OnlineUtah.com Logo
History of Garfield County, Utah
Taken from the Utah History Encyclopedia (Links Added)
-2-

In 1875, four years after the resettlement of Panguitch, settlers moved eastward to found Escalante. Smaller settlements were made in Aaron, later known as Hatch, in 1872; Cannonville in 1876; Henrieville in 1878; Antimony in 1878; Boulder in 1889; Tropic in 1892; and Winder, later named Widtsoe, in 1910.

The territorial legislature created the county in 1882, and at the suggestion of Governor Eli H. Murray named it after assassinated President James A. Garfield. Boulder, settled in 1889, was considered to be the most isolated town in Utah until the mid-1930s when Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers constructed a road from Boulder to Escalante. Mail was carried to Boulder on horseback until about 1935. The CCC also reseeded ranges and built telephone lines, ranger stations, and trails.

Vast rangelands and some of the state's largest forest reserves have made cattle ranching and lumber Garfield County's most important industries since pioneer times. The forests also provide many recreational sites, and Panguitch Lake is one of the state's prime fishing waters. The creation of Bryce Canyon National Park in 1928 increased the importance of tourism to the local economy. The large sections of Capitol Reef National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area that lie within the county remained largely inaccessible in the late 1980s. The proposed but controversial paving of the Burr Trail through the Waterpocket Fold area of Capitol Reef would, however, expand travel in eastern Garfield County. The seasonal nature of lumbering and tourism often gives the county a higher than average rate of unemployment.


Page 2
Google
 
Web OnlineUtah.com
Comments & Questions to OnlineUtah.com

Home | Area Codes | Cities | Climate | Credits | Counties | Dining | Dinosaurs | Disclaimer | Education | Entertainment | Government | Health | History | Hot Springs | Industry | Lakes | Lodging | Maps | Media | Mountains | Museums | Parks | People | Photo Gallery | Quick Facts | Quizzes | Recreation & Sports | Religion | Rivers | Sites | Travel | Weather