CLEARFIELD

A short history of Clearfield

Clearfield was settled in 1877 by Richard and Emily Hamblin and was originally called Sand Ridge. In 1869, the Utah Central Railroad was built through the area that would latter become the settlement.

There was no water for those early families until wells could be successfully dug. The only water available at first had to be hauled in large barrels from Kays Creek in East Layton. But the great event that did more to transform the bleak Sand Ridge into a fertile garden spot was the coming of the Davis and Weber Counties Canal in 1884. This caused an immediate population boom in the area as people plowed up the sagebrush and cactus, and homes and farms began to appear throughout the area.

Many Clearfield children went to school nearby in Syracuse by walking several miles a day. In 1907, the new Clearfield Elementary School opened its doors to those same children. The school taught first through eighth grades and operated until 1923, when it was destroyed by fire. The new building later acquired the name Pioneer School. North Davis Junior High School was built and opened its doors in 1939. The building cost approximately $170,000 to build. That first year, there were 18 faculty members and 585 students.

Throughout the following years, Clearfield was known as a peaceful farming community. However, the addition of defense installations in the areas changed the agricultural community. Construction began on Hill Field (Hill Air Force Base) in 1940, and the facility eventually stretched along the eastern border of Clearfield. The base has since provided many jobs for civilians and is one of Utah's major employers.

On the southwestern side of Clearfield, the U.S. Navy installed the Clearfield Naval Supply Depot in 1943 to support the Pacific Fleet during World War II. Clearfield was chosen for the depot because of its relative security from enemy attack, nearby air transportation at Hill Air Force Base, and the proximity of major railroads and highways. The proposed depot would also be equidistant from the Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles ports. The dry climate was ideal for storage, and there was a supply of manpower because northern Utah had higher unemployment rates than other industrialized areas.

Another more modern school, South Clearfield Elementary, was added in 1950 to help keep pace with the growing population.

The Clearfield Naval Supply Depot was eventually phased out by 1962, but the facility did not stay empty for long. Private firms soon began moving into the large warehouse buildings. The area became known as the Freeport Center and is a major western hub for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution.

The Clearfield Job Corps Center was established in 1966. This facility is located west of the Freeport Center on Antelope Drive. It was established to train unemployed and unskilled youth 16 to 24 years old.

Clearfield City dedicated a new city hall building in 1969, and a new state-of-art Clearfield Fire Station opened in 1980, adjacent to city hall.

Clearfield's premier office and commercial center, Legend Hills, is also the largest office development space in north Davis County. The first phase of Legend Hills was built in 2002 on the city's east side, just east of the frontage road along Interstate 15.

In 2004, ground was broken for the Clearfield Aquatic Center. In 2005, the old Clearfield City Swimming Pool was demolished to make way for the new center and for an updated Bernard Fisher Park. The new skate park at Fisher Park was also added the same year. The Clearfield Aquatic Center opened in 2005 adjacent to the newly built North Davis Junior High, which until 2005 had been the oldest standing junior high building in Davis County. An outdoor splash pad feature was added to the Clearfield Aquatic Center in 2006.

The opening of the Utah Transportation Association (UTA) FrontRunner commuter rail stop in Clearfield in 2008 helped the city emerge as a centralized location of business, public, and community development.

Davis County opened a three-story, 45,000-square-foot office building housing the administrative offices of the Davis County Health Department in 2010. The Heritage Senior Activity Center closed its Clearfield Community Center location in 2011. It reopened as the North Davis Senior Center in its new location adjacent to the new county health building.

In 2012, the former Clearfield Community Center was renamed, becoming the Clearfield Community Arts Center. Located east of the Clearfield City Municipal Building north parking lot, the center is expected to become a hub for art classes, theatre productions, and more.

Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Clearfield, Utah, revision 1374271890 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.