Kamas, Utah
Encyclopedia
Kamas is a city in Summit County
, Utah
, United States
. It is part of the Salt Lake City
, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 1,274 at the 2000 census.
The main industries are cattle ranching and lumber. The town is known to outsiders as "The Gateway to the Uintas
" and is located 42 miles (67.6 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City. Fishing, camping, hiking, mountain climbing and other outdoor recreational activities are popular among locals. Kamas is the closest city to the Camp Steiner Boy Scout
camp.
, including members of the Ute
, Shoshone
, and Snake tribes. The first permanent settlements in the valley are believed to have been built by Mormon pioneers including Abraham Marchant
, John Lambert, and John Pack
who settled under the direction of Brigham Young
.
One prominent figure in Kamas folklore history is Thomas Rhodes. According to legend, Indian guides from an area Ute Tribe revealed to Rhodes the location of a gold mine from which he was allowed to take gold to assist in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple
. The only condition the Indian guides gave for revealing the location of this mine was that Rhodes agreed not to reveal the location of the mine to any other person. Rhodes adhered to the terms of this agreement until his eventual death from an illness. The "Rhodes Mine" is now considered lost, but its legend survives in several books which have been published on the topic.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.6 mi2, all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,274 people, 445 households, and 327 families residing in the city. The population density
was people per square mile (/km2). There were 482 housing units at an average density of 303.4 per square mile (/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.31% White, 0.39% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.04% from other races
, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.89% of the population.
There were 445 households out of which 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,667, and the median income for a family was $46,750. Males had a median income of $30,703 versus $22,434 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,761. About 3.6% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
, Oakley
, Marion, Francis
and Woodland
all send students to these schools. Students in nearby Weber and Mirror Lake Canyons also reside in the school district boundaries.
The predominant religion of the area, as with most rural towns of Utah, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although there is an Independent Bible Church also located in Kamas. There is also a small Catholic minority, many of whom attend church either in Heber City or Park City
.
and into Evanston, Wyoming
.
Kamas also hosts Fiesta Days, a community celebration on and around July 4 and the 24, the Pioneer Day holiday in Utah. Fiesta Days includes rodeos, a demolition derby, a parade, and the Miss Fiesta Days beauty/scholarship pageant.
Summit County, Utah
Summit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a rugged and mountainous area. In 2010 its population was 36,324. It is part of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Salt Lake City–Ogden–Clearfield Combined Statistical Area. The county is...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
The Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in north central Utah, anchored by Salt Lake City. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 968,858. As of July 1, 2009 the U.S...
. The population was 1,274 at the 2000 census.
The main industries are cattle ranching and lumber. The town is known to outsiders as "The Gateway to the Uintas
Uinta Mountains
The Uinta Mountains are a high chain of mountains in northeastern Utah and extreme northwestern Colorado in the United States. A subrange of the Rocky Mountains, they are unusual for being the highest range in the contiguous United States running east to west, and lie approximately east of Salt...
" and is located 42 miles (67.6 km) east of downtown Salt Lake City. Fishing, camping, hiking, mountain climbing and other outdoor recreational activities are popular among locals. Kamas is the closest city to the Camp Steiner Boy Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
camp.
History
Kamas was inhabited intermittently by several tribes of IndiansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, including members of the Ute
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
, Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
, and Snake tribes. The first permanent settlements in the valley are believed to have been built by Mormon pioneers including Abraham Marchant
Abraham Marchant
Abraham Marchant was an early Mormon leader and one of the founders of Peoa, Utah.-Biography:Marchant was born on March 17, 1816, in Bath, England, where he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1844 and became the leader of the Saints in Bath and...
, John Lambert, and John Pack
John Pack
John Pack was a member of the Council of Fifty and a missionary in the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-Biography:...
who settled under the direction of Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
.
One prominent figure in Kamas folklore history is Thomas Rhodes. According to legend, Indian guides from an area Ute Tribe revealed to Rhodes the location of a gold mine from which he was allowed to take gold to assist in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
. The only condition the Indian guides gave for revealing the location of this mine was that Rhodes agreed not to reveal the location of the mine to any other person. Rhodes adhered to the terms of this agreement until his eventual death from an illness. The "Rhodes Mine" is now considered lost, but its legend survives in several books which have been published on the topic.
Geography
Kamas is located at 40°38′32"N 111°16′39"W (40.642338, -111.277536).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.6 mi2, all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,274 people, 445 households, and 327 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was people per square mile (/km2). There were 482 housing units at an average density of 303.4 per square mile (/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.31% White, 0.39% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.04% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.89% of the population.
There were 445 households out of which 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,667, and the median income for a family was $46,750. Males had a median income of $30,703 versus $22,434 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,761. About 3.6% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The town is home to the South Summit School District and has 1 high school, 1 middle school, and 1 elementary school (all called South Summit). Nearby towns PeoaPeoa, Utah
Peoa is an unincorporated community in southwestern Summit County, Utah, United States, between Jordanelle and Rockport State Parks. It lies along State Route 32 south of the city of Coalville, the county seat of Summit County. Its elevation is . The population was 253 at the 2010 census...
, Oakley
Oakley, Utah
Oakley is a city in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 948 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oakley is located at ....
, Marion, Francis
Francis, Utah
Francis is a town in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 698 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Francis is located at ....
and Woodland
Woodland, Utah
Woodland is a census-designated place in Summit County, Utah, United States. The population was 335 at the 2000 census.Woodland was first settled in 1874.-Geography:Woodland is located at ....
all send students to these schools. Students in nearby Weber and Mirror Lake Canyons also reside in the school district boundaries.
The predominant religion of the area, as with most rural towns of Utah, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although there is an Independent Bible Church also located in Kamas. There is also a small Catholic minority, many of whom attend church either in Heber City or Park City
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
.
Events
Kamas is the starting point for the annual High Uintas Classic, a two-day bicycle race that takes place every summer, usually in mid-June. The race features a mountain stage that takes participants on the Mirror Lake Highway from downtown Kamas over Bald Mountain PassBald Mountain Pass
Bald Mountain Pass is a high mountain pass in the high Uinta Mountains in eastern Utah. It is the highest point on the Mirror Lake Highway , near the trailhead for Bald Mountain and is the highest paved road in Utah....
and into Evanston, Wyoming
Evanston, Wyoming
Evanston is a city in Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Uinta County.-Geography:Evanston is located at...
.
Kamas also hosts Fiesta Days, a community celebration on and around July 4 and the 24, the Pioneer Day holiday in Utah. Fiesta Days includes rodeos, a demolition derby, a parade, and the Miss Fiesta Days beauty/scholarship pageant.
See also
- High Uintas WildernessHigh Uintas WildernessThe High Uintas Wilderness is a wilderness area located in northeastern Utah, United States. The wilderness covers the Uinta Mountains, encompassing parts of Duchesne and Summit counties. Designated as a wilderness in 1984, the area is located within parts of Ashley National Forest and Wasatch...
- List of Registered Historic Places in Utah: Summit County