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KEY TO THE CITY - USA
City Directory Top USA City Resource Guide
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Elder County Sponsor |
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The Cities and communities of Box Elder County, Utah*
Bear River City, Bothwell, Brigham City
Clear Creek, Corinne
Elwood, Etna
Garland, Grouse Creek
Lynn
Park Valley, Perry, Plymouth, Portage, Promontory
Riverside, Rosette
Snowville, Standrod
Thatcher, Tremonton
Yost
*This list of cities may not be complete
If you have information about any of these unlinked communities, please send it to us and we will add a page for that community.
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Information about Box
Elder County
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Location:
The northern border is the state of Idaho. To the south is Tooele County and the Great Salt Lake. On the west is the state of Nevada. The eastern boundary includes the Wasatch Mountains and portions of Cache County, Weber County and a small corner of Davis County
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Size:
5,594 square miles! It is five times larger than the entire state of Rhode Island
and includes salt desert, valleys, mountains and more than 1,000 square miles
of the Great Salt Lake.
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Economy:
The main industry in Box Elder County is agriculture. Much of the state's dry-land wheat is grown in the county. It is well-known for its Peaches and other fruits. Dairy, cattle and sheep industries are also among the predominant parts of the economy for Box Elder County.
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Elevation:
4,200-4,600 (with a few exceptions)
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Population:
2000 _ 42,745
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Geography:
Most of this county is flat desert plain. It was once part of ancient massive Lake Bonneville.
Some of this Lake is left in the form of the Great Salt Lake. It recent years, parts of the lake have receded leaving salt marshes, mud and salt flats. In the east, the peaks of the Wasatch rise over 11,000 feet above sea level. In the center of the county, another range runs parallel to the Wasatch and makes up the Malad and Lower Bear River Valley where most of the communities and population are located. While this area has much of the Agriculture due to its rich soils, the others areas are considered too alkaline to farm.
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Size:
5,614 square miles
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Climate:
All four seasons are represented in most of the County. Precipitation varies according to area with mountainous and hilly areas receiving more than the desert areas. Along the Great Salt Lake there is usually only about four inches per year, while the higher reaches of the Wasatch receive over 30 inches per year. The central area, which is the most concentrated agricultural area, generally receives about 14 to 16 inches per year. Most of this precipitation comes in the winter season in the form of snow. Frosts are fairly common in the spring and fall.
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History:
A history page for Box Elder County.
Box Elder County was incorporated in 1869, well before Utah became a state 27 years later. It was created in 1856 by the territorial legislature from portions of Weber County. In 1880, the borders were again re-aligned. At this time the waters and islands of the Great Salt Lake were divided between Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Tooele and Box Elder Counties.
As with other northern Utah county areas, the first visitors to the region were fur trappers and explorers. Jim Bridger came down the Bear River from Cache Valley in 1825, becoming the first white man to greet the Great Salt Lake. The first permanent settlers, however, did not arrive until 1851 in the form of Mormon pioneers. The immediately planted crops, built homes and churches and town began to pop up. They utilized native materials whenever possible and quickly worked together to build up each area. In 1855, Church president, Brigham Young, named Lorenzo Snow to be the local political and ecclesiastical leader for the "Box Elder Stake of Zion."
The name "Box Elder" came from the many Box Elder trees in the area. The county seat, Brigham City, was named for Brigham Young. Other area communities, Willard, Howell and Snowville, among others, were named after local church leaders. One exception to the LDS colonization was Corinne, which was built up as a railroad and freighting town. Residents boasted of being the "Gentile Capitol of Utah."
One of the most significant events in the history of not only the area, but in the country, took place at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869. This was where the last spike was driven to complete the country's first transcontinental Railroad, changing the form of migration for thousands of future "pioneers" and eventually changing the course of our national history. May 10 has been adopted as a commemorative day at Promontory Summit. Each year a special ceremony is held to help remember the events of that day. It has also been named a National Historic Site and welcomes many history buffs yearly. A visitor's center has been built as well as replicas of the famous locomotives, "119" and "Jupiter."
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Organizations & Groups
Bear
River Association of Governments - (BRAG)
Planning and development of the physical, economic, and human resources of Box
Elder, Cache and Rich Counties, Utah.
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Attractions & other Information
The Golden Spike National Historic Site
Things to see and do in Box Elder County.
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This page was last updated on 9 May 2009 at 8:43 am
This page was created 20 July 1999
This page, and all contents, are Copyright (C) 2009-11 by Key to the City, Norco, California, USA.