Layton is the largest city in Davis County, but it wasn't always so. In fact, Layton wouldn't the largest city in the county today if it weren't for some key annexations during the past 36 years.
Layton annexed two neighboring cities - Laytona and East Layton - as well as a large portion of surrounding unincorporated Davis County land during the past 3 1/2 decades.The town of Laytona is described in history books as a place that lived and died for want of water. It incorporated in 1938 in hope of getting adequate water for area residents, but finally decided to join Layton in 1957 to share in its water system. The Laytona annexation added 2.6 square miles to the size of Layton. Laytona was west of Hill Field Road and north of Gordon Avenue. It included much of today's Layton Hills Mall area.
East Layton was the other major city to consolidate with Layton. It joined Layton in 1981, primarily because it lacked a tax base and believed joining Layton would benefit residents. At the time of annexation, East Layton had 3,531 residents and added about two square miles to the city.
There are misconceptions about another part of Layton - today's Layton Antelope Square. Some Clearfield leaders believe Layton wrested this area away from Clearfield in the 1950s, but this land - near Main Street and Antelope Drive - was never a part of Clearfield. According to Ethel Adams, Layton council member, and Kent Day, director of Layton's Heritage Museum, Antelope Square was simply unincorporated Davis County land before Layton claimed it. Today, the Clearfield-Layton border runs through the north end parking lot of Antelope Square.
Other key annexations for Layton include: a cherry-stem-sized area in West Layton that was added to the city in 1979 and another 80 acres annexed for the Windsor Meadows subdivision area on West Gordon Avenue in 1988.
Layton was still a rural community in the 1940s and 1950s. The city slogan in 1946 said it was a "farming center with all the conveniences of the city." Layton received its first traffic signal at Main and Gentile streets during World War II. Today, Layton has more than a dozen traffic signals and at least two more are planned for 1994.
Layton surpassed Bountiful as the county's largest city in 1985. At the end of 1993, Layton was the home of approximately 48,000 residents. By sometime in 1994, the city could reach the 50,000 population milestone.
How big can Layton ultimately get?
The maximum population for Layton is projected to reach 98,000, twice what the city now has.
However, Day believes the hasty growth has caused Layton to lose its city center. The south end of historic Main Street used to be Layton's downtown center, but it began to lose that designation in the 1960s. Day said the steady but unfocused growth produced sprawled out residential areas and various strip malls that never caught on as new downtown centers.
The Layton Hills Mall is probably considered the town center by most young people, Day said. However, he believes the older generation still feels the city has a void when it comes to a true downtown center.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Heavy snow led to founding
Layton's first settler was Edward Phillips. He traveled through the Layton area in 1849 - en route to Ogden - until heavy snow stopped him near what is now Hill Air Force Base. He returned to Layton and settled there on April 10, 1850.
Layton didn't receive its name until 1882 when Joseph Barton named the area in honor of Christopher Layton, one of its early settlers and a prominent leader. Christopher Layton had settled in the area in 1857 and was called as a local LDS bishop in 1862.
It was only Layton's separate LDS ward that distinguished the community from Kaysville in the early days. Layton separated from Kaysville in 1902 over taxation issues. It remained under Davis County control until it incorporated as a town in 1921 with a population of approximately 600.