Stewart Library Special Collections and University Archives

Did you know that city parks started in 1870 with Lester Park being the first city park designated for public purposes? The bowery was built in 1881. Glenwood Park (now Lorin Farr) and Ogden Driving Park followed by 1890.
By 1925, over 200 acres of land was given to the city for park purposes. In 1952 over half a million people were using the parks every year and the city had 13 parks. That number grew to 43 in 1979 with Beus and Dee Memorial opening in 1980.
The city worked constantly to clean up the parks and provide the best recreational facilities to the community.

Lorin Farr Park’s “Kiddy Land” featured a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, whip ride, train and little boat ride. The first merry-go-round arrived in the late 1940s, but was sold in 1952.
Today, Lorin Farr Park still has a summer swimming pool with water slide tubes and a nearby, 12,800-square-foot skating park. The park also offers playgrounds, rock wall lined walkway along the Ogden River and restrooms. A large parking lot provides off street parking. Lots of shade make this a very relaxing spot and the nearby Ogden River offers fishing opportunities.
Up until the late 2010s the pool also had two large toboggan style slides that would whisk riders across the water. Those have since been torn down.

Juneteenth (June and nineteenth) is a nationally celebrated holiday for the Black community. It was first recognized in Texas in 1865 about a year and a half after the Emancipation Proclamation that declared all enslaved blacks in the Union and also that time the Confederate territories free. Un Galveston Bay, Union troops announced more than 250,000 free people in the state. It was named Juneteenth by the newly freed people. For many people Juneteenth marks a second Independence Day.
One of the reasons it came almost two years after the Emancipation Declaration was that many confederate troops fled to Texas to escape the Union Army's reach. It wasn't until 1865 that enslaved people living in Texas even knew about the Executive Order. This did not however go over easily with many of the slaveholders. It has become a day to reflect not only on black history but also the damages that slavery did to their communities.
Come out and celebrate with the community of Ogden tomorrow at the amphitheater!
https://juneteenthutah.org/

Ogden has many places in and around the city that have been hosts for many garden parties and picnics. In 1957, the Standard Examiner wrote an article titled “Take to the Hills! – It’s Picnic Time”. The first part of the article talks about all of the wonderful places around Ogden that people enjoy having a picnic. It mentions Ogden Canyon being one of the best stops to spread a lunch beneath the shady tree, throwing horse-shoes and watching the Ogden River flow. It also brings awareness to the usage of these places and the need to keep them clean for everyone to enjoy.
Do you have a favorite picnic spot? Is it up the canyon or in one of the many amazing parks we have all over Davis or Weber County? Share your favorite memories.

Going along with our exhibit, today is Eat Your Vegetables Day and since both Davis and Weber counties were first mostly started as agriculture and there were many commercial farms including celery, tomato and sugar beets.
During World War II there was also a national push for victory gardens for families.
These photos are from our exhibit at Stewart Library from our various collections.

Today is National Fudge Day! It seems that every family has a secret fudge recipe that is only used for special occasions and family get togethers. Basic fudge recipes include melted chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Some people add nuts like walnuts or pecans or almonds. What's your favorite flavor of fudge? If you'd like to share your recipes of your family fudge you can upload the recipe at https://library.weber.edu/form/submit-a-recipe

Today is Nature Photography Day. Recently we received a donation from a local photographer that got her start in Ogden, following in her father's footsteps. Her specialty was nature photography. Here are just a of the beautiful images by Valerie Taylor.

Today is FLAG DAY! Back in 1777 a special committee was created to design the United States Flag. The day wasn't really celebrated until 1897 when New York governor ordered to display the flag on all public buildings in the state. The official adoption of the American flag was on June 14, 1877. It wasn't until 1949 that Congress approved it as a national day and was signed into law by President Harry Truman.
Back in 1911, the Ogden Standard say that "the day [was] one which [was] next to the Fourth of July and one of the days when patriotic American gave expression to their love and reverence for the Stars and Stripes."

Summer celebrations have always brought communities together. This photograph from 1981-82 shows a float in an Ogden parade that claims “Summer time is dairy time.” Although we don’t know which exact parade this image is from, Ogden has a long history of summer parades such as the Founders Day parade and the Ogden Pioneer Days Grande Parade.

Whether you agree with the float’s message or not, we hope your summer is filled with opportunities to connect with your community and make memories of your own. What are some of your favorite summer traditions or activities?

One of the few Asian cuisine restaurants still around in Layton from the 90s is The Little Orient. It was first located at 22 North Main Street and then a year later moved to where it is today at 734 Main Street. First owned by the Chen family then taken over by the Lins. It is still serving the people of Davis County with fresh ingredients. It has always been a family run business and since 1993 the Lins worked and raised their children in their restaurant business.
In our ever-growing collection of menus we have a copy of The Little Orient. We are working to grow our menu collection with local businesses.

In 2025, the Waldo’s Choice for the Best Sushi award in Ogden had been awarded to Tokyo Station located at 2259 Washington Blvd. Having opened in 2015, the restaurant has been serving many for almost over 10 years.
King Long Yu, the founder and owner of Tokyo Station, moved to the United States from Taiwan and started up a Chinese restaurant called Maple Gardens in 1982, formerly located where the Riverdale In-N-Out Burger currently stands before moving to Washington Boulevard between streets 37th and 38th. Maple Gardens was open for 30 years before Yu decided to sell the restaurant and invest in a lifelong dream in Japanese cuisine with Tokyo Station.
When Yu first got to the U.S., he found his way to the restaurant business in Memphis, Tennessee, working in a Benihana-style restaurant. This ignited a dream of opening up his own teppanyaki restaurant. That dream came to life in 2015 as Tokyo Station opened its doors, serving both sushi and teppanyaki.
It has been a family-run place from the start, and they serve their food with love. King’s son, Kerry Yu stated that customers have come down from Logan because the environment and food at Tokyo Station differ from those at places near them.
The employees that have worked with Yu say they are treated like family. That is just how Yu has run his father’s business: treating his employees with respect and love, treating them like family.
In a landlocked state like Utah, a common thought is that getting access to fresh fish might be a hassle, but Yu explained that it actually isn’t as hard as one would think. They still receive fresh fish from their connections in Las Vegas Mutual and Ocean Mart. Those shipments come about every two to three days to keep their supply ample and keep their customers happy with whatever their hearts desire.
*story from Signpost 2025**photos from website*