Old creek bed located

Authored by The Herald

An article detailing the historic pathway of City Creek through Salt Lake City, UT.

Revealed by excavations for site of Newhouse purchase on Main Street.

Workmen employed by the Campbell Building company in excavating on the Newhouse purchase near the corner of Main and East Fourth South streets yesterday morning, ran into a bed of gravel and black loam which proved to be the bed of the original City creek.

In 1847, when the pioneers came to Utah, City creek took a decidedly different course than it does at present. The creek ran around the east bluff of the canyon, following the slope to a point near where the Latter-day Saints hospital now stands, and then flowed in a southwestern direction, crossing State street at a point where the Telephone building now stands, and then turning south into Main street at a point where The Herald building is now located. The course of the creek was zig-zag in its route down Main street to the present postoffice site, swinging there to the southeast.

The Newhouse purchase near the corner of Main and Fourth South streets is right in line with the old course of the creek. The gravel and black loam unearthed yesterday is similar to that which was found by the workmen employed in excavating for the new postoffice building several years ago.

In the summer of 1848 the creek was changed to its present course down North Temple street.