The railroad was also significant in determining the course of Sandy's history. Built
in 1873, the railroad connected Sandy to Salt Lake City and facilitated
the transportation of ore and other products both in and out of the
area. A streetcar line in 1907 facilitated the transportation of locals
to jobs in Salt Lake City; and the automobile later continued to serve
that function.
When the mines
failed in the 1890s, Sandy faltered, then underwent a significant economic
transformation into an agricultural community. The fact that Sandy did
not disappear, like so many other mining towns that dwindled with their
mother lodes, was due to its location, resources, and the spirit of
its inhabitants.
Sandy was incorporated
in 1893, largely as part of an effort to combat what Mormon inhabitants
considered "unsavory" elements in the town. Due to its mine-based beginnings,
Sandy was somewhat of a boom town, unlike the majority of other rural
Utah towns. After incorporation, it was almost as if Sandy had redefined
itself. Gone were the large numbers of single, transient men. By 1900
there was only a handful of saloons and hotels, and Sandy began to more
closely resemble other rural Utah towns--a place where everyone knew
everyone else. Church, farming, business, and family formed the focus
of the inhabitants' world.
This pace and
way of life continued for more than six decades, interrupted only by
wars, the Depression, and the changing seasons. No significant jumps
in population, economic trends, or social patterns altered the predictable
and stable rhythm of life.
In the late 1960s,
however, this rural town dramatically changed course with its second
boom. It had always been assumed by local leaders and citizens that
Sandy would grow outward from its logical and historic center--the nexus
of Main and Center streets. However, population growth overwhelmed the
physical center as neighborhoods spread out in every direction over
the land.