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A−History
History · Bountiful

Bountiful dates to 1847, and 3 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #7 of 119 in Utah. What drives it

Most of Bountiful was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1973. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 522 buildings. Below: maps from 1917 on and the census since 1860.

1847founded
3on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
15famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Bountiful began

When was Bountiful founded?

1847

Bountiful dates its founding to 1847 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 868 in 18602020 census: 45,762179 years

How historic is Bountiful?

A−

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1853.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Bountiful’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bountiful is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #7 of 119 in Utah. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bountiful’s overall grade.
Founding era1847, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19404.0% of homes (±1.9) · typical UT town 2.8% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register3 listings, 524 historic buildings, 116 per 10,000 residents · typical UT town 3.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 76%
NewerOlder
Utah towns of 2,500+ (119)Ahead of 95%

Utah towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Utah town has 3.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bountiful’s 116 sits above most of its state (91% of Utah towns have fewer) while its 524 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1847.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Bountiful’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Bountiful Historic District takes in 522 historic buildings.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Bountiful, and 173 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Bountiful are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1890 and 1900, then grew more than tenfold.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

3 listings protect 524 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
524
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
Bountiful Tabernacle
Bountiful TabernacleJames Green House, built 1887Bountiful Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival2
Victorian1
Gothic Revival1
Victorian Eclectic1
Victorian Gothic1
Queen Anne1
Bountiful TabernacleGreek Revival
James Green HouseVictorian · Built 1887
Bountiful Historic DistrictGreek Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Bountiful’s post office has been open since 1883. Another post office, Stoker, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Stoker
1853–1876
Bountiful
1883–today
18501940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Alda VerdaAlta HeightsAmby BriggsArcadiaArtisticBali HaiBarlowBayview ParkBirdella ParkBirdlandBona VistaBoultonBountiful AcresBountiful HeightsBountiful Hills EstatesBountiful ParkBrentwood CircleBrentwood HillsBridlewoodBriggsBrownBrowns ParkBurninghamCampbell
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Bountiful
Bountiful Memorial ParkDaniel WoodLakeview Memorial Park

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Bountiful’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bountiful’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Bountiful came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bountiful.

Read it all →

Bountiful was settled on September 27, 1847, by Perrigrine Sessions and his family. It was Utah's second settlement after Salt Lake City. It was known as Sessions Settlement and North Canyon Ward before being named Bountiful in 1855. This city was so named both because of the city's reputation as a great place for gardening and because "Bountiful" is the name of a city in the Book of Mormon (Alma 52:9). Most of the settlers, and also many of the present inhabitants, are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The city also shares 14 other religious institutions, including a Catholic school and church, Saint Olaf School, established in 1959. The Bountiful Utah Temple was dedicated in 1995 by the LDS Church. A tabernacle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is also located in Bountiful.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Bountiful, 1847 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1847
    FoundingBountiful is established
  3. 1853Post officeThe Stoker post office opens
  4. 1876Post officeThe Stoker post office closes
  5. 1877Born hereCharles R. Mabey is born here
  6. 1883Post officeThe Bountiful post office opens
  7. 1887BuiltJames Green House is built
  8. 20th century
  9. 1913Born hereCalvin L. Rampton is born here
  10. 1925On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1936Born herePat Priest is born here
  12. 1954Born hereJames Morrison is born here
  13. 21st century
  14. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 45,762
By decade

Bountiful, decade by decade

Today17 recent
PXL 20250914 214323506~32025PXL 20250914 214323506~3Our essence2025Our essenceLeft exit 3172018Left exit 317Untitled photo2018Untitled photoMildred J. Berryman Headstone2017Mildred J. Berryman HeadstonePolice car Bountiful, Utah, Apr 162016Police car Bountiful, Utah, Apr 16Emma Summers2016Emma SummersBountiful, United States (Unsplash)2016Bountiful, United States (Unsplash)Bountiful Overlook2016Bountiful OverlookAbout fell over at work from hunger - glad @panda. .express was close2016About fell over at work from hunger - glad @panda. .e…2015.09.05 13.42.22 DSC00344 - Flickr - andrey zharkikh20152015.09.05 13.42.22 DSC00344 - Flickr - andrey zharki…US-89-UT-93 Junction in Centerville 32011US-89-UT-93 Junction in Centerville 3US-89-UT-93 Junction in Centerville 22011US-89-UT-93 Junction in Centerville 2GSL Antelope Island2010GSL Antelope IslandSuper Tuesday Vote Utah2008Super Tuesday Vote Utah5thinDavis920085thinDavis95thinDavis1020085thinDavis10
On the map

Bountiful on the map, 1925 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bountiful. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Bountiful on the 1925 USGS mapBountiful on the 1980 USGS map1925Ft Douglas sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bountiful.

Every building

Bountiful, building by building, 1917–1930

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Bountiful fire insurance map, 1917, sheet 11917Sheet 1 of 4
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Bountiful, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,0001900195020002,438 in 1890Low: 1,442

Lost a third of its people between 1890 and 1900, then grew more than tenfold.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bountiful’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

15 famous people were born in Bountiful

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
James MorrisonUS actor and filmmaker · b. 1954
Pat PriestAmerican actress · b. 1936
Calvin L. RamptonAmerican politician · b. 1913
Charles R. MabeyAmerican politician · b. 1877
Jake GibbAmerican beach volleyball player · b. 1976
J
James E. ReillyAmerican screenwriter · b. 1948
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

North Salt LakeIts storyD−Centerville27 historic placesB+West Bountiful2 historic placesB+Woods Cross1 historic placeC−

Questions about Bountiful’s history

What year was Bountiful founded?

In 1847, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Bountiful’s post office opened in 1853, and the census of 1860 counted 868 people here.

How does Bountiful rank for history?

Bountiful is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #7 of 119 in Utah. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Bountiful?

Three places: the Bountiful Tabernacle (listed 1976), the James Green House (1982) and the Bountiful Historic District (2005).

How old are the homes in Bountiful?

4% of Bountiful’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 2.8% for an Utah town; the median home was built in 1973.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (17), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.