The site of this year’s Preservation Utah Historic Homes Tour, City Creek is arguably Salt Lake City’s most unique neighborhood. It’s the only one that is located in a canyon, on a creek, and in a park. Its homes, constructed before World War II, reflect its distinct residential development pattern. They crowd the sides of the canyon and the channel of the creek in a meandering layout defined by the topography. Because of its setting, City Creek feels secluded, removed from the city, even though it’s only a stone’s throw from downtown. In its early years, however, City Creek Canyon was a very different sort of place with mills, a gravel pit, even an asphalt plant. And various development proposals would have created a busy canyon “boulevard,” not the quiet lane that exists today, or even a civic center with a city hall, an auditorium, and an art museum.