A look back at Logan

LOGAN — If St. George is the Dixie "hot spot" of Utah, then Logan is the pastoral "cool spot," given its northern, mountainous location and agricultural history in the Beehive State.

Agriculturally rich Logan's more than 140-year history has been well chronicled in the Deseret News over the decades.

From the home of a land-grant university, Utah State University, to the gateway to Logan Canyon and Bear Lake, Logan is a strategic and dynamic Utah community.

"A thriving community of nearly 50,000, Logan boasts an exceptionally high quality of life for its size. Nestled in a beautiful valley, Logan offers unmatched vistas and geography," Logan's official website boasts.

The city was named for Ephraim Logan, an early trapper. He first came to the valley in 1824 and attended the nearby Rocky Mountain Rendezvous in 1825. The city of Logan was founded in 1866.

Logan's famous LDS temple was designed by Truman O. Angell, who was also the architect of the Salt Lake Temple. The Logan temple took seven years to build and was dedicated in 1884.

There's also a historic LDS Tabernacle in Logan. For the structure, located at 50 N. Main, construction began in 1865, but it was not completed until 1891, because the temple's construction took priority. The Tabernacle has an eclectic appearance, combining design elements of Greek, Roman, Gothic and Byzantine cultures.

Logan has a rich heritage in its downtown commercial buildings. Many of the structures existed in the horse-and-buggy era and a lot of them have been preserved and are still in use today.

In fact, strolling portions of Logan's Main Street can feel like a step back in time as one walks past many vintage buildings.

The Deseret News archives contain some photographs of Logan's Main Street from the 1940s, showing how busy it was, with almost every parking stall in use.

The city also boasts the Cache Valley Mall, 1300 N. Main St., which opened in 1976. Today it includes Dillard's, JCPenney, Bath & Body Works, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Buckle, Texas Roadhouse, the Olive Garden and more.

The Bluebird Cafe, which dates back to 1914, stands at 19 N. Main. The restaurant has long been a downtown landmark.

Logan also has what the Deseret News referred to 25 years ago as the "unpretentious little Logan Zoo." The zoo, which doesn't fit the standard formula, has been located in Willow Park since 1971.