Streets named for U.S. presidents are scattered throughout Salt Lake City
On the Street
By Bryant Heath
Having just marked President's Day on Feb. 20 and despite Utah's early reluctance to join the Union, it's obvious that Salt Lake is a patriotic city that went out of its way to pay homage to past national leaders.
Take city street names, for example. Salt Lake City is unusual in the sense that we don't contain all the presidential roads in a single subdivision. Instead, SLC opts for a more expansive approach, where you can find Roosevelt Avenue in Wasatch Hollow, Lincoln Street near 9th & 9th, and Van Buren Avenue miles away over in Glendale. In pretty much every neighborhood, you'll find at least one of the 45 former heads of state mentioned.
In fact, the naming is scattershot enough that it's sometimes difficult to ascertain if the street is truly named for a U.S. president. Is Harrison Avenue named after the ninth president—who died just 31 days after his inauguration—rather than some local developer's relative? Who's to say, but I'd like to think so.
Less ambiguous, though, is the city's love affair with presidential statues. If you want to take a photo next to a giant George Washington bust (above left), head over to Westminster College on 1300 East where you can find an oversize head of our founding father by the sand volleyball courts near Stock Hall.
The statue was a gift from, unsurprisingly, George Washington University, and is one of many that have been given to colleges and universities around the world. If you are more in the mood for a life-size presidential selfie, pop in at Trolley Square by Tabula Rosa near 600 South and 700 East where you will find a full-body statue of Abraham Lincoln (above right) that is as equally impressive as it is curious.
But true to Salt Lake's countercultural vibe, there are some that aren't as deferential. Take the mock campaign sign in East Millcreek I spotted during the 2020 election (photo below). Regardless of how you feel about the presidents, I think we can all agree that Wu-Tang is indeed forever.
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