Clarkston, UT

Clarkston is a city located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 27,814 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Clarkston was founded in 1875 by George Q. Cannon and James L. Smith as a railroad town on the newly built Union Pacific Railroad line between Ogden and Salt Lake City. The town's name honors William Clark, an explorer who helped found the Mormon settlement of Fort Bridger in 1823 and later explored much of what is now Utah Territory.

The first businesses in Clarkston were a hotel, blacksmith shop, general store, and post office. A school was opened in 1876; it closed in 1902 due to lack of students but reopened two years later with twenty-five students. In 1877 a Masonic lodge was organized; it still exists today as Clarkston Lodge No. 547 AASR (Ancient Arabic Shrine).

In 1880 the population reached 300; by 1890 it had grown to 1,500 and by 1900 it had reached 4,000 residents. The growth of Clarkston was due to its location on the railroad line and its status as a supply center for surrounding agricultural communities during the early days of settlement in Utah Territory.

The city's first major industry was lumbering; by 1900 there were more than 100 sawmills operating in Clarkston alone. Other early industries included flour milling (1884), shoe manufacturing (1892), brickmaking (1893), ice cream manufacturing (1903), and meatpacking (1904).

During World War II Clarkston became known as "The Arsenal of Democracy" because of its production of munitions for use by American troops overseas. After World War II Clarkson experienced significant decline due to competition from larger cities such as Salt Lake City and Ogden for economic development opportunities; however, since the 1990s there has been renewed interest in downtown Clarkson due to its historic architecture and proximity to various recreational activities such as skiing at Deer Valley Resort just outside the city limits or hiking at Mount Timpanogos National Forest just east of town. In recent years downtown Clarkson has seen an influx of young professionals who are attracted to its walkable neighborhoods with plenty of restaurants, bars, galleries, shops and nightlife options within close proximity.

Today Clarkston is home to several large corporate headquarters including AmeriCorps National Service Foundation headquartered at 350 South State Street., Brigham Young University - Idaho Campus located at 901 W North Temple Street., Spectrum Health Incorporated headquartered at 1200 East Center Drive., Wells Fargo Bank NA headquartered at 350 South State Street., Xerox PARC Research Center located at 1114 East Center Drive. Additionally several smaller businesses have relocated or established operations within downtown including Front Range Bicycles LLC., Journeys Unlimited LLC., Main Street Coffee House & Eatery LLC., Threadbare Clothing Coop., Koffee Klatch Espresso Bar & Kitchen.