The historic walking tour is a project by this year’s class of the Heber Leadership Academy, in collaboration with the Community Alliance for Main Street.
CAMS Executive Director Rachel Kahler said it’s exciting to see the group’s hard work come to fruition.
“There’s a lot of memories in these buildings, but it’s also representative of who we are and where we came from, from a city standpoint,” she said.
She said one of her favorite stories is that of John Murray Murdoch, a Scottish shepherd who endured hardships and loss on his journey to Utah. He arrived in the Heber Valley in 1860, and his home on 400 West, built in 1880, is still standing.
“He came to the Heber Valley and started with nothing – literally nothing – and raised sheep, and on his deathbed, he had 101 descendants,” she said. “That story, to me, really illustrated the sacrifice getting here and then the determination to make something of himself once he arrived.”
Kahler also highlighted the John Crook home. Crook meticulously documented his life in early Heber. His home was built in the late 1860s.
“He kept a journal for 26 years, so a lot of our early histories of just everyday occurrences came from the John Crook journal,” she said.
She commended the current homeowners for working hard to preserve the early settlers’ houses.
Kahler said it was important for the project to focus on the women who helped settle the valley, too. Even though the homes were only listed with a man’s name in old tax records, the leadership class ensured every plaque included the wife or wives.
Sandi Brower was also part of this year’s leadership class.
“If we don’t know what our past is, it’s really hard to move into the future,” she said.
She said she’s loved diving into the pioneers’ stories to honor the community’s heritage.
Maps of the historic sites are available at the Heber City administration building, the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum and the Heber Valley Visitors Center.
