Today we begin a series of posts that will run throughout the remainder of this year and through 2024 highlighting the history and of our newest plant location – Tooele, Utah.
With a population of over 35,000 people and located 35-miles southwest of Salt Lake City, the city of Tooele is full of history and great stories. I thought we would we start our journey with some 411 about the city and area.
The Goshute Shoshone people roamed the plains of this beautiful part of Utah before pioneers settled in the Tooele Valley and founded the city of Tooele in 1849. Tooele was incorporated in 1853.
The name Tooele is a bit of a mystery and there are many different stories of how the city got its name but I’m going with the one that says that Tooele, in the language of the Goshute tribe means “bear” because that’s more interesting than it has simply been mispronounced! The one thing that is not subject for debate is that Tooele is the ONLY Tooele in the world.
That is a fact.
Tooele, UTAH Buffalo Statue painted in multiple colors
Mining and the railroad have played a major role in the growth of the city, allowing Tooele to experience a history of immigrant workers and helping pave a pathway to California. In the 1860s and ’70s, Tooele became a hub for mining operations after the discovery of rich silver and gold deposits in the nearby Oquirrh Mountains. In more modern times, along with the rail, Tooele became a trading center with smelting and mining, agriculture (grains and sugar beets), and defense installations (Tooele Army Depot and the Dugway Proving Ground) being the primary economic pillars. The Tooele Army Depot is home to one of the nation’s largest stockpiles of conventional and chemical munitions.
In the spring of 2025, Tooele will once again evolve with the opening of our 12th plant. A 115,000 square foot facility helping to provide well-paying jobs families in the area.
