Gardner Mill and Mill Pond stood beside a natural pond that was a much-used pioneer and later picnic and recreation area until it was drained in the 1950s, with the Midvale Smelter visible in the background in 1915. Utah’s first important canal began when Archibald and Robert Gardner dug a millrace diverting water from the Jordan River approximately 2.5 miles south of Gardner Mill. The canal water was first used as a millrace for Gardner Mill, where the flowing water turned a fifteen foot water wheel that provided power for grinding wheat into flour. Gardner Mill remained in constant use until its closure in 1970. During 1853-1857, construction of the North Jordan Canal extended water to the Bennion area, where it provided irrigation for agriculture. Today, most of the water in the canal is used in connection with flotation operations of Kennecott Copper facilities at Magna, Utah.