A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEVIER COUNTY

Sevier Valley is a valley of deposition while most other valleys are the result of erosion. Downdropped between faults running along the east and west sides, the valley floor was composed of sediment carried down from the adjacent mountains.

Archaelogical excavations indicate that a culture called the Archaic existed in the valley in ancient times. The Fremont people also lived here hundreds of years ago.

The Spanish explorer-cleric Father Escalante and his party visited the area in 1776. On their journey through the southwest, they passed through the valley from south to north on their way to investigate stories of the existence of a great salt lake.

Jedediah Smith and his band of trappers were here in 1826 and John C. Fremont spent some time in the area in 1844.

In 1849, Brigham Young sent an exploring party from Salt Lake City to determine if the Sevier Basin could support a group of settlers. Following the pattern of settlement in most of Utah, groups were sent into the area to establish communities. Settlers arrived in Salina, Glenwood, Monroe and Richfield in 1863 and 1864.

Sevier County was created in 1865 from the southern part of Sanpete County. Richfield was chosen as the county seat at that time. The county lost territory when Emery County was created and became the seventeenth county by size in the state.

Sevier County was named after the Sevier River. Early Spanish explorers called the river Rio Severo, but some historians believe they may have confused it with the much more "severe" Virgin River. In 1865, water was diverted from the river to irrigate small areas.

Because of trouble with the Indians during the Black Hawk War, the settlements in Sevier County were abandoned about 1867, but some people returned to their homes in 1871. A peace treaty was signed by the Indians and pioneers in 1873 near Koosharem. In the 1870's, more communities were established or resettled and today there are fourteen: Annabella, Aurora, Central Valley, Elsinore, Glenwood, Joseph, Koosharem, Monroe, Redmond, Richfield, Salina, Sevier, Sigurd, and Venice. Eleven of these are incorporated.

By 1886, the settlers developed an effective irrigation system of canals and reservoirs which made farming possible in areas that lacked moisture. Other places required drainage to make them suitable for farms. An early Cooperative Extension Agent conducted a survey and reported that 30,000 acres of land in the county could benefit from drainage. By 1921, eight years after the announcement, seven drainage districts were draining 37,500 acres of land. Today, there are over 50,000 acres of cropland. The main crops are hay, barley, oats, corn silage, and wheat.

Through the years, more and more people were attracted to the valley. Livestock raising became an important business and new industries were established. Tourism and recreation opportunities boosted the economy. The Civilian Conservation Corps set up a camp in the stone quarry area of Salina from 1933 to 1941. During World War II, Italian and German prisoners were housed in this camp and worked as sugar beet laborers.

Several significant archeological discoveries have been made in Sevier County. The first reported study was done in 1877 and by 1986 the excavations numbered over 2,000. The most publicized was the village site on Five Finger Ridge in Clear Creek Canyon during the building of the interstate highway in 1985. This led to the creation of Fremont Indian State Park.

A comprehensive history of the pioneer settlement of Sevier Valley, Ten Penny Nails, was written by Revo M. Young of Richfield. It is available for $12 at the Richfield City Offices, 75 East Center, Richfield, Utah 84701.

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