Ray Sommers Collection. Cleaning the dirt road on Logan's Main Street. Early 1900s.

Translation from the original German:

Logan, "the Athens of the West," is the county seat (capital) of Cache County. The latter is about 25 miles long and 12 miles wide and farming and ranching are prevalent throughout. The county has a population of 20,000 to 22,000 and the city of Logan has a population of 6,000.

The whole area around Logan, as well as the life and bustle, contribute to giving it the impulse of a large city, and its population is possessed of the spirit of progress and education to the highest degree. Strangers coming into our midst cannot but admire the social and business life of this our native city. Judging by the business center, they usually conclude that Logan is a city of at least 15,000 inhabitants. This is the business center of the entire valley, and farmers and residents of the surrounding towns come here to do their business.

That Logan is inspired by the spirit of progress is evidenced by the fact that it now has at least 6 miles of cement sidewalks. Logan also has its own electric works, which, despite being in operation now for only a year, is fully meeting all the hopes and expectations that had been entertained. The latest in the line of progress, however, is the planned electric streetcar system, the completion of which is expected within one year.

Usually, a city or population is judged by the literature published in its midst, and Logan and Cache Valley need not be ashamed of this either, for in view of the population it stands alone. It supports two English and one German newspaper, and the two colleges publish their own monthlies.

Logan is famous for its flour mills; Cache Valley is commonly called the breadbasket of Utah, so it is no more than natural that the flour milling industry has come into its own here. In the last few years, Logan has also gained a reputation for its knitting mills; their knitted goods have become famous not only in the state but also beyond its borders. - Four knitting factories are in full bloom here, and there is talk of establishing a wool factory, and it should not be surprising to hear of the incorporation of such an enterprise in the near future.

The condensed milk factories, cheese factories, canneries, tanneries, etc., that have sprung up here, are all helping not only Logan but the whole county, to flourish in a way that the pioneers could not have dreamed of in such a short time. It has been just 40 years since this valley was first settled, and in that short time miracles have been performed.

Logan also enjoys three banks that operate a thriving business - the best proof of the well-being of the local population.

That the hopes of the local people of being connected by an electric railroad with the capital of the state will be realized in the near future is also no longer in doubt. Logan and Cache Valley are playing too influential a part in Utah to allow the proposed enterprise to be dropped again. After the happy completion of the latter project, this valley will experience an upsurge and increase in population, of which we can scarcely conceive at this time.

Most importantly, it is our school system that gives the City of Logan the appearance of a metropolis. The Brigham Young College and the state's agricultural college, attended annually by over 1500 students, are the chief attractions of the city. Many travelers, when in Utah, consider it worth their while to visit the city of Logan and these two institutions, for no one can form an idea of their extent and influence until he has seen them with his own eyes.

Logan has a school system of its own and it could be said that its public school system is almost perfect. The schoolhouses are modern, practical, and spacious, the teachers competent, the school administration commendable in every respect, and the progress of the pupils satisfactory.

Logan also has an opera house, which, in proportion to the number of inhabitants, has no equal in the country. It seats 1000 people quite comfortably, and the stage is spacious enough to accommodate the most distinguished theatrical troupes. The theater, we believe, also contributes much to the education and formation of the youth and the whole population, for as Mormons we are not so dull-witted and simple-minded as to deprive ourselves of good shows. On the contrary, it lifts man above his station and gives him some insight into things he would learn only through study or travel.

Logan entered a new stage in 1900 and its expansion since then has been tremendous. New business and residential buildings have sprung up all over the place, so to speak, and many others are now under construction. The town hall, which only 5 years ago was considered to be outside the business district, now forms part of the business center. The city has many buildings that would be a credit to a city four to five times its size.

Everything was designed not only for the present, but for the future. Logan is about 4700 feet above sea level and has a temperate climate. It is located 100 miles north of Salt Lake City on the O. S. L. railroad. The artificial irrigation system has reached a level of perfection throughout the valley that is unparalleled.

In general, Logan and the Cache Valley is a very commendable area for home-seekers, because here lives a community, which not only offers a warm welcome to new arrivals, but also assists such newcomers with words and deeds.

The Logan Temple as shown in the December 23, 1904, issue.

When the train comes to Logan!