Kanosh, Utah
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Kanosh ( ) is a town in Millard County,
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, United States. The population was 474 at the 2010 census.


Geography

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 town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.2 km2), all land.


Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to 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 ...
system, Kanosh has a
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 ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 485 people, 165 households, and 130 families residing in the town. 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 569.8 people per square mile (220.3/km2). There were 214 housing units at an average density of 251.4 per square mile (97.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.88%
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 ...
, 1.03% Native American, 2.68% from other races, and 0.41% 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 3.71% of the population. There were 165 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.9% 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, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.43. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.4% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 17.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,411, and the median income for a family was $36,583. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $21,500 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 town was $11,346. About 9.6% of families and 17.2% 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 30.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.


History

Chief Kanosh began a small farm in this area before the arrival of the Mormons in Utah. His band of the Pahvants were based in this vicinity. In 1859, Peter Robison and Peter Boyce began the aptly named settlement of Petersburg. This was not far from the current site of Kanosh.Jenson. ''Encyclopedic History'', p. 390 The town of Kanosh dates back to April 28, 1867, when
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 ...
, with the approval of Chief Kanosh, advised the pioneers to move from Petersburg (later Hatton, Utah) to the area then known as the campground of the
Pahvant The Pahvant or Pahvants (''Pavant, Parant, Pahva-nits'') were a band of Ute people that lived in present-day Utah. Called the "Water People", they fished and hunted waterfowl. They were also farmers and hunter-gatherers. In the 18th century they w ...
band of the
Ute Tribe Ute () are an Indigenous people of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau in present-day Utah, western Colorado, and northern New Mexico.Pritkzer''A Native American Encyclopedia'' p. 242 Historically, their territory also included parts of Wyomi ...
. When this move took place (1867–68) there were approximately 100 pioneers and 500 Native Americans living here. At that time the Chief Kanosh and many of his tribe were baptized members 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 Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
. Mortimer Wilson Warner, a local pioneer, is credited with having suggested that the town be named Kanosh in honor of the wise tribal chief. Chief Kanosh (1812?–1884), was the leader of the Pahvant Utes from the 1850s until the time of his death. According to Mormon records, he was the son of Kashe Bats and Wah Goots. The Pahvant band ranged the deserts surrounding Sevier Lake. With the intrusion of whites into this area, Kanosh struggled to insure the hegemony and survival of his people through negotiation rather than conflict. Kanosh was settled by Mormon pioneers and Chief Kanosh himself became an early convert to the faith. It is thought that Kanosh's willingness to work with non-Utes came out of his experiences working in the
Spanish missions in California The Spanish missions in California () formed a List of Spanish missions in California, series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. The missions were established by ...
. Whether that work was voluntary or part of the long-standing slave trade of Indians into the Spanish settlements is not known. Certainly, the physical characteristics of Kanosh and others of the "Bearded Utes", as
Silvestre Vélez de Escalante Silvestre is a Spanish and Portuguese given name or surname, or a French surname. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Cindy Silvestre (born 1993), French kickboxer * Franck Silvestre (born 1967), retired French footballer * Isac Sil ...
had called the Pahvants in the 1770s, suggest generations of contact with the Spaniards. Kanosh spoke Spanish and seems to have had a facility for languages, as he also easily picked up English. Over time, the Kanosh tribe dwindled both due to difficulty in adapting to a farming culture from a hunter-gathering culture and in intermarriage with the local settlers. Even though many of the natives were deeded farmland, most chose to abandon the lifestyle and accept a government offer to move into the Uinta reservation where they would receive economic assistance. However, the Pahvants at Corn Creek, a settlement established near Kanosh, continued to farm. Surrounding Mormon settlers gave them some assistance. And although Kanosh was involved in the negotiations of the 1865 Spanish Fork treaty in which Utes agreed to move to the Uinta Basin, Kanosh and his group continued at Corn Creek until a grasshopper invasion in 1868 destroyed most of their crops. Even then, Kanosh and his people did not always remain in the Uinta Basin; they returned often to Corn Creek to farm, forage, and beg from Mormon settlers. Though Chief Kanosh still has a headstone in an honored location of the city cemetery, it was not until 1929 that the U.S. Government granted official recognition of the tribe and deeded them a small reserve near their ancestral lands at Corn Creek. (The actual location of Kanosh's remains is still unknown but is rumored to be in the foothills surrounding Kanosh.) Those few tribal members that remain today have now been almost fully assimilated into the local culture shaped by agriculture, ranching and the Mormon faith. The Kanosh surname is quite common in the area, including among female descendants who retain it as a middle name. Some of Kanosh's descendants have earned university degrees and returned from successful careers elsewhere to contribute to a comeback in the local economy. The town of Kanosh was organized as a ward of the Fillmore Stake in 1877. The population of the Kanosh precinct was 565 in 1930. Kanosh was adversely affected by atomic testing in the Nevada desert in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with many residents and former residents developing cancerous symptoms years later. In response and after years of effort by Utah's congressional delegation, the U.S. Congress passed amendments to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 2000 to provide minimal compensation for those thus affected. The government has taken positive steps to clean up the area so that many former residents have begun to return, adding or refurbishing businesses such as a motel, service station and eating places which were once closed or barely surviving. New homes have been or are being constructed on the north side of town. The south side of town has a stone "Welcome to Kanosh" monument at the junction of the new state highway which connects to I-15 southbound and the old highway which leads to the town cemetery. Thus, the once new interstate which once hastened the town's exodus has breathed new life into the town since the new state road connects to either the northbound or southbound I-15 interchanges within a few miles in either direction and also greatly reduces the driving time to
Fillmore, Utah Fillmore is a city and the county seat 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 wa ...
, county seat and one-time territorial capitol. On the evening of July 25, 2021, a
sandstorm A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transported b ...
led to a series of crashes near here on Interstate 15 involving 20 vehicles, that killed 8 people, including four children, and injured at least ten others, three critically.


See also

*
List of ghost towns in Utah This is an incomplete list of ghost towns in Utah, a state of the United States. Classification Barren site * Sites no longer in existence * Sites that have been destroyed * Covered with water * Reverted to pasture * May have a few dif ...


References


Further reading

* (1994
"Kanosh"
article in th
''Utah History Encyclopedia.''
The article was written by Paul Padilla and the Encyclopedia was published by the University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874804256. Archived fro
the original
on November 3, 2022 and retrieved on May 22, 2024.


External links

{{authority control Towns in Millard County, Utah Towns in Utah Populated places established in 1867 1867 establishments in Utah Territory Great Basin National Heritage Area