Sevier County ( ) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. As of 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 serving ...

, the population was 20,802. Its

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 ...

and largest city is Richfield.

History

Evidence of indigenous peoples residing in Sevier County up to 5,000 BP has been unearthed. The

Fremont culture The Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah, where the culture's sites were discovered by local indigenous peoples like the Navajo and ...

of Native Americans occupied the area from about 2000 to 700 BP. The Clear Creek site contains native

petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

s from that period. In Utah, the Numic- (or Shoshonean) speaking peoples of the

Uto-Aztecan language Uto-Aztecan, Uto-Aztekan or (rarely in English) Uto-Nahuatl is a family of indigenous languages of the Americas, consisting of over thirty languages. Uto-Aztecan languages are found almost entirely in the Western United States and Mexico. Th ...

family evolved into four distinct groups in the historical period: the

Northern Shoshone Northern Shoshone are Shoshone of the Snake River Plain of southern Idaho and the northeast of the Great Basin where Idaho, Wyoming and Utah meet. They are culturally affiliated with the Bannock people and are in the Great Basin classification ...

, Goshute or Western Shoshone,

Southern Paiute The Southern Paiute people are a tribe of Native Americans who have lived in the Colorado River basin of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. Bands of Southern Paiute live in scattered locations throughout this territory and ha ...

, and

Ute people Ute () are the Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries un ...

s. This territory's central and eastern sections were occupied primarily by various bands of the Ute. The first modern sighting of the Sevier River was most likely by the Catholic fathers

Silvestre Vélez de Escalante Silvestre is a Spanish and Portuguese given name or surname, or a French surname. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Cindy Silvestre (born 1993), a French kickboxer * Franck Silvestre (born 1967), a retired French footballer *Israel ...

and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, on their expedition to

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 ...

in 1776. The Old Spanish Trail was the route they mapped. Over the next century, this trail carried

fur trapper Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanke ...

s, hunters, government officials, traders, and settlers. Settlement of this area began when Richfield was first settled. Mormon settlers arrived on June 15, 1864, most of whom had emigrated from Scandinavian countries. Because of the growth in this small community, the people soon petitioned

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 ...

officials about a separate county. On January 16, 1865, the Utah Territory legislature created the county, with the area annexed from

Sanpete County Sanpete County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 27,822. Its county seat is Manti, and its largest city is Ephraim. The county was created in 1850. History The Sanpete Valley m ...

. It was named for the Sevier River. The county seat was Big Spring (later named Richfield). The county borders were adjusted in 1866, 1880, 1890, and in 1921. A clarification of boundary lines corresponding to government survey lines was completed in 1931, marking the present configuration of Sevier County. Although the county was in place by 1865, much of Sevier County was abandoned in the Black Hawk War in 1867. Attempts to resettle the area were not successful until 1870. By 1874, 753 residents lived in the area.

Geography

Sevier County terrain consists of semi-arid but arable rolling areas punctuated by northeast-southwest mountain ridges, usually forested.''Sevier County UT'' Google Maps (accessed 29 March 2019)
/ref> The highest point is Fish Lake Hightop in the Central Utah Plateau, at 11,633' (3546m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * *

Adjacent counties

- north *

Emery County Emery County is a county in east-central Utah, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 10,976. Its county seat is Castle Dale, and the largest city is Huntington. History Prehistory Occupation of the San Rafae ...

- east * Wayne County - southeast * Piute County - south * Beaver County - southwest * Millard County - west

Protected areas

* Capitol Reef National Park (part) * Fishlake National Forest (part) * Fremont Indian State Park and Museum * Koosharem Reservoir Recreation Site * Manti-La Sal National Forest (part) * Sand Ledges Recreation Area * Willow Creek Wildlife Management Area

Lakes

* Abes Reservoir * Acord Lakes * Annabella Reservoir * Bear Valley Reservoir * Big Lake * Boobe Hole Reservoir * Broadhead Lakes * Cold Spring (near Twin Ponds) * Coots Slough * Crater Lakes * Davis Hollow Reservoir * Deep Lake * Duck Lake * Emerald Lakes * Farnsworth Reservoir * Farrell Pond * Fish Lake * Floating Island Lake * Forsyth Reservoir * Gardner Hollow Reservoirs * Gates Lake * Hamilton Reservoir * Harves River Reservoir * Hepplers Ponds * Hunts Lakes * Indian Springs * Jeffery Reservoir * Jensen Spring * Johnson Valley Reservoir * Killian Spring * Koosharem Reservoir * Lake Louise * Lost Creek Reservoir * Lower Hunts Lake * Magelby Reservoir * Meeks Lake * Mill Meadow Reservoir (part) * Morrell Pond * Mud Lake * Oles Pond * Ox Spring * Paradise Valley Lake * Redmond Lake * Rex Reservoir * Rim Seep * Rocky Ford Reservoir * Saleratus Reservoir * Salina Reservoir * Sargent Lake * Scrub Flat Reservoir * Sheep Valley Reservoir * Silas Spring * Skutumpah Reservoir * Slide Lake * Snow Fence Pond * Snow Lake * Solomon Reservoir * Spring Reservoir * The Potholes * Three Creeks Reservoir * Three Lakes (two of the three) * Tidwell Pond * Twin Lake * Twin Ponds * Washburn Reservoir * Willies Flat Reservoir * Willow Creek Reservoir * Willow Lake * Wood Hollow Reservoir

Demographics

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 c ...

, there were 18,842 people, 6,081 households, and 4,907 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 9.86/sqmi (3.81/km²). There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 3.67/sqmi (1.42/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.61%

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 ...

, 0.27%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

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 ...

, 2.00% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.79% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were

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 for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 6,081 households, of which 43.00% had children under 18 living with them, 70.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.30% were non-families. Of the 6,081 households in Sevier County, 155 are unmarried partner households: 137 heterosexual, 11 same-sex male, and seven same-sex female. 17.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03, and the average family size was 3.44. The county population contained 34.50% under 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 19.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 97.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,822, and the median income for a family was $40,110. Males had a median income of $32,632 versus $19,228 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 county was $14,180. About 8.30% of families and 10.80% 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 ...

, including 12.80% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those aged 65 or over.

Features

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

runs through the county. As Richfield is about halfway between the major cities of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

and

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, it has built a hospitality industry, with motels and restaurants serving travelers.

Fremont Indian State Park Fremont Indian State Park and Museum is a state park of Utah, US, which interprets archaeological remains of the Fremont culture. The park is located in Sevier County, Utah in the Clear Creek Canyon. The park directly adjoins Interstate 70 as ...

is found in the

Clear Creek Canyon Clear Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 25, 2011 in north central Colorado in the United States. ...

, adjacent to I-70. It is noted for its archaeological remains from the ancient Native American

. Its museum displays found artifacts.

Politics

Sevier County is traditionally Republican. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).

Communities

Cities

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

* Monroe * Richfield (county seat) * Salina

Towns

* Annabella * Central Valley * Elsinore * Glenwood *

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...

* Koosharem * Redmond *

Sigurd Sigurd ( non, Sigurðr ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon and was later murdered. It is possible he was inspired by one or more figures from the Frankish Merovin ...

Unincorporated communities

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

* Burrville *

Cove A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. Coves usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are o ...

Gooseberry Gooseberry ( or (American and northern British) or (southern British)) is a common name for many species of '' Ribes'' (which also includes currants), as well as a large number of plants of similar appearance. The berries of those in the gen ...

* Nibley * Sevier *

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

Former communities

* Prattville * Vermillion (absorbed into

)

References

External links

* {{authority control 1865 establishments in Utah Territory Populated places established in 1865