According to the City of Midway's history archives, the first Anglo-Americans to visit the area located just east of Mount Timpanogos were members of a fur-trapping brigade led by Etienne Provost in 1824. This expedition predates the organized settlement of the valley, which was referred to as Provo or upper Provo for many years. The river that flows south through the valley still carries the name of that explorer, though the town itself eventually became known as Midway City.
The history of the region transitioned from exploration to settlement following the completion of a wagon road through Provo Canyon in 1858. This road brought the first settlers to the area, and by the spring of 1859, many more families began moving farther to the west along Snake Creek. This migration led to the establishment of two small communities known as the Upper and Lower Settlements. One of these communities was later named Mound City because of the presence of many nearby limestone formations. Among the first families to settle the area were the Robey, Epperson, Bronson, McCarroll, and Smith families.
As the area developed, the economy of Midway became rooted in livestock and farming. During the early 1850s, sawmills were constructed with Henry T. Coleman, John Watkins, and Moroni Blood serving as the three main operators. The industrial landscape expanded in 1861 when John H. Van Wagoner constructed the first commercial gristmill. This growth led to the rise of various retail businesses, such as the Bonner Mercantile Store, and later, additional retail stores were built by Henry T. Coleman and Simon Epperson. As the economy boomed, the town supported a confectionery, a grocery store, blacksmiths, livery stables, boarding houses, and other businesses. Additionally, nearby mines, specifically those located in Park City, played an important economic role for many Midway households into the late 1960s.
In 1866, due to growing Indian hostilities, territorial governor Brigham Young encouraged settlers to build forts for protection. As a result, the two small settlements reached an agreement to build a fort halfway or midway between the two existing communities, which served as the beginning of the modern town named Midway. During the 1860s and 1870s, a large number of Swiss families arrived in the area, including families with the names Gertsch, Huber, Kohler, Probst, Zenger, Durtschi, and Abegglen. According to the City of Midway's history archives, some of these families can still be found in Midway as of the 2022-04-06 publication of the city's history.
By the 1880s, the development of the area included the creation of several resorts. These were established because of the many ninety-degree-plus hot water springs, or 'hot pots,' located in the Midway area. Notable examples include Schneitter’s Hot Pots, which is now known as the Homestead, and Luke’s Hot Pots, which is now known as the Mountain Spa. Following these developments, the city underwent significant civic improvements during the 1930s and 1940s. The town of Midway was officially incorporated on June 1, 1891.
What this means for Midway
Etienne Provost's 1824 expedition represents one of the earliest recorded Anglo-American visits to the area east of Mount Timpanogos. His legacy persists through the naming of the river that flows through the valley, a landmark that remains a central feature of the Midway geography as recorded in the city's historical documentation.
