Lucin (Box Elder), was a small railroad community located on the west side of the Great Salt Lake. The name comes from a local fossil bivalve, lucina subanta. The town was originally located ca. ten miles to the north and shifted to its current location in 1903. It consisted mainly of employees of the Central and South Pacific Railroads. The original grade of the railroad can be seen here heading east/northeast to Promontory and the Golden Spike National Historic Site.

In order to save time and to avoid some 40 miles of difficult and long climbs through the mountains, the Promontory Branch was eliminated and a new route was build across the Great Salt Lake by trestle and built up grade. The new railway, completed in 1904, became known as the Lucin Cutoff. The old steel rails were removed in 1942 and used in the war effort.

After its demise in 1936, the community was again resettled shortly thereafter by a few retired railroad workers. However in 1972 the site was once again completely abandoned.

Today Lucin is somewhat of an "oasis in the desert". Approaching the area from highway 30 to the north one can see a clump of lush green trees about 3 miles to the south/southwest. A small (4 inch) pipe originating in the Pilot Mountain Range to the southwest, supplies water to the area. Originally the ponds served as reservoirs for the trains water needs.

Other than the pond and clump of trees one can see two cement-cast telephone booths complete with wooden shelves and wiring, an old rusty ice box, and several community root cellars also equipped with electrical wiring. Other items to be found include various metal pins, nails, spikes, hinges, even some small pieces of laminated marble, etc. No building structures remain at the site.

An interesting artwork by Nancy Holt known as the Sun Tunnels, completed in 1976, can be found not far from Lucin.

Also of note is that one Ivo Zdarsky from California originally from Czechoslovakia has taken up residence here, bringing the total population of Lucin up to "1". See Alex Cabreros' article: "The most interesting Utahn you'll never meet".

See, Utah Place Names; Plaques on and near the site of Lucin.

G. William Wiersdorf