Just got back from Park City

Where a town has done a good job you can clearly see its past while enjoying what the town has to offer, making the experience all the richer. In Park City, the Old Town is a celebrated neighborhood among many that are within a short distance of skiing. My friend Dave's duplex is right at the end of Main Street. There are about 176 Park City buildings on the historic register. As one brochure said, Old Town Park City is Where Skiing Comes to Town. At the base mountain lodge there were old photos from the beginnings of skiing incorporated into informational signs. When I was at Alta, the story of its founder, Norwegian Alf Engen (in photo) was everywhere. Even the mid-mountain lodge was named after Alf. There were old mining pics in restaurants, and remnants of mines on the ski mountain. Architecture around Park City is exciting and modern, while taking cues from the structures of the late 19th century mining boomtown that Park City once was. Davis has a very similar industrial history, and some great recreational history as well. We want to enjoy the best ski run of the day, a cool shop, a good dinner with friends, but we want to gain a sense of who and what came before while we're at it. Blackwater Brewing and Phillips Electronics among others have made efforts to share Davis' history with its patrons by displaying old photos. One of the two EastWest Printing buildings on William is actually new construction designed by an architect to look like its 19th century neighbor.

There are many ways to share history while making the future. The old stories and images belong to history and should be shared. The bold lines of Davis' 19th century industrial and residential architecture are central to the designs for Riverwalk. The industrial structures, the hotels, and many of the homes are gone, but their photos survive. And because they are so old, they are in the public domain for all to enjoy.