In the 1940s and 50s, Rose Park was marketed as a reasonably priced subdivision with larger plots than older Salt Lake City neighborhoods, such as
The Avenues. Developer Alan E. Brockbank intended to create affordable brick homes for GI's returning from World War II. The declaration of subdivision for Rose Park, typical of American residential developments of the period, included a racial covenant, stating: "No person of any race or nationality other than the White or Caucasian Race, shall use or occupy any building plot or lot or any portion thereof, except that this covenant shall not prevent occupancy by domestics of a different race employed by the owner or tenant."After
World War II, population and growth in the area increased as vacant plots were bought up and homes built. Like the early residents of
Murray, many were non-Mormon,
blue-collar workers, although Rose Park's residents often worked for major railroad companies, such as
Union Pacific,
Southern Pacific, and the
Los Angeles-Salt Lake Railroad companies, rather than
smelters, common in
Murray. More recently, one can find
accountants, electricians, business managers,
engineers,
real estate agents and brokers,
architects, and
police officers among Rose Park residents. Many homes are being renovated by young families who have moved into the area. The homes are small by today's standards (averaging 1,600 to 1,800 square feet) and are generally constructed of brick though some early stick framed homes are present in the area. Trees (including many varieties of fruit trees) were planted in the neighborhood by young, World War II-era families. Rose Park now includes some of the city's largest and most densely spaced trees. On September 8, 2020, a
windstorm with
category three hurricane-force winds swept through the area. The winds toppled many of Rose Park's oldest and largest trees, causing property damage and widespread power outages.
Super Fund site In the early 1980s a hazardous site existed near Rose Park near Rosewood Park and east of the Rose Park Golf Course. The state of Utah petitioned the
United States Environmental Protection Agency to add it to their list of
Superfund cleanup sites. The agency agreed and in 1982 it was added to the Superfund list as "Rose Park Sludge Pit." Local refineries dumped waste products in the sludge pit from 1930 until 1957. The
acidic sludge contained
carcinogenic
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and
sulfur dioxide posing a threat to groundwater and surrounding organisms. This was particularly unnerving because much of the municipal water in Rose Park comes from scattered
wells. Though no contaminants were ever detected, the threat of contamination was enough cause for action.
Amoco oil company was potentially liable for the site and agreed to clean it up in 1985. The solution entailed the construction of a
slurry wall around and under the sludge pit to avoid
groundwater contamination. A clay cap was also placed on top of the sludge pit and topped with grass. Since these improvements, the contamination site has passed all of its five-year reviews with the solution deemed "protective of human health and the environment." No additional threats have been identified. ==Boundaries==