Historical Marker · No. 4084

Jeremiah Willey Cabin

Bountiful, Davis County · Utah
Erected 2001

For fifty years this cabin hid inside another house. Jeremiah Willey came to Bountiful in 1851 and built the log cabin in 1854; over the decades owners kept adding on, wrapping rooms and lath and plaster around the old logs until they vanished from sight. Only when the building was being torn down did the cabin walls turn up behind the plaster, sealed like a time capsule. Willey didn't see any of it — he drowned crossing Barton Creek near his home in 1868. In 1992 the city moved the found cabin to the park.

What the plaque says

JEREMIAH WILLEY CABIN Jeremiah Willey migrated to Bountiful in 1851. He built this log cabin in 1854. During the mid-1930s, the cabin was home for his and several other families. A front room and small kitchen were added as well as an attached shed which was used as a bedroom. In 1939 Grant Neath purchased the property which had now been wired for electricity. Using the main cabin as the bedroom, Neath continued to build around the structure, expanding his home. Later, the property was donated to South Davis Hospital. As the structure was being torn down, the cabin walls were found behind lath and plaster. The only visible part of the cabin had been a painted log and mortar portion. In reality, the cabin had been encased in a time-capsule for the past half century. In 1992 Bountiful City moved the cabin to the city park, and the Bountiful area Daughters of Utah Pioneers provided the furnishings. In 1868 Jeremiah Willey was accidentally drowned while crossing Barton Creek by his home, closing a long and useful career. He is buried next to his wife, Samantha Call, in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Site No. 110 South Davis Chapter

Where it stands

40.88084, -111.88041 · Directions

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