Fillmore is a city and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Millard County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,592 at the 2020 United States Census. It is named for the thirteenth U.S. President Millard Fillmore, who was in office when Millard County was created by the Utah Territorial legislature. Fillmore was the capital of the Utah Territory from 1851 to 1856, although the territorial legislature met in Fillmore only one term (1855). The original Utah Territorial Statehouse building still stands.

History

Fillmore, located near the geographic center of the territory, was originally built as the capital of Utah Territory. The Utah Territorial Legislature approved a plan to locate the capital in the Pahvant Valley. On October 28, 1851, Utah governor

Brigham Young Brigham Young ( ; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until h ...

chose the specific site for Fillmore. Jesse W. Fox, that same day, surveyed the town. Anson Call headed the colonizing company that shortly followed; they built houses, a grist mill, and a sawmill. The capitol building was begun in 1852. In the following years, some disagreements developed with the Native Americans in the area, but Brigham Young sent Dimick B. Huntington to the area, and he managed to negotiate peace. The region was considered a route, along the 38th parallel, for the

transcontinental railroad A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous rail transport, railroad trackage that crosses a continent, continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks may be via the Ra ...

. Captain John W. Gunnison, leading a military party surveying the region, was attacked by a band of Pahvants ( Ute) west of Fillmore. Gunnison and seven of his men were killed (October 1853). During the 1860s, two forts, Fort Deseret and Cove Fort were constructed nearby as protection from Indian unrest. In 1855, the territorial legislature met in Fillmore. However, in 1856, the legislature decided to move the Territorial Capital to the larger community of

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

. Jenson, Andrew. ''Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints''. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News Press, 1941) pp. 250-252

Geography

Fillmore lies in the Pahvant Valley, near the base of the Pahvant Mountain Range. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of 5.8 square miles (14.9 km²), all land.

Climate

In the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Fillmore has either a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'') or

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfa'') depending on which variant of the system is used.

Demographics

In 1853, 304 people were recorded as belonging in the LDS Church congregation when John A. Ray replaced Anson Call as the leader of the

Mormons Mormons are a Religious denomination, religious and ethnocultural group, cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's d ...

in Fillmore. In 1880, the larger population was divided into two LDS congregations ("wards"). In November 1882, the two congregations were joined again. In 1920, the congregation was again divided. In 1930 Fillmore had a population of 1374.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 2,253 people, 732 households, and 562 families in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 388.4/sqmi (150.0/km²). There were 823 housing units at an average density of 141.9/sqmi (54.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.70%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.09%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.38% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 3.46% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 11.19% of the population. There were 732 households, out of which 43.9% had children under 18 living with them, 64.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06, and the average family size was 3.62. The city population contained 36.8% under 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 96.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,719, and the median income for a family was $34,830. Males had a median income of $31,944 versus $20,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $12,061. About 15.6% of families and 21.0% of the population were 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 ...

, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those aged 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, Fillmore had a population of 2,435. The ethnic and racial make-up of the population was 78.7% non-Hispanic white, 1.1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, 2.3% reporting two or more races, and 17.2% Hispanic or Latino.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Fillmore had a population of 2,592 at 75.3% White, 19.1% Hispanic, and 4.3% Asian. The median household income of Fillmore was $70,669. The median age is 36.1 years.

Government

Fillmore has a city council consisting of five council members as well as the mayor and city attorney. As of April 2020, the current mayor of Fillmore is Michael D. Holt.

Notable people

* Albert R. Lyman, writer * Sam Melville, actor * Culbert Olson, 29th Governor of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

* Clarence Robison, Olympian * Shayne Smith, stand-up comedian * Arnold Williams, 21st Governor of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Cities in Utah County seats in Utah Cities in Millard County, Utah Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States Planned capitals Populated places established in 1851 1851 establishments in Utah Territory Great Basin National Heritage Area