THE LAGOON RESORT: A THRILLING URBAN ESCAPE (CONTINUED)
"Pleasure gardens" were the antithesis of carnivals. They developed from resort grounds developed by owners of inns and taverns as places of solitude and acceptable entertainment. Vauxhall Gardens in England included music, acrobatic acts, and fireworks to lure patrons. The gardens served as a retreat to nature from the gloomy industrial cities. In 1728 Jonathan Tyres purchased the gardens and added thousands of lamps, large ornate structures, and impressive landscaping. He charged the admission of a shilling and allowed all that paid the price to enter. The prototype of paid admission in an enclosed amusement park was born.
The Industrial Revolution occurred slightly later in American history than English history and consequently the joys of visiting "pleasure gardens" or nature resorts did not become common in America until the second half of the nineteenth century. Transportation was a large impediment as most of the nature resorts were far from roads. As a consequence, such ventures were expensive and only a small number of Americans could afford such trips. Those who went to the resorts could be defined as the leisurely class because they had time to spend on other pursuits besides subsistence. Utah, like most of the U.S., was still predominantly agricultural and an agrarian society did not permit much free time. The middle class was practically nonexistent and did not come about until the advent of the Industrial Revolution.
In Utah, the Industrial Revolution began to have its effect on the rising middle class in many ways. The pioneer days were over, and Utah citizens began to be very zealous in their industrial pursuits. Life in Utah became increasingly urban. People began living in apartments, on small plots of land called yards, and working a consistent amount of hours per week with evenings and weekends off. Rural Utah went through the same changes as the U.S. and became more urban. A larger class of people was given more leisure time and, as a consequence, bright entertainment entrepreneurs capitalized on the new urban order. The ‘pleasure gardens’ of England were transplanted to familiar places near the new urban centers. Unlike the English model, these resorts were linked to urban centers by either rail or ferry. Along the Great Salt Lake many resorts popped up and were conveniently linked to the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. In 1872, John W. Young opened up some resorts in Farmington and connected them by using a steamboat called the City of Corinne. Trips between resorts only cost twenty-five cents and Young often organized moonlight excursions. Church groups, families, and youth began to use the resorts for gatherings, picnics, and reunions.
The Great Salt Lake was a novelty. One could swim effortlessly in the salty water and never sink. The lake rose steadily until the mid-1870s where it then began a ninety-year retreat. Investors, not aware of the receding water problem, took advantage of the new pleasure spots and began developing them. Simon Bamberger opened his resort, Lake Park, on July 15, 1886. It was "one of the most attractive watering places in the West."
Lake Park was the predecessor of The Lagoon. It was situated on 215 acres of land and became very popular. Its second year saw over 50,000 visitors. Part of its success was due to the character and sociality of Bamberger who would bring crowds of friends with him to the resort. Also, Bamberger tried to build a utopia reminiscent of the garden of Eden to attract hard working urbanites complete with, according to a local, Margaret Hess:
"Lovely gardens, a large pavilion for dancing, a large bowery, shooting gallery and eight or ten little
round picnic houses all covered with green ivy, with round tables in the center. There was plenty
of room for large families to eat there, but you had to be early to save a place for your picnic.
They had boat races, foot races and all kinds of rides and entertainment."
This was all offered for the price of fifty cents, which paid for the ride on the train to the utopia. In following the example of Tyres at Vauxhall Gardens, Bamberger included some novelties such as a horse-operated merry-go-round, cottages for rent, and a fine restaurant – all for a fee.
Lake Park was very successful until the waters of the Great Salt Lake receded so much that it exposed sticky blue mud that made swimming miserable. All of the resorts along the Great Salt Lake eventually went out of business and were abandoned. Lake Resort closed in 1893.
In addition to problems with the lake, many resorts faced opposition that was common across America. Concerned adults and moral leaders questioned the activities that happened at the resorts without their proper supervision. Victorian norms were challenged, especially for women, as men and women mingled and participated in recreational activities. Also, free time after work in the evenings and on weekends was a new phenomenon as many still worked 12 hours day in a both agrarian and industrial manner. Many did not know what to make of this acquired time and the recreational pursuits that many chose to fill that time. Tension was inevitable between generations.
Bamberger listened to the complaints of others, and the local government helped to constrain certain activities with police patrols. Many felt that unsupervised recreation would affect the morals of the youth. The memories and reputation of carnivals that England had created persisted during this period in American history and the concerned consequently cautioned against drunkenness, profanity, raucous behavior, and immoral behavior. Mormon bishops prohibited same sex swimming parties and advised the youth to avoid Lake Park. In 1896 during a conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the predominant moral influence in Utah) leaders condemned immodesty in bathing suits. The same church was influential in the organization of committees to exert pressure on the lakeside resorts to cut back on recreational activities.
Alcohol was present at Lake Park and created a major concern. Bamberger suggested "that no saloon will be run in connection with the resort," but liquor was sold at Lake Park with a county license.
