Item Detail
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4470
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1
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0
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English
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Xanadu by the Salt Flats : Memories of a Pleasure Dome
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American Heritage
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June/July 1981
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32
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81-87
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The story of Saltair, the pleasure dome which from 1893 to 1958 stood 18 miles west of Salt Lake City. Built by the Mormons as a public resort, Saltair was an instant success. The hippodrome was used for dancing, celebrations, concerts, political rallies, and prizefights. Because of illegal beer sales and other problems, the church ultimately sold out. Fire destroyed the dome in 1925, but it was rebuilt in 1929. The combination of the Depression and a lower lake level caused great difficulty. Saltair closed during the war, reopened in 1955, and closed for good in 1958 after a fire and windstorm.