The Utah Northern
Railroad between Brigham City and Logan was completed in early 1873
and was later extended into Idaho. A branch line from Brigham City to Corinne then tied Cache County to the transcontinental line. The railroad provided jobs for Cache residents and also opened new markets for their
farm produce, especially grain and dairy products. By 1880 national
market trends had begun to affect the local farm economy. Advances in
dry-farming techniques and canal and reservoir construction increased
farm production, fruit and vegetables became cash crops, and the building
of grain elevators in the 1890s allowed Cache farmers to store grain
until prices improved. The county's sheep herds grew from 10,000 in
1880 to 300,000 by 1900, and dairy cows numbered 16,000 by 1910. Commercial
creameries, flour mills, woolen mills, and knitting factories developed
around Cache's booming turn-of-the-century farm production. Today, Cache
County continues as the state's leader in dairy products and also as
a major producer of hay, alfalfa, and grains.
The founding
of Utah State University (USU) in Logan as a land-grant agricultural
college in 1888 provided the key to the county's future. USU's scientific
research, agricultural extension services, and experimental farms have
benefited farmers in every part of the state. With some 12,000 students
currently enrolled, USU has grown to be the county's largest single
employer. Course offerings now include almost all academic subjects,
and the university has become a major cultural resource for the community
and state. A variety of manufacturing firms, retail trade outlets, and
service providers (including government services) contribute to Cache
County's diversified economy in the twentieth century.
Linda Thatcher
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