Why did they name this place Holladay? Let’s unravel the story of Holladay, Utah. It is a city with a rich history rooted in Mormon pioneer settlement.
On July 29, 1847, Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. Among them was John Holladay of Alabama. These pioneers were known as the Mississippi Company. Shortly after arrival, they discovered a spring-fed stream. They named it Spring Creek near today’s Kentucky Avenue. Most of the group returned to Salt Lake City for the winter. However, a few men built dugouts along the stream. This became the first village outside Salt Lake City. In the spring, families hurried to build homes and tame the land. Numerous springs, ponds, grasses, and wildflowers made it a desirable area.
When John Holladay became branch president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The village was named Holladay’s Settlement or Holladay’s Burgh. John Holladay’s family traced back to the early 18th century in Virginia. His ancestors signed the South Carolina Declaration of Independence. They fought in the Revolutionary War. He was also a cousin to Ben Holladay. Ben was known as The Stagecoach King. Ben traded with the LDS and ran his stage line through Salt Lake. John’s father, Daniel, was a Revolutionary War veteran. Daniel pioneered in Alabama before John converted to Mormonism. In 1846, John and his family departed west with other converts. They formed the Mississippi Company led by John Brown.
Holladay holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Utah. This is because Salt Lake City was temporarily abandoned in 1857. This abandonment happened when Johnston’s Army occupied the city.
Cottonwood was a nearby settlement and it was always associated with Holladay’s Burgh. The area was first called Big Cottonwood. Later, it became Holladay-Cottonwood. It was one of Salt Lake County’s unincorporated communities. Another settlement center is Knudsen’s Corner. Rasmus Knudsen settled here in the mid-19th century. This area lies in the southeastern corner of Holladay.
In the 1960s, the Cottonwood Mall was built in Holladay. It was Utah’s first enclosed shopping mall. The mall closed in 2007. Plans were announced to transform it into a European-style outdoor shopping village.
The city was incorporated on November 29, 1999. It was named Holladay-Cottonwood. The name was shortened to Holladay on December 14 that year. Holladay City operated under the strong mayor form of government from 1999 to 2003. The council-manager form was then adopted.
Holladay has seen growth through four annexations. These expansions contributed to residential growth. Holladay shares borders with Murray, Millcreek, and Cottonwood Heights.
Today, Holladay is known for its fine old homes and wooded lots. Controlling commercial development and preserving open space are key political issues. The population was 31,965 at the 2020 census. The median household income is 112,369 dollars. The average household income is 163,604 dollars.