Ogden History

Ogden History, From Yesterday To Today

So how did we get here?

From about 400 - 1350 A.D., the area now known as Ogden Utah was home to the Great Salt Lake Fremont Indians. Following the Fremont, the Northern Shoshone and Goshute tribes inhabited the area. The first permanent settlement by people of European descent in the region that is now Utah was here and originally named Fort Buenaventura. Mormon settlers bought the fort for $1,950 in 1847.

Things heated up in the late 1800’s…

With the completion of the transcontinental railroad, Ogden welcomed the world via the Union Station Depot, the junction for railroad travel in the Intermountain West for several decades.

All sorts of visitors - some legitimate and some not so much - poured into town, strolling up and down Historic 25th Street to prospect for business, dine, gossip, and enjoy upscale shopping. The city quickly became known for its rough and tumble character, a place where one could witness gambling, prostitution, narcotics sales, robbery, rape, and even murder. In the 1920’s crime boss Al Capone himself was heard to comment that Ogden was too wild a town for even him.

Today, of course, Ogden is a wonderful place to visit. Come discover our authentic character through a wide range of historic attractions, sites, and buildings that celebrate the legends of this once rugged and still vibrant Crossroads of the West.