Tribune occasionally presents images from its archives in a special series called A Look Back. This installment features photos of Saltair.
The Saltair Pavilion, located along the South shore of the Great Salt Lake, opened its doors for business in 1893. The resort rested on over 2,000 pylons, driven into the bed along the lakeshore. Many of the original posts can still be seen today. The Great Saltair offered swimming, dining, dancing and a boardwalk. From the beginning, the lake retreat was intended to be a counterpart to Coney Island. Being one of the first amusement parks in America, it became the most popular family destination west of New York. The glamour of Saltair came to an end on April 22, 1925, when fire broke out in the main Saltair pavilion and spread to several of its sister buildings. The resort was rebuilt even larger after the fire, but the market crash of 1929 and availability of new entertainment threatened the resort. In 1931 another fire struck the resort causing $100,000 in damage. At the same time, lake waters receded making it impossible to reach the waters edge unless you took a train. Saltair eventually closed and remained empty for 40 years until it was completely destroyed by an arson's fire. In 1981 the pavilion was built yet again only to be flooded by rising lake waters. The dilapidated building remained empty until 2005 when it was refurbished to be used as a concert venue.
Utahns in the military from the '40s and '50s • http://bit.ly/tjX9Zn
Salt Lake City's baseball park in the 1930s and 1940s • http://bit.ly/rtrkih
Utah college life from the 1930s to 1960s • http://bit.ly/rKskme
Key moments in Utah Jazz history • http://bit.ly/pErnml
Historical buildings in Salt Lake City • http://bit.ly/ntHZcl
Dugway Chemical Warfare Depot during World War II • http://bit.ly/oMfO57
Kennecott Utah Copper Mine in the 1930s and 1940s • http://bit.ly/qwqapW
The Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and 1940s • http://bit.ly/ob9taQ
The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks • http://bit.ly/q561uw
Salt Lake City's Memory Grove Park • http://bit.ly/pJduHw
Hill Air Force Base in the 1940s and 1950s • http://bit.ly/oKwZiO
Women's fashion from 1949-50 • http://bit.ly/qyizm9
Salt Lake City in the 1900s • http://bit.ly/n8LwlY
Salt Lake City and other Utah cities in the 1800s • http://bit.ly/pWOlBH
Images from court actions against polygamous men in the 1940s • http://bit.ly/oMgRlu
The centennial Days of '47 parade in downtown Salt Lake City from July 1947 • http://bit.ly/nKcYLJ
Mining town of Mercur, Utah • http://bit.ly/qApcTy
NASA history • http://bit.ly/oCO1RR
Vintage aircraft from around Utah • http://bit.ly/irhYBd
Stereoscopic images of Eureka, Utah, in the early 1900s • http://bit.ly/jF02nD
Salt Lake City's Liberty Park from 1935 to 1951 • http://bit.ly/kkKQc6
Historical images of the 100-year-old Hotel Utah, which is now The Joseph Smith Memorial Building • http://bit.ly/mI7JB8
People and events in Salt Lake City from the 1930s, '40s and '50s • http://bit.ly/kAUB9j
Historical images of Sugar House • http://bit.ly/jHQhnX
Aerial images of Salt Lake City in the 1960s • http://bit.ly/iRGaoN
Every gallery of the series is available at http://www.sltrib.com/topics/lookback