Sanpete County, Utah
Encyclopedia
Sanpete County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Utah
. The population according to the 2010 U.S. Census was 27,822. It was possibly named for a Ute
Indian chief named Sanpitch, which was corrupted to Sanpete. Its county seat
is Manti
and its largest city is Ephraim
.
, the county has a total area of 1603 square miles (4,151.8 km²), of which 1588 square miles (4,112.9 km²) is land and 15 square miles (38.8 km²) (0.91%) is water. Sanpete is located in the geographical center of Utah
Sanpete is bounded along its eastern side by the Wasatch Plateau (sometimes known as the Manti Mountains). The Wasatch Plateau rises to elevations of approximately 11,000 feet (3,300 m). Most of the Wasatch Plateau is encompassed by the Manti Division of the Manti-La Sal National Forest
. Runoff from the western slopes of these mountains provides water to the county's cities and agricultural areas. Central Sanpete is dominated by the Sanpete Valley (sometimes known as the Sanpitch Valley), where most of the county's cities are located. The western side of the valley is bounded by the lower and drier Sanpitch Mountains, which also form part of the western boundary of the county. The Sanpitch River, runs from north to south through Sanpete and empties into the Sevier River
in southwestern Sanpete. This portion of the Sevier River Valley is known as Gunnison
Valley.
form the economic backbone of the county.
A significant industry in the county is turkey ranching and the Moroni Feed Company, a Turkey
producing and processing cooperative. Moroni Feed Company is a part owner of the marketing cooperative Norbest http://www.norbest.com/a_moroni_feed.cfm. Moroni Feed Company operates several divisions throughout the county, including a turkey processing plant, hatchery, feed mill, propane store, and sales office located in and near the town of Moroni
. The company employees over 600 people throughout the state, with the corporate headquarters located near Moroni. Numerous turkey barns and sheds dot the landscape; primarily around Moroni and the other northern Sanpete towns.
Alfalfa
fields and other animal feed crops make up the bulk of the agricultural activity and economy of the county.
of 2000, there were 22,763 people, 6,547 households, and 5,067 families residing in the county. The population density
was 14 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 7,879 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.43% White
, 0.31% Black
or African American
, 0.87% Native American
, 0.48% Asian
, 0.36% Pacific Islander
, 4.06% from other races
, and 1.49% from two or more races. 6.63% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
In 2005 Sanpete County had a population that was 88.7% non-Hispanic whites. African Americans now constituted 0.5% of the population. Native Americans were 1.0% of the population. Asians were 0.8% of the population. Pacific Islanders were growing faster in numbers than Asians and were tied with Asians at 0.8%. 8.1% of the population was now Latino.
There were 6,547 households out of which 43.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.00% were married couples
living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.60% were non-families. 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.27 and the average family size was 3.68.
In the county, the population was spread out with 33.20% under the age of 18, 16.40% from 18 to 24, 21.80% from 25 to 44, 17.80% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 102.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,042, and the median income for a family was $37,796. Males had a median income of $30,527 versus $19,974 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $12,442. About 10.40% of families and 15.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.90% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.
to settle a group of his people in the valley of Sanpitch, about 125 miles (201.2 km) to the south. Wanting to honor their request and needing to found new settlements where the quickly-growing population of Salt Lake could expand, Brigham Young sent a party to explore the area in August of that year. It was deemed favorable to settlement, and Brigham Young called Isaac Morley
to organize about fifty families to move south and settle "San Pete."
The settlers arrived in the valley on 19 November 1849. They numbered 224 men, women, and children and were led by Isaac Morley, Charles Shumway, and Seth Taft. After some debate, the first settlement in the valley was established on the present site of Manti, Utah
.
Over the course of the 19th Century, many of the settlers came from Scandinavian countries, as documented in the Saga of the Sanpitch
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The population according to the 2010 U.S. Census was 27,822. It was possibly named for a 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...
Indian chief named Sanpitch, which was corrupted to Sanpete. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Manti
Manti, Utah
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile...
and its largest city is Ephraim
Ephraim, Utah
Ephraim is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 6,135 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Sanpete County. It is the location of Snow College and is located along U.S. Route 89.-History:Ephraim was founded in 1854...
.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited 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 county has a total area of 1603 square miles (4,151.8 km²), of which 1588 square miles (4,112.9 km²) is land and 15 square miles (38.8 km²) (0.91%) is water. Sanpete is located in the geographical center of Utah
Sanpete is bounded along its eastern side by the Wasatch Plateau (sometimes known as the Manti Mountains). The Wasatch Plateau rises to elevations of approximately 11,000 feet (3,300 m). Most of the Wasatch Plateau is encompassed by the Manti Division of the Manti-La Sal National Forest
Manti-La Sal National Forest
The Manti-La Sal National Forest covers 1,270,646 acres and is located in the central and southeastern parts of the U.S. state of Utah and the extreme western part of Colorado...
. Runoff from the western slopes of these mountains provides water to the county's cities and agricultural areas. Central Sanpete is dominated by the Sanpete Valley (sometimes known as the Sanpitch Valley), where most of the county's cities are located. The western side of the valley is bounded by the lower and drier Sanpitch Mountains, which also form part of the western boundary of the county. The Sanpitch River, runs from north to south through Sanpete and empties into the Sevier River
Sevier River
The Sevier River , extending , is the longest Utah river entirely in the state and drains an extended chain of mountain farming valleys to the intermittent Sevier Lake...
in southwestern Sanpete. This portion of the Sevier River Valley is known as Gunnison
Gunnison, Utah
Gunnison is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,394 at the 2000 census. The city was named in honor of John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer who surveyed for the transcontinental railroad in 1853.-Geography:...
Valley.
Adjacent counties
- Utah County, UtahUtah County, UtahUtah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 368,536 and by 2008 was estimated at 530,837. It was named for the Spanish name for the Ute Indians. The county seat and largest city is Provo...
- (north) - Carbon County, UtahCarbon County, UtahCarbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for the major coal deposits in the area, the county seat and largest city, is Price. Carbon County is the second largest natural gas producer in Utah , with 94 billion cubic feet produced in 2008. As of 2010 the population was...
- (northeast) - Emery County, UtahEmery County, UtahEmery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 10,860, and by 2009 had been estimated to decrease to 10,629. It was named for George W. Emery, governor of the Utah Territory in 1875...
- (east) - Sevier County, UtahSevier County, UtahAs of the census of 2000, there were 18,842 people, 6,081 households, and 4,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
- (south) - Millard County, UtahMillard County, UtahMillard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. In 2010, its population was 12,420. It was named for Millard Fillmore, thirteenth President of the United States. Its county seat is Fillmore and the largest city is Delta.-Geography:...
- (southwest) - Juab County, UtahJuab County, UtahJuab County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,238, and by 2005 had been estimated at 9,113. It was named from an Indian word meaning thirsty valley, or possibly only valley. Its county seat and largest city is Nephi.Juab County is part of the...
- (northwest)
National protected areas
- Fishlake National ForestFishlake National ForestFishlake National Forest is located in south central Utah, USA. Its namesake is the largest freshwater mountain lake in the state.-Geography:...
(part) - Manti National ForestManti National ForestManti National Forest was established as the Manti Forest Reserve by the General Land Office in Colorado and Utah on May 29, 1903 with . After the transfer of federal forests to the U.S. Forest Service in 1905, it became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1915 Nebo National Forest was...
(part) - Uinta National ForestUinta National ForestUinta National Forest is a national forest located in north central Utah, USA. It was originally part of the Uinta Forest Reserve, created by Grover Cleveland on February 2, 1897. The name is derived from the Ute word Yoov-we-teuh which means pine forest...
(part)
Industry and Economy
Sanpete County is a largely agricultural region of the state, and it is dotted with small rural farming towns. Agriculture, livestock, small businesses, government employment and Snow CollegeSnow College
Snow College is a rural, two-year state college located in Ephraim, Utah, U.S. It offers certificates and associate degrees in a number of areas...
form the economic backbone of the county.
A significant industry in the county is turkey ranching and the Moroni Feed Company, a Turkey
Turkey (bird)
A turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris. One species, Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the Wild Turkey, is native to the forests of North America. The domestic turkey is a descendant of this species...
producing and processing cooperative. Moroni Feed Company is a part owner of the marketing cooperative Norbest http://www.norbest.com/a_moroni_feed.cfm. Moroni Feed Company operates several divisions throughout the county, including a turkey processing plant, hatchery, feed mill, propane store, and sales office located in and near the town of Moroni
Moroni, Utah
Moroni is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,280 at the 2000 census.-Name:The city is named after Moroni, a prophet in the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:...
. The company employees over 600 people throughout the state, with the corporate headquarters located near Moroni. Numerous turkey barns and sheds dot the landscape; primarily around Moroni and the other northern Sanpete towns.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
fields and other animal feed crops make up the bulk of the agricultural activity and economy of the county.
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 22,763 people, 6,547 households, and 5,067 families residing in the county. 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 14 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 7,879 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.43% White
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...
, 0.31% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.87% Native American
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...
, 0.48% Asian
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...
, 0.36% Pacific Islander
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...
, 4.06% 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 1.49% from two or more races. 6.63% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
In 2005 Sanpete County had a population that was 88.7% non-Hispanic whites. African Americans now constituted 0.5% of the population. Native Americans were 1.0% of the population. Asians were 0.8% of the population. Pacific Islanders were growing faster in numbers than Asians and were tied with Asians at 0.8%. 8.1% of the population was now Latino.
There were 6,547 households out of which 43.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.00% 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, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.60% were non-families. 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.27 and the average family size was 3.68.
In the county, the population was spread out with 33.20% under the age of 18, 16.40% from 18 to 24, 21.80% from 25 to 44, 17.80% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 102.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,042, and the median income for a family was $37,796. Males had a median income of $30,527 versus $19,974 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 county was $12,442. About 10.40% of families and 15.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.90% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.
History
On 14 June 1849, Ute chiefs Walkara and Sowiette went to the Salt Lake Valley to ask Mormon leader Brigham YoungBrigham 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...
to settle a group of his people in the valley of Sanpitch, about 125 miles (201.2 km) to the south. Wanting to honor their request and needing to found new settlements where the quickly-growing population of Salt Lake could expand, Brigham Young sent a party to explore the area in August of that year. It was deemed favorable to settlement, and Brigham Young called Isaac Morley
Isaac Morley
Isaac Morley was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement and a contemporary of both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. He was one of the first converts to Smith's Church of Christ...
to organize about fifty families to move south and settle "San Pete."
The settlers arrived in the valley on 19 November 1849. They numbered 224 men, women, and children and were led by Isaac Morley, Charles Shumway, and Seth Taft. After some debate, the first settlement in the valley was established on the present site of Manti, Utah
Manti, Utah
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile...
.
Over the course of the 19th Century, many of the settlers came from Scandinavian countries, as documented in the Saga of the Sanpitch
Saga of the Sanpitch
The Saga of the Sanpitch was a collection of biographical short stories, published annually from 1969 to 1998, about early Scandinavian immigrants to the Sanpete Valley.-External links:* *...
.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Sanpete County, UtahNational Register of Historic Places listings in Sanpete County, UtahThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Sanpete County, Utah.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Sanpete County, Utah, United States...