Magna, Utah
Encyclopedia
Magna is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

 (CDP) and township
Township (United States)
A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....

 in Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County, Utah
Salt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...

, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 26,505 at the 2010 census, a moderate increase over the 2000 figure of 22,770. Magna is home to the Kennecott Smokestack
Kennecott Smokestack
The Kennecott Smokestack is a 1,215 ft. high smokestack west of Magna, Utah, along SR-201 near the Great Salt Lake. It was built in order to spread the exhaust gases far away from the area of the Kennecott smelter for copper...

, the tallest free-standing structure in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 according to the Kennecott website.

Settlement

Settlement of the area began in 1851 shortly after the Mormon pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...

. Early farmers settled in 1868 at the base of the northern Oquirrh Mountains
Oquirrh Mountains
The Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that run north-south for approximately 30 miles to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range begins in northwest Utah County and stops at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The highest elevation is...

 and called their community Pleasant Green. By 1900, there were about 20 families in the area. One of the first Pleasant Green pioneers was Abraham Coon, who established a livestock ranch and settlement called “Coonville” in a canyon mouth at about 5400 South. The canyon is now known as Coon Canyon, and Coon Creek flowing out of it, is one of the major Oquirrh Mountain drainages. Coon Creek flows north and west through Magna to the Great Salt Lake.

In 1897, the first LDS Ward, Pleasant Green Ward, was constructed. Prior to the construction of the ward house church was held in the homes of the settlers. The Pleasant Green Cemetery located in the Oquirrh foothills, about 3500 South, where many community pioneers are buried, was established in 1883. In 1890, in response to a law requiring all children to receive free public education, the first school was built in the community.

1900-1960

In the early 1900s, copper mining activity in the Oquirrhs began transforming the Pleasant Green area from an agricultural hamlet to an industrial community. D.C. Jackling established the Utah Copper Company, which later became Kennecott Copper Corp. In 1906, the company began constructing its Magna Mill. He chose the name “Magna” from the Latin word meaning “great” or “superior".

Boston Consolidated Copper constructed a second mill in the area in 1909. In 1911, the companies merged and the mill was renamed Arthur Mill. Construction workers lived in a temporary settlement known as “Ragtown". Several substantial homes were built in the tent city and later moved to the present community. As the mills began operating, some local farmers traded in their plows for a steady company paycheck and began moving in to work at the mills.

In 1906, the community's name was changed from "Pleasant Green" to "Magna", because postal officials were uncomfortable with the old name's similarity to Pleasant Grove
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Pleasant Grove, also known as "Utah's City of Trees", is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,798 at the 2008 census estimates.-History:...

, another Utah community. By 1909, the Hawthorne School (no longer standing) had been built in the eastern Magna area. In 1908, the Webster School (destroyed by fire and demolished in June 2004) was built at the west end of what is now Main Street. In 1924, the first building of the present Cyprus High School was completed. Over the years, buildings and additions have been constructed on the campus.

At the time, commuting to work by automobile was not practical. Few mine workers had cars and cross valley roads were in marginal condition. Workers lived in the town and walked to the mills. Downtown Magna included churches, saloons, fraternal halls, and stores. Several small neighborhoods, such as Japtown, Snaketown, and Little Italy, developed around Main Street. Many early residents were immigrants, primarily from Eastern Europe.

Between 1915 and 1960, the town's fortunes fluctuated with the copper industry. During the Great Depression, the mills shut down for a period and workers were laid off. But in about 1940, there was a resurgence as the pending war boosted copper demand. Growth continued after World War II, through the 1960s.

1960-1980

By the 1960s, the community was experiencing the first signs of a suburban transition. The Hercules Powder Co., once a small dynamite manufacturing firm, had begun producing rocket motors at its Bacchus Works south of the Magna community. The increased jobs were one factor encouraging subdivision development in the Magna, Kearns and West Valley areas.

In 1961, the voters in the Magna Improvement District (now the Magna Water and Sewer District) approved a bond that financed a sewage treatment plant, water storage tanks, pumps and well development. The improvements created sufficient capacity to serve more than double the population at the time and helped open the way for development. Not only did Magna's population begin shifting southward during the 1960s, but also automobile commuting, both to work and shopping, became common. As business activity moved to other areas, Main Street slowly began to deteriorate. Presently, some of the commercial space there is vacant.

During the 1970s, as part of a general west valley suburbanization trend, the community experienced more dramatic growth. Inexpensive land south and east of the historic town center began being developed into moderately priced single-family homes. The new neighborhoods tended to attract middle-income working class couples with younger families. While the community had grown from approximately 8,900 in 1960 to 10,000 in 1970, the population had increased to over 23,000 by 2000. This increase is about double the countywide growth rate.

1980-present

The process for Magna to become a township took over 10 years. Growth and development continue to define Magna. The west bench plan will have a major impact on the future of Magna. Kennecott Land
Kennecott Land
Kennecott Land, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group, is an American land development company formed in 2001 and based in South Jordan, Utah. Kennecott Land owns 93,000 acres of undeveloped land in Salt Lake and Tooele counties in Utah, 75,000 acres of which are located in Salt Lake County...

 plans major development in the areas immediately surrounding Magna. The area west of Magna long I-80 is currently slated to become one of 2 major "urban centers" for Kennecott Land's west bench development plan. The Historic Main Street underwent a major remodel in 2006, and the Empress Theater opened its doors during the same year. Main Street has also become a popular location for film makers. Several movies and TV shows have been filmed in the last few years on Main Street.

Geography

Magna is located at 40°42′6"N 112°5′9"W (40.701579, -112.085874) at an altitude of 4,300 feet above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the CDP has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), all of it land. The community lies just to the northeast of the Oquirrh Mountains
Oquirrh Mountains
The Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that run north-south for approximately 30 miles to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range begins in northwest Utah County and stops at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The highest elevation is...

 and is directly south of the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...

.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 22,770 people, 6,562 households, and 5,446 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 3,066.2 people per square mile (1,183.2/km²). There were 6,799 housing units at an average density of 915.6/sq mi (353.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.26% White, 0.64% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 1.41% Pacific Islander, 7.80% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.00% of the population.

There were 6,562 households out of which 51.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 13.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.46 and the average family size was 3.77.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 36.2% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 14.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,845, and the median income for a family was $45,632. Males had a median income of $32,071 versus $22,277 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the CDP was $14,355. About 5.7% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Magna lies within the Granite School District
Granite School District
The Granite School District spreads across central Salt Lake County, Utah, serving West Valley City, Taylorsville, South Salt Lake, and Holladay; Kearns, Magna and Millcreek Township; and parts of West Jordan, Murray and Cottonwood Heights. About 70,000 students are enrolled in its programs ranging...

 and is home to 5 elementary schools. Copper Hills, Lake Ridge, Magna, Pleasant Green and 1 Unnamed School currently under construction. It also has 2 junior high schools, Brockbank and Matheson, and Cyprus High School
Cyprus High School
Cyprus High School is a public high school located at 8623 West 3000 South in Magna, Utah. Cyprus High opened its doors in 1918, and now has an enrollment of 1650. The current principal is John Welburn as of Feb. 5, 2007...

, whose sport teams compete in 4A-level competition (1A being the lowest and 5A the highest).

Transportation

Magna lies on the grid system of the Salt Lake Valley, between 7200 and 9200 West and 2100 and 4100 South. SR-201 runs along the northern border as an expressway and intersects with I-80 to the west. 3500 South is the major east-west local road, while 8400 West (SR-111) is the major north-south road. The Utah Transit Authority
Utah Transit Authority
The Utah Transit Authority operates a public transportation system throughout the Wasatch Front of Utah, United States. It operates fixed route buses, express buses, ski buses, three light rail lines , and a commuter rail line from Salt Lake City to Pleasant View, north of Ogden. UTA is based in...

 operates 3 bus routes into the community - #335 comes from downtown Salt Lake City, while #35 and #475 begin at the West Valley City
West Valley City, Utah
West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 129,480 at the 2010 census,...

 town center (near Valley Fair Mall
Valley Fair Mall (West Valley City, Utah)
Valley Fair Mall is a single-level regional shopping center located in West Valley City, Utah. It was constructed in 1970 on the southwest corner of the I-215 belt route and 3500 south in the Salt Lake Valley. Valley Fair Mall hosts approximately 120 in-line shops, a 13 bay/450 seat food court...

 and the E Center
E Center
The Maverik Center, originally known as the E Center, is a 10,100 seat multi-purpose arena located in West Valley City, Utah, United States. Construction on the arena started in 1996 and was completed in time to hold its first event on September 22, 1997...

) and come down 3500 South - #475 continues on to Tooele
Tooele, Utah
Tooele is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat of Tooele County...

. It also operates a bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...

route from West Valley City, designated as 35M. This is the first (and currently only) BRT route operated by UTA.

Sources

  • Irene Hulse, Frome Rags to Riches (a history of Magna), Tooele Transcript Press, 1964.
  • Douglas Palmer, "Good Facilities Aid Growing Magna," Deseret News, October 30, 1962.
  • The Magna Community Master Plan, Salt Lake County Public Works Department Planning Division, February 1989.
  • Magna Town Council

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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