Melvin’s Public House on Main Street in Heber City was known by another name when it was established in 1901: the Wasatch Saloon. It has been an alcohol establishment since it was created, and it is now considered an historic building.
Rachel Kahler of the Community Alliance for Main Street said that the saloon was open even through Prohibition, when it was a pool hall. In 1950, the saloon changed hands to new owners. Since then, it has become a staple in the area, Kahler said.
“The reason why I think it’s such a fun story is that this saloon survived in a community that was primarily made up of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” Kahler said. “The fact that it’s one of the oldest and longest-running beer pool halls in Utah, I think, really gives a little flavor to our neck of the woods.”
The building will now be one of more than 30 stops on an historic walking tour that’s coming to Heber City this summer. Heber City council voted Feb. 18 to fund the project, which this year’s Heber Leadership Academy brought to the table.
Kahler said that they are partnering with Preservation Utah to provide informational plaques so visitors can bike, walk or drive to each of the stops on the list. Though it’s a self-guided tour, Kahler said that the Preservation Utah app will have additional information to guide the way.
Having worked to establish downtown Heber as a National Historic District, Kahler said she believes in embracing stories of Heber City’s history.
“I certainly know that these buildings that have been in our community have not had the distinction or really been showcased in the way that they should be,” Kahler said.
The historic walking tour will open in early June. A total of 34 buildings will be featured on the tour, including the Heber City offices, which were previously a tabernacle, and businesses that have turned historic homes into commercial buildings, like Sotheby’s.
“I was really passionate about preserving the history of Heber because I can see so many things that have changed over the last 10 years in Heber City,” Kahler said. “Density, it could put these buildings at risk.”
Without historic preservation codes, Kahler said, some of the buildings she has identified as historic could be put at risk. That’s why she’s aiming to draw attention to the history of the buildings in the area and the value these homes and buildings have.
Kahler said she got the idea for the historic walking tour from the Midway Historic Preservation Committee, which will open their new historic tour when the weather warms this year. In Midway, the plaques are completed and the tour is defined, but the weather needs to adjust before tours really begin.
Heber has more of an English style of architectural design, Kahler said, and in Midway there’s more of a German and Swiss influence. The tours will provide insight into the buildings in each area as well as the differences between the neighboring towns.
“It’s kind of interesting when you look at the two communities, even though we’re just three and a half miles away from each other,” Kahler said.
Kahler said that there will be a ribbon cutting with the Heber Leadership Academy in June after the educational plaques are installed at all 34 stops along the way. Then, the historic walking tour will be ready for the public.