Midway, Utah
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Midway is a city in northwestern
Wasatch County, Utah Wasatch County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 34,788. Its county seat and largest city is Heber City. The county was named for a Ute word meaning "mountain pass" or "low plac ...
, United States. It is located in the Heber Valley, approximately west of
Heber City Heber City is a city and county seat of Wasatch County, Utah. The population was 16,856 as of the 2020 United States census. The city is located 43 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. History Heber City was first settled in 1859 by Robert Broad ...
and southeast of
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
, on the opposite side of the
Wasatch Mountains The Wasatch Range ( ) or Wasatch Mountains is a mountain range in the western United States that runs about from the Utah-Idaho border south to central Utah. It is the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the G ...
. The population was 6,003 at the 2020 census.


History

The first known European-Americans to visit the area were members of a fur-trapping brigade led by
Étienne Provost Étienne Provost (December 21 1785 – 3 July 1850) was a Canadian fur trader whose trapping and trading activities in the American southwest preceded Mexican independence. He was also known as Proveau and Provot. Leading a company headquarter ...
, a French-Canadian trapper, in 1824. This expedition explored the region, which was then known as Upper Provo, a name derived from the
Provo River The Provo River (Ute people, Ute: Timpanoquint, “Rock River) is located in Utah County, Utah, Utah County and Wasatch County, Utah, Wasatch County, Utah, in the United States. It rises in the Uinta Mountains at Wall Lake and flows about southw ...
that flows through the valley. While these early visitors did not establish permanent settlements, their journey marked the beginning of exploration in the area. In the mid-1850s, settlers began to push into the Heber Valley, encouraged by reports from loggers in the nearby mountains who noted the fertile land. Settlers of Utah Valley pushed the
territorial government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, o ...
to create a road up the Provo Canyon, a proposal favored by territorial 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 (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until h ...
. In 1858, the construction of a road through Provo Canyon provided easier access to the valley, allowing for further settlement. Despite early attempts in 1855 and 1857, harsh winters forced settlers to temporarily abandon the area. Permanent settlement was only achieved in 1858-59, when settlers established several small communities in the valley, two of which were west of the Provo River. These were known as the "upper settlement" and "lower settlement" on the Snake Creek River. The upper settlement was also called Mound City, named for the nearby limestone formations. In the 1860s, the upper and lower settlement merged to become Midway, so named because it was the site of Fort Midway, halfway between the two. Though local history claims Midway's creation was prompted by the
Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...
, a post office named Midway was in operation at least as early as 1864, before the Black Hawk War began. The site of Fort Midway is now the town square.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.7 km2), all land. The region in which Midway sits is known as the
Wasatch Back The Wasatch Back is a region in the Rocky Mountains in northern Utah, United States, on the east side of the Wasatch Mountain range. The name ''Wasatch Back'' differentiates it from the Wasatch Front, which is the region on the western side of ...
. Midway is bisected from north to south by Snake Creek, which includes the Midway Fish Hatchery just before the creek joins the middle section of the
Provo River The Provo River (Ute people, Ute: Timpanoquint, “Rock River) is located in Utah County, Utah, Utah County and Wasatch County, Utah, Wasatch County, Utah, in the United States. It rises in the Uinta Mountains at Wall Lake and flows about southw ...
above
Deer Creek Reservoir The Deer Creek Dam and Reservoir hydroelectric facilities are on the Provo River in western Wasatch County, Utah, United States, about northeast of Provo. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure high with a crest length of . The dam contains ...
.


Climate

This
climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorolog ...
region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Midway has a
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 cold ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.


Geology

The
Wasatch Fault The Wasatch Fault is an active fault located primarily on the western edge of the Wasatch Mountains in the U.S. states of Utah and Idaho. The fault is about long, stretching from southern Idaho, through northern Utah, before terminating in ce ...
runs underneath Midway, including the main fault line west of the town and the Bald Mountain Fault, which runs through the valley as well. Fault activity is responsible for some of the formations in the mountains around Midway, as well as the characteristic limestone ("potrock") mounds and the prevalence of hot springs in the area.


Demographics

As of the 2010 census Midway had a population of 3,845. The ethnic and racial makeup of the population was 92.6% non-Hispanic White, 0.2% African-American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% reporting two or more races and 5.5% Hispanic. As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 2,121 people, 687 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was 633.3 people per square mile (/km2). There were 1,000 housing units at an average density of 298.6 per square mile (/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.22%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.05%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.38%
Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...
, 0.19% Asian, 0.19%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.38% 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), ...
, and 1.60% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.78% of the population. There were 687 households, out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.53. In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.5% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $51,071, and the median income for a family was $55,809. Males had a median income of $40,870 versus $25,682 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $22,551. About 3.4% of families and 5.2% 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 6.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture

Midway's architecture is notable for its Swiss influence, and some subdivisions require new houses to include a certain percentage of Swiss features. Architect John Watkins lived in Midway, and several of his works remain extant, including the
Watkins–Coleman House The Watkins–Coleman House was designed and built by John Watkins in 1869 in Midway, Utah. Watkins, trained as an architect in England, emigrated to the United States in 1856 to house his polygamist family. In 1903 the house was sold to Henry ...
. The John H. and Agnes Buehler House, built in 1893, is known as the "Hobbit house" or "mushroom house". Midway Swiss Days was founded in 1947 in order to attract crowds to Midway. The Swiss theme was created by Orma W. Wallengren, whose family owned a local resort. Artistic events include Art Around the Square, and the Midway Arts Center. Soldier Hollow features the Utah Ice Castles, cross-country skiing, and a tubing hill.


Parks and recreation

Wasatch Mountain State Park Wasatch Mountain State Park is a state park of Utah, United States, located in the northern part of the state within the Wasatch Back area on the north and west edges of the Heber Valley in Wasatch County, Utah, Wasatch County near the city of M ...
on Snake Creek is located in north Midway. Homestead caldera is a resort with a geo-thermal pool that features year-round scuba diving in the caldera's warm water.


Government

Midway is governed by a five-person city council. The members of the city council as of December 2024 are Lisa Orme, Craig Simons, Jeff Drury, Kevin Payne, and JC Simonsen.


Media

In the film ''
127 Hours ''127 Hours'' is a 2010 biographical drama film co-written, produced, and directed by Danny Boyle. The film mainly stars James Franco, with Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, and Clémence Poésy appearing in brief supporting roles. In the film, cany ...
'', the scene where Ralston and two girls drop into a hidden pool was filmed at Homestead caldera at the Homestead Resort.


Notable people

* Arthur V. Watkins * John Watkins *
Dean Hughes Dean Hughes (born August 24, 1943) is an American author of historical novels and children's books. He has written 105 books as well as various poems and short stories. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hughes is a pr ...
*
Mike Massey Michael Massey (born April 9, 1947), professionally known as Mike Massey, is an American professional pool player. From 1989 to 1991 he served as a contributing editor of '' The Snap Magazine''. Massey was born in Loudon, Tennessee, and for se ...
* Mike Kohler


See also

* List of cities in Utah


References


Further reading

* (1994
"Midway"
article in th
''Utah History Encyclopedia.''
The article was written by Jerry R. Springer and the Encyclopedia was published by the University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874804256. Archived fro
the original
on November 3, 2022, and retrieved on September 27, 2024.


External links

* {{authority control Cities in Utah Cities in Wasatch County, Utah Populated places established in 1859 Swiss-American culture in Utah 1859 establishments in Utah Territory