River Heights

They called it Dry Town at first — a fair name for a bench above the Logan River with water hard to reach. Scandinavian farming families settled it in 1883, the Andersons and Lundbergs and Hansens, and the little community grew the slow way: a bridge across the river in 1891, a ward in 1908, a chapel, then a schoolhouse with a single teacher. Renamed River Heights for its perch over the water, the town was not formally incorporated until 1934 — half a century after the first families arrived on the dry bench.

What the plaque says

Originally called "Dry Town" then later named River Heights, this town overlooks the Logan River. The first settlers, arriving here in 1883, were the families of Anders Anderson, Mathias Lundberg, Hyrum Merrill, Christian Hansen, Knut Hansen, Peter Croft, Moroni Gudmundson, Alma Cummings, and the Croftmans. In 1887, the families of Lars Larsen and Eric Lehi Olson arrived. The first bridge across the Logan River was built in 1891. On May 4, 1908, the River Heights Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, with Eric Lehi Olson as its first bishop. In 1910 the first chapel was built. The first schoolhouse was erected in 1912, with Loyla Raymond as the teacher. The first mayor was J. Karl Wood. River Heights was incorporated October 31, 1934. This monument rock was obtained from Dry Canyon, east of River Heights.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Logan — 1.0 mi
  A vibrant college town tucked into a stunning mountain valley
• American West Heritage Center — 5.1 mi
  A living history farm spanning 160 acres of Cache Valley
• Hyrum State Park — 6.3 mi
  A family-friendly reservoir at the mouth of Blacksmith Fork Canyon
• Wind Cave Trail — 8.8 mi
  A short hike to a triple-arched limestone cave overlooking the canyon

More markers nearby

• Russell Maughan, First Flight — 0.6 mi
• Birthplace of Pioneer Pilot Russell L. Maughan — 0.7 mi
• First Dawn to Dusk Flight Across America — 0.7 mi
• Pioneer Memories of 1866 — 0.7 mi