Fillmore is a city and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Millard County, Utah
Millard County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 12,503. Its county seat is Fillmore, and the largest city is Delta.
History
The Utah Territory legislature created the county o ...
, United States. The population was 2,435 at the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
. It is named for the thirteenth
US President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...
, who was in office when Millard County was created by the Utah Territorial legislature.
Fillmore was the
capital of the
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state ...
from 1851 to 1856, although the territorial legislature met in Fillmore only one term (1855). The original
Utah Territorial Statehouse building still stands.
History
Fillmore, located near the geographic center of the territory, was originally built as the capital of
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state ...
. The
Utah Territorial Legislature approved a plan to locate the capital in the Pahvant Valley. On October 28, 1851, Utah governor
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...
chose the specific site for Fillmore. Jesse W. Fox, that same day, surveyed the town.
Anson Call headed the colonizing company that shortly followed; they built houses, a grist mill, and a sawmill. The capitol building was begun in 1852.
In the following years, some disagreements developed with the
Native Americans in the area, but Brigham Young sent Dimick B. Huntington to the area, and he managed to negotiate peace. The region was considered a route, along the
38th parallel, for the
transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous railroad trackage, that crosses a continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single ...
. Captain
John W. Gunnison, leading a military party surveying the region, was attacked by a band of Pahvants (
Ute) west of Fillmore. Gunnison and seven of his men were killed (October 1853). During the 1860s, two forts, Fort Deseret and
Cove Fort
Cove Fort is a fort, unincorporated community, and historical site located in Millard County, Utah. It was founded in 1867 by Ira Hinckley (the paternal grandfather of Gordon B. Hinckley) at the request of Brigham Young. One of its distinctiv ...
were constructed nearby as protection from Indian unrest.
In 1855, the territorial legislature met in Fillmore. However, in 1856, the legislature decided to move the Territorial Capital to the larger community of
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
.
[ Jenson, Andrew. ''Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News Press, 1941) pp. 250-252]
Geography
Fillmore is located at an elevation of in elevation. It lies in the Pahvant Valley, near the base of the
Pahvant Mountain Range.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the city has a total area of 5.8 square miles (14.9 km
2), all land.
Climate
In the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
, Fillmore has either a
humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'') or
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(''Dfa'') depending on which variant of the system is used.
Demographics
In 1853, 304 people were recorded as belonging in the
LDS Church congregation when John A. Ray replaced Anson Call as the leader of the
Mormons in Fillmore. In 1880, the larger population was divided into two LDS congregations ("wards"). In November 1882, the two congregations were joined again. In 1920, the congregation was again divided. In 1930 Fillmore had a population of 1374.
[
]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...
, there were 2,253 people, 732 households, and 562 families in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 388.4/sqmi (150.0/km2). There were 823 housing units at an average density of 141.9/sqmi (54.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.70% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.09% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.38% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 3.46% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or Latino of any race were 11.19% of the population.
There were 732 households, out of which 43.9% had children under 18 living with them, 64.8% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06, and the average family size was 3.62.
The city population contained 36.8% under 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,719, and the median income for a family was $34,830. Males had a median income of $31,944 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $12,061. About 15.6% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those aged 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, Fillmore had a population of 2,435. The ethnic and racial make-up of the population was 78.7% non-Hispanic white, 1.1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, 2.3% reporting two or more races, and 17.2% Hispanic or Latino.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Fillmore had a population of 2,592 at 75.3% White, 19.1% Hispanic, and 4.3% Asian. The median household income of Fillmore was $70,669. The median age is 36.1 years.
Government
Fillmore has a city council consisting of five council members as well as the mayor and city attorney. As of April 2020, the current mayor of Fillmore is Michael D. Holt.
Notable people
* Albert R. Lyman, writer
* Sam Melville
Samuel Joseph Melville (born Samuel Joseph Grossman, 1934 – September 13, 1971), was the principal conspirator and bomb setter in the 1969 bombings of eight government and commercial office buildings in New York City. Melville cited his opposi ...
, actor
* Culbert Olson
Culbert Levy Olson (November 7, 1876 – April 13, 1962) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democratic Party member, Olson was involved in Utah and California politics and was elected as the 29th governor of California from 1939 to 1943 ...
, 29th Governor of California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
* Clarence Robison, Olympian
* Arnold Williams, 21st Governor of Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
* Shayne Smith, stand-up comedian
References
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Cities in Utah
County seats in Utah
Cities in Millard County, Utah
Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States
Populated places established in 1851
1851 establishments in Utah Territory
Great Basin National Heritage Area