“Did you know that HPER East at the University of Utah has a secret history?” I ask. “A history hidden in plain sight.”
HPER East stands proudly today. It’s a modern building a testament to the University’s commitment to physical education and health. But its location holds a deeper meaning. It’s nestled near where a vibrant Black community once thrived. This area a mid-block alley between 200-300 South and State St was part of Salt Lake City’s original 13th Ward.
In the 1840s and 1850s Mormon settlers built homes here. Their simple cabins and adobe homes later fell into disrepair. They were subdivided and rented to newcomers. Many were Scandinavian converts. Eventually Black Americans started to settle in this area too.
Franklin Avenue as it was once called was known as a tough neighborhood. It had brothels and gambling dens. Sanitary conditions were awful. Newspapers even described a nauseating cesspool at the south end of the street. The lack of paved roads and garbage disposal didn’t help either.
By the 1890s the neighborhood’s makeup shifted. Black residents increased. The arrival of the 24th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Douglas in 1896 added more people. Some Soldiers and their families moved here. Others stayed after being discharged.
The 1900 census showed mostly Black families living on Franklin Avenue. Ella Phelps and her family ran a rooming house. The street became known as Darktown. Many of Salt Lake City’s current Black organizations trace their roots back to these residents of Franklin Avenue.
In 1906 the city renamed Franklin Avenue Edison Street. They did this to rebrand the area as a White commercial zone. Businesses started replacing the homes. By 1926 the street was totally commercial. The Black families moved elsewhere. Mostly to the south end of the Central City neighborhood.
So next time you stand before HPER East remember this. This building sits on land that once held a lively diverse community. It’s a reminder that the city’s history is far richer than what’s easily seen. It’s about finding stories hidden in the shadows of progress. Stories like the one of Franklin Avenue and its resilient residents. A story that makes HPER East more than just a building. It’s a location that speaks of the past. A past that shapes the present.