1976 Exhibition Brochure
By 1900 the Malan family, Mormon converts from the Italian Piedmont Valley, had constructed an inn and sawmill in the beautiful alpine basin below Mount Ogden to which guests were hauled in wagons up a switch back trail through Taylor’s Canyon for chicken and fish dinners.
2023 Exhibit Guide
After converting to Mormonism in 1851, Tim Malan traveled with his family to Utah from the Italian Piedmont Valley in 1855. Malan grew up on the Utah frontier and eventually married Louisa Mariah Hatch, raising 16 children. Just below Mount Ogden, in what is now known as Malan’s Basin, the family decided to build a hotel, as well as a sawmill and log home with roads and space for games and sports.
Railroad passengers, as well as many from northern Utah, visited and stayed at the Malan Heights Hotel in the summer from 1894 to 1905. Room and board at the hotel was $6.00 a week, and the family transported guests, cooked the meals, and serviced the hotel and cabins.
Kaysville Area Connections
While the Malan Hotel was a destination building, another accommodation, Kaysville’s Egbert Hotel on what is now Main Street served travelers as a midpoint between Salt Lake and Ogden.
Artist
Richard Van Wagoner (1932-2013)
Richard Van Wagoner was born in Midway, Utah and was a Davis High School alumnus. He attended Weber State College, the University of Utah, and Utah State University, graduating with Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees as well as a Master of Science degree.
Van Wagoner began teaching at Weber State College in 1959 and eventually became the chairman of the art department. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Watercolor USA Honor Society. He specialized in watercolor, drawing, painting, and printmaking, and his work often depicts the western urban landscape.
Sources
- “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University.
- Eyes Toward the Past. DVD.
- Karras, Marilyn. “Swiss-Type Resort Attracted Visitors”. The Ogden Standard Examiner, 20 June 1976, Sun., page 31.
Notes
The terms Mormon and L.D.S. are used interchangeably throughout. The full name is Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the nickname Mormon was used historically.
Copyright owned by Weber State University Storytelling Festival. All rights reserved. Painting shown by Kaysville – Fruit Heights Museum with permission. Painting number 19 in the 2023 exhibit guide.
