Sanpete County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, the population was 27,822. Its county seat is Manti, and its largest city is

Ephraim Ephraim (; he, ''ʾEp̄rayīm'', in pausa: ''ʾEp̄rāyīm'') was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph ben Jacob and Asenath. Asenath was an Ancient Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughte ...

. The county was created in 1850.

History

The Sanpete Valley may have been traversed or inhabited as long as 32,000 BP by small bands of hunters. This habitation may have continued for about 20,000 years when the extinction of larger game animals forced a change. About 8,500 years ago, different groups (characterized by use of atlatls, millstones and textiles) came onto the scene. These also departed the area about 2,500 years ago, for unknown reasons, after which the area does not seem to have been visited by humans for 1,500 years. Archeological evidence indicates that the

Fremont people The Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah, where the culture's sites were discovered by local indigenous peoples like the Navajo and ...

appeared next on the stage (from about 1-1300 CE), the first inhabitants of the area to domesticate crops and create relatively large communal settlements. In this county, the best-known Fremont site to date is "Witch's Knoll" three miles (5 km) SE of Ephraim. Around 1300 AD the evidence of Fremont habitation also ceases. The most recent groups of indigenous Americans in the Sanpete region are the

Ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute (band), an Australian jazz group * Ute (given name) * ''Ute'' (sponge), a sponge genus * Ute (vehicle), an Australian and New Zealand term for certain utility vehicles * Ute, Iowa, a city in Monona County along ...

, Paiute, Goshute, and Shoshoni, who appeared in Utah about 1300 and "perhaps they displaced, replaced, or assimilated the part-time Fremont hunter-gatherers." The Utes, Paiutes, Goshute and Shoshone share a common language family called Numic.

Mormon pioneers The Mormon pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter Day Saints, who migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the Midwest to the S ...

arrived in the

Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic basin, endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California ...

in the summer of 1847. The first few years were spent establishing a base in the Great Salt Lake Valley, then groups were sent, usually by the directive of the church leaders, to settle the more outlying areas. In 1849 two Ute chiefs traveled from what is now Sanpete County about north to the Salt Lake Valley to request a Mormon settlement be established. The chiefs, Walkara and Sowiette, asked Mormon leader Brigham Young to settle a group of his people in the valley of Sanpitch. 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 and George Washington Bradley to organize about fifty families to move south and settle "San Pete." The group of 224 arrived on 19 November, led by Isaac Morley, Charles Shumway, Seth Taft, and George Washington Bradley. After some debate, the first settlement in the valley was established on the present site of Manti, Utah. The State of Deseret enacted the county effective January 31, 1850. The region was named for the

chief Sanpitch, which was changed to Sanpete. According to William Bright, the name comes from the Ute word ''saimpitsi'', meaning "people of the tules". The county boundaries were adjusted more than a dozen times during the 19th century. These adjustments often shrank it from its previous size. As of 1880, the county of Sanpete included the area of what would later become modern-day Carbon County, as well as some of Emery, Uintah, and Grand Counties. An adjustment in 1913 and refining of the county boundary definitions in 1919 brought Sanpete County to its present configuration. The Sanpete County Courthouse, completed in 1935 by the Works Project Administration, is on the National Register of Historic Places. With

Geography

The Sanpete Valley runs from north to south through the center of the county. The county is sloped to the south, with its highest point east of Ephraim, on South Tent Mountain at 11,285' (3440m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. The geographical center of Utah is located in Sanpete County, just west of Ephraim. Sanpete County is bounded along its eastern side by the Wasatch Plateau (sometimes known as the Manti Mountains). The Wasatch Plateau rises to 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 San Pitch Mountains, which also form part of the western boundary of the county. The

San Pitch River The San Pitch River, extending , is the primary watercourse of the Sanpete Valley and drains into the Sevier River in southwestern Sanpete. The river is named for the Ute chief Sanpitch, who also gives his name to the San Pitch Mountains and San ...

runs from north to south through Sanpete and empties into the

Sevier River The Sevier River (pronounced "severe") is a -long river in the Great Basin of southwestern Utah in the United States. Originating west of Bryce Canyon National Park, the river flows north through a chain of high farming valleys and steep canyons ...

in southwestern Sanpete. This portion of the Sevier River Valley is known as Gunnison Valley.

Major Highways

* United States Highway US-89 * Utah State Highway UT-28 * Utah State Highway UT-31 * Utah State Highway UT-116 * Utah State Highway UT-132 * Utah State Highway UT-137 * Utah State Highway UT-264

Adjacent counties

* Utah County - north * Carbon County - northeast *

Emery County Emery County is a county in east-central Utah, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 10,976. Its county seat is Castle Dale, and the largest city is Huntington. History Prehistory Occupation of the San Rafael ...

- east * Sevier County - south * Millard County - southwest * Juab County - northwest

Protected areas

* Bald Mountain Wildlife Management Area * Fishlake National Forest (part) * Hilltop Wildlife Management Area * Manti-La Sal National Forest (part) * Manti Wildlife Management Area * Mayfield Face Wildlife Management Area * Palisade State Park * Spring City Wildlife Management Area * Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (part) * Yuba State Park

Lakes

* Academy Mill Reservoir * Beaver Dam Reservoir (Benches Pond) * Big Springs * Blind Lake * Blue Lake (near Grassy Lake) * Blue Lake (near Henningson Reservoir) * Blue Lake (near Wrigley Springs Reservoir) * Boulger Reservoir * Brush Reservoir * Chester Ponds * Commissary Spring * Cottonwood Reservoir * Cove Lake * Deep Lake * Dry Hole Reservoir * Duck Fork Reservoir * Emerald Lake * Emery Reservoir * Fairview Lakes * Ferron Reservoir * Grass Flat Reservoir * Grassy Lake * Gunnison Reservoir * Hamburger Lake * Harmonica Lake * Hartney Lake * Henningson Reservoir * Huntington Reservoir * Island Lake * Jet Fox Reservoir * John August Lake * Johnson Springs * Julius Flat Reservoir * Little Madsen Reservoir * Lizard Lake * Loggers Fork Reservoir * Lower Gooseberry Reservoir * Madsen Lake * Marys Lake * McKinley Strates Reservoir * Miller Flat Reservoir (part) * New Canyon Reservoir * Newfield Reservoir * Ninemile Reservoir * Olafs Pond * Oleys Lakes * Olsen Slough * Palisade Lake * Patton Reservoir * Petes Hole Reservoir * Petes Reservoir * Rolfson Reservoir * Rush Pond * Sevier Bridge Reservoir (Yuba Lake) (part) * Slide Lake * Sixmile Ponds ** Lower Pond ** Upper Pond * Snow Lake * Soup Bowl * Spinners Reservoir * Crooked Creek Spring * Three Lakes (one of the three) * Town Reservoir * Twin Lake * Wales Reservoir * Willow Lake * Woods Lake * WPA Ponds * Wrigley Springs Reservoir (part) * Yearns Reservoir

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

, there were 22,763 people, 6,547 households, and 5,067 families in the county. The population density was 14.3/sqmi (5.53/km²). There were 7,879 housing units at an average density of 4.96/sqmi (1.91/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.43% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.87% Native American, 0.48%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 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 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. In 2005 Sanpete County had a population that was 88.7% non-Hispanic whites. African Americans 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.2005 Census Reports at www.census.gov There were 6,547 households, of which 43.40% had children under 18 living with them, 67.00% 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, 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. The county population contained 33.20% under 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 aged 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 aged 65 or over.

Economy

Sanpete County is a largely agricultural region of the state, dotted with rural farming towns. Agriculture, livestock, small businesses, government employment, and

Snow College Snow College is a public community college in Ephraim, Utah. It offers certificates and associate degrees in a number of areas, along with bachelor's degrees in music and software engineering and a four-year nursing program. Snow College is part ...

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 Norbest LLC is a Utah-based company producing and selling turkeys and turkey products. The company was acquired by Pitman Family Farms in 2018. History Norbest began in the early 1920s as a producer-owned marketing cooperative called Utah Po ...

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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, Utah, Moroni. The company employs 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 () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as w ...

fields and other animal feed crops make up the bulk of the agricultural activity and economy of the county.

Communities

Sanpete County Utah incorporated and unincorporated areas

Cities

* Centerfield *

* Fairview * Fountain Green * Gunnison * Manti (county seat) * Moroni, Utah, Moroni * Mount Pleasant * Spring City

Towns

* Fayette * Mayfield * Sterling * Wales

Unincorporated communities

* Axtell *

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

* Christianburg *

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

Indianola Indianola may refer to: Places in the United States * Indianola, California (disambiguation) ** Indianola (Eureka), California * Indianola, Florida * Indianola, Georgia * Indianola, Illinois * Indianola, Iowa * Indianola, Kansas, a former settleme ...

* Jerusalem * Milburn * Oak Creek * Spearmint

Ghost towns

Clarion Clarion may refer to: Music * Clarion (instrument), a type of trumpet used in the Middle Ages * The register of a clarinet that ranges from B4 to C6 * A trumpet organ stop that usually plays an octave above unison pitch * "Clarion" (song), a 2 ...

* Manasseh

Politics and Government

Sanpete County has traditionally voted Republican. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).

External links

Sanpete County Official WebsiteSanpete Life: Resource for events and activities

References

{{Coord, 39.37, -111.58, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-UT_source:UScensus1990 1850 establishments in Utah Territory Populated places established in 1850