Bamberger to Lagoon

1976 Exhibit Brochure
By 1910, the Salt Lake – Ogden interurban train, also known as the “Bamberger” after its founder, Simon Bamberger, regularly carried passengers to the popular Lagoon Resort.

2023 Exhibit Guide
The Bamberger Railroad was built in 1891 by wealthy capitalist, entrepreneur, and Utah governor, Simon Bamberger. The railroad was first known as the Great Salt Lake and Hot Springs Railway, and later as the Salt Lake and Ogden Railway.

The “Bamberger” was considered to be one of the most efficient, and successful passenger and freight interurban lines operating during the first decades of the 20th century. It lived up to its slogan “Every hour, On the hour, In an hour.” In Spite of economic challenges, fires, power upgrades, and reorganizations it stayed  in service until the 1950s.

Kaysville Area Connections
The rail line reached Kaysville on Memorial Day in 1906. The depot entered town on Highway 91 or Main Street, detoured to 100 East below the elementary school, and continued south to reconnect to Main Street past Davis High School. Depressions in the asphalt west of the elementary school mark where the tracks ran along the center of the street.

Artist
Mary Roberts Warnock (1907-1987)

Mary Roberts Warnock was an accomplished watercolor and portrait artist. She lived in Kaysville  and later Farmington, Utah, where her art studio was based. Mary graduated from the University of Utah and studied at the Otis Art Institute in California and the Los Angeles Art Center, and was a student of LeConte Stewart.  She was an active member of the Associated Utah Artists and the Ogden Fine Arts Club and was appointed chairman of the Ogden Palette Club’s studio committee.
Warnock’s work has been exhibited in many places, including several one-artist shows throughout Utah, and won several awards and recognitions for her artwork including a prize for portraiture at the Utah State Fair. 

Sources

  • “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University.
  • Eyes Toward the Past. DVD.
  • “Looking Back.” Davis County Clipper, 02 Apr 1976, Fri, page 36.
  • Karras, Marilyn. “‘Bamberger’ Took Many”. The Ogden Standard Examiner, 28 Nov        1976, Sun., page 19.
  • Murphy, Miriam B. Powell. “Simon Bamberger,” Utah Historical Encyclopedia: Allan Kent, ed., Salt Lake City, Univ of Utah Press, 1994

Notes
Copyright owned by Weber State University Storytelling Festival. All rights reserved. Painting shown by Kaysville – Fruit Heights Museum with permission. Painting number one in the 2023 exhibit guide.