1858-1869: T. & W. Taylor and the Lehi Union Exchange

In 1858, the United States Army established Camp Floyd in Cedar Valley, twenty miles from the young Lehi settlement. That same year, two English brothers and converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas and William W. Taylor, established one of the first stores in Lehi. T. & W. Taylor acted as an intermediary in this trade between the military men and citizens. Wary of becoming too reliant on non-LDS businesses and Eastern markets, Prophet Brigham Young encouraged the Saints to do business only within the community. Inspired by this and an English co-op he saw on his mission, Israel Evans convinced his father, Bishop David Evans, and other investors to found the Lehi Union Exchange in 1868, one of the first co-operative institutions in the state. In 1869, the Church established the Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI), a church-wide co-op. Lehi Union Exchange became one of dozens of subsidiaries of ZCMI that same year.

1869-1893: The Railroad and the Peoples Co-operative Mercantile Institution

The Exchange’s success led to the closure of most shops in Lehi, and it eventually held a monopoly over the town. In 1869, they bought the store and goods of T. & W. Taylor, moving into their building at the corner of 2nd West and Main Street. Out of business and looking for new opportunities, the Taylors and their former clerk, Thomas R. Culter, predicted the location of the incoming Utah Southern Railroad. In 1872, they established the People’s Co-operative Mercantile Institution to rival the Union Exchange. The two co-ops competed for a decade, but in 1880, the People’s Co-op bought out the Union Exchange. The store came to be known as “the Branch” or the “downtown” location. When the Utah Sugar Company’s Lehi factory was finished in 1893, it flushed the community with cash. Cutler, who was managing both the People’s Co-op and the factory, left his position at the co-op to his long-time superintendent, William E. Racker.

1893-1904: William Racker: Immigrant, businessman, American

William Emil Racker was born on January 23, 1853, in Århus, Denmark. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was fourteen, and immigrated to the United States a year later. He accepted an entry-level bookkeeping job at the People’s Co-op and worked his way up to secretary and treasurer of the company, a position he held for ten years under Thomas R. Cutler. In 1893, Racker was promoted to superintendent of the People’s Co-op while still fulfilling his secretary and treasurer duties. In 1901, the original Lehi Union Exchange building was demolished and replaced by the two-story classic revival building that still stands today. Two years later, Racker was called on a mission to his native Denmark, retiring as superintendent of the co-op in 1903. When he returned a year later, he purchased the downtown store for $9,000, establishing the Racker Mercantile Company in 1904.

1904-1922: Racker Mercantile

The store’s stock remained similar to its predecessor, selling groceries, hardware, clothing, tools, feed, and lumber. The business was constantly evolving. It catered to new fashion and furnishing trends, evidence of Lehi’s growing connection to the national economy and culture. In 1912, the eastern annex was demolished and rebuilt.15 Racker was involved in many other political and business ventures around town. He served three terms as Lehi City Treasurer, and in 1915, he financed and owned a three-business block on Main Street, just west of Center Street. The three commercial brick buildings were known as the Racker Block, have been home to iconic businesses throughout Lehi’s history. In 2021, the former home of Porter’s Place at 24 West Main was demolished to make way for a modern office complex, also called the Racker Block. The other two-thirds of the block remain and are now occupied by Hidden Gem Studio.

1922-1925: The Split of Racker Mercantile

In 1922, the store underwent a significant transformation when it was divided between members of the Racker family. Retiring at 70, William sold his business to his sons Jacob and Leonard, who created two separate retail operations. The eastern portion of the store was renamed to J. E. Racker Mercantile, operated by Jacob, while the western side was operated as the Winchester Store under Leonard Racker. This division reflects both the success of the original enterprise and the challenges inherent in sustaining a family-run business in an increasingly competitive retail environment. This moment also reflects broader national trends in the early twentieth century, as American retail began shifting toward more specialized stores and competitive markets.

1925: The End of the Family Business

By 1925, both branches of the former Racker Mercantile had been sold, marking the end of the family business that had once been a central part of Lehi’s Main Street economy. This closure reflects both local and broad economic transformations occurring in the United States during the early twentieth century. The Lehi Sugar Factory, the backbone of the local economy, closed in 1925 due to a sugar beet crop infestation. This pattern of farm closures repeated across the United States, a harbinger for the impending Great Depression. Additionally, the failure of both stores so soon after their division highlights the instability of family-run enterprises during this period of transition. It is also possible that, without William Racker's experience and guidance, his sons were not equipped to manage their business. Racker died the same year his sons sold their businesses at age 72.

1926-1961: The National Franchises and the Mixed Use Era

In 1926, the brothers sold their respective stores to other budding businessmen in Lehi. Like William Racker, Samuel Goodwin and Sydney Gilchrist worked in the People’s Co-op organization and decided to strike out on their own. Goodwin opened Goodwin’s Golden Rule in the former J.E. Racker Mercantile building, a national subsidiary of J.C. Penney’s. Both businesses had moved by 1933. Goodwin’s store represented the growing presence of national brands in small towns in the West. With technological advancements, like the radio and automobile, franchises spread across the country. The building reflects this high-paced change with its sheer number of occupants. The buildings hosted regional chains, family businesses, and service-oriented operations. It even served as the National Guard Armory from 1930 to 1941. This adaptability reflects broader patterns in American small towns during the mid-twentieth century, where older buildings were repurposed to meet evolving needs.

1961-1978: Change and Disruption

In 1961, grocer Steve Straw bought both buildings and turned them into the Silver Dollar Market, reuniting the structure for the first time in four decades. Ten years later, the building was purchased by the Greenwood family, who turned the western half into the LaFeria Reception Center and opened Greenwood Carpets on the other side. The presence of a reception center suggests a growing emphasis on social and community-oriented functions rather than purely commercial ones. In 1972, a fire broke out in the kitchen area of the reception center. The local community rallied behind the Greenwoods, starting a fund to help pay for damages. In 1978, the Greenwoods sold the building to Gary Nelson, who opened the Colonial House Reception Center. Despite damage and changing economic conditions, the building endured, setting the stage for its eventual restoration and renewed role within the community.

1978-Present: The Colonial House and Modern Era

Gary Nelson was the longest owner and occupant in the Racker Mercantile building. He oversaw the preservation of the building. In 1992, ZCMI donated plaques to some of the remaining subsidiaries. In 1998, the building and other structures in the downtown Lehi area were added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Lehi Main Street Historic District. It, along with other notable buildings, was deemed historically significant for its contribution to the early history of Lehi. Though the building no longer served the same function as when it was constructed, it still served the needs of the people of Lehi. After 35 years, Nelson sold the structure to Parker Brown Real Estate in 2013.32 Since then, the building has been converted to office space to accommodate Parker Brown and other businesses. This represents only the latest in renovation, reinvention, and reuse for buildings in Lehi.

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