Clarkston is a town in Cache County,

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 it ...

, United States. The population was 666 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community celebration is held in June each year and is known as The Pony Express Days. Clarkston is noted for being the last home of Martin Harris, one of the

Three Witnesses The Three Witnesses is the collective name for three men connected with the early Latter Day Saint movement who stated that an angel had shown them the golden plates from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon; they also stated tha ...

of the

Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...

. He is buried in Clarkston, and every other year a pageant commemorates his life. The pageant was discontinued in 2018. Many of it residents enjoy the local wildlife which includes

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

sharp-tailed grouse The sharp-tailed grouse (''Tympanuchus phasianellus''), also known as the sharptail or fire grouse, is a medium-sized prairie grouse. One of three species in the genus ''Tympanuchus'', the sharp-tailed grouse is found throughout Alaska, much of N ...

, and

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family (biology), family Phasianidae in the order (biology), order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera na ...

History

The townsite of Clarkston was laid out in 1864. It was named for Israel Justus Clark, who was an early settler and the first branch president of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

in Clarkston. The settlers originally settled east of modern-day Clarkston in a spot known as the flat. Due to water quality concerns and sickness, they moved the town to a higher elevation and closer to City Creek and other springs. They also experimented in dry farming, mainly north of town. There was trouble with the native Americans, and in 1866 the settlement was abandoned for a short time. Eventually, an agreement was made between the settlers and Indian John, a chief under the

Washakie Washakie (1804/1810 – February 20, 1900) was a prominent leader of the Shoshone people during the mid-19th century. He was first mentioned in 1840 in the written record of the American fur trapper, Osborne Russell. In 1851, at the urging o ...

. A Latter-day Saint

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

was organized in Clarkston in the fall of 1867 with

William F. Rigby William is a male given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norm ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

.Jenson. ''Encyclopedic History''. p. 143 A brick meetinghouse was built in 1910. In 1930 Clarkston had a population of 570. Among the first settlers were Israel J. Clark, James Myler, William Ricks, Michael Poulsen, Johannis Dahle, Gideon Harmison, David Cook, John Griffiths, John Griffin, John Godfrey, Samuel Whitney, Ole S. Jensen and their families; also the Thompson and Hansen families, A. W. Heggie, a Mr. Parker, Paul Paulson, Andrew McCombs, Simon Smith, Isaac Cook, A. H. Atkinson, and others. The existence of the Clarkston settlement was threatened in 1869 when a majority of the settlers, due mainly to discouragement because of the severe winters and heavy drifting snow, decided to move to the present site of

Newton, Utah Newton is a town in Cache County, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1869 by pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The population was 789 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Stat ...

. But a few people decided to stay in Clarkston, and some who had left returned, and the settlement became a permanent one. There was a controversy over retaining the name Clarkston for the original settlement or transferring it to the "New Town."

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. High above Clarkston rises Gunsight Peak, at an elevation of 8244 feet. Clarkston averages 219 sunny days a year. The average rainfall is 18 inches a year, with an average snowfall of 62 inches per year.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 688 people, 206 households, and 172 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 219 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.78%

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 on ...

, 0.29% Native American, 1.60% 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), a ...

, and 2.33% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.18% of the population. There were 206 households, out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34, and the average family size was 3.78. In the town, the population was spread out, with 35.5% under 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.5 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 100.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,592, and the median income for a family was $42,171. Males had a median income of $32,344 versus $20,000 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 town was $13,626. None of the families and 0.7% of the population lived 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 t ...

, including no under eighteens and 7.2% of those over 64.

Notable people

* William Williams Henderson, educator * LaFarr Stuart, computer music pioneer * Martin Harris, Mormon pioneer

References

{{authority control Towns in Cache County, Utah Towns in Utah Logan metropolitan area Populated places established in 1864