Emery County is a county in east-central Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 9,825. Its county seat is Castle Dale, and the largest city is Huntington. Emery County was named after George W. Emery, the Utah Territory governor.
History
Prehistory
left|thumb|[[Barrier Canyon Style rock art found in Emery County]]
Occupation of the San Rafael region dates back thousands of years to include people of the Desert Archaic Culture who were followed by those of the Fremont culture who inhabited present-day Emery County through the sixth through thirteenth centuries AD. Evidence of these civilizations is extant in numerous pictograph and petroglyph panels, such as those in Temple Mountain Wash, Muddy Creek, Ferron Box, Black Dragon Canyon, and Buckhorn Wash - all sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Indigenous Ute people also occupied sites in Castle Valley.
Old Spanish Trail
The first non-indigenous persons to view Castle Valley were Spanish Traders and Explorers. The first of record was Silvestre Vélez de Escalante; in 1776, he crossed northern Utah through the Uintah Basin. Spanish traders and explorers soon found a more southerly route, and their path became known as the Old Spanish Trail. It began at Santa Fe, to Durango, Colorado, crossed the Colorado River (then known as Grand River) near present-day Moab, then to the Green River-crossing where Green River is now located, thence westerly to Cedar Mountain. It went on the South side of Cedar Mountain, across Buckhorn Flat, passed the Red Seeps to Huntington Creek, crossing about a mile below where the present bridge crosses; thence to Cottonwood Creek. It crossed the Ferron Creek where Molen now stands. It passed through the Rochester Flats about east of present-day Moore and crossed the Muddy Creek about due east of the present town of Emery. right|thumb|Route of the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail within southeastern Utah.]]
It then went over Salina (Salt Creek) Canyon. It then turned south and went through Parowan, Mountain Meadows, Las Vegas Nevada, Barstow California, and to the coast. This Trail had to traverse Castle Valley to skirt the steep-walled canyons of the San Juan, Colorado, Green, Dirty Devil, and San Rafael Rivers.
Slavery was the principal trade between Santa Fe and the Utah region. The trading of Indian women and children to the Spanish, although illegal, was the purpose of the Spanish coming into the area to become Utah. The other use of the trail was to herd livestock, mostly horses, from California to Santa Fe. Since the slave trade was illegal, the traders kept neither records of their activities nor the extent of their travels and explorations. Travelers along the Old Spanish Trail gave Castle Valley its names, as the travelers marveled at the imposing rock formations.
Early explorers
The first Americans to come to Castle Valley were fur trappers, including the "lost trappers", James Workman and William Spencer, who had been separated from their trapping party by Comanche Indians and had wandered to the Moab crossing of the Colorado River hoping that they would find Santa Fe. They met a Spanish caravan of forty or fifty people going to California. They joined the caravan and traveled through Castle Valley in 1809 and went on to California. In 1830, William Wilfskill came to Castle Valley along the Spanish Trail. He and his party were fur trappers but found little in the area to keep them here.
right|thumb|Gunnison's trail through Utah
In 1853 John W. Gunnison, an Army Topographical Engineer came through Castle Valley, plotting a railroad route. He was commissioned for this assignment by the US Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. He left detailed descriptions of his travels and carefully laid out his route through Castle Valley. Gunnison's route first met the Spanish Trail at the Green River crossing. He followed this trail for a short distance west of the Green River, but when the Spanish Trail entered a rugged rocky region (Sinbad Reef) he charted a route around this feature.
The third government explorer was John C. Fremont, in the winter of 1853–54. The cold weather heavily impacted his trip. They suffered from a lack of food and from the inhospitable landscape. There was no relief from their difficulties until they left Castle Valley and made their way to the small Mormon settlement of Parowan.
In late August 1877, Brigham Young, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), issued an order to the Sanpete LDS Stake president seeking "... at least fifty families [to] locate in Castle Valley this fall." The order led to the last Mormon colony settled under the direction of Brigham Young. One week later on August 29, Young, the Great Colonizer, died. During his 30 years as leader of the LDS Church, Young had overseen and directed the establishment of almost 400 towns and villages. The settlement of Emery County was his last.
Soon after the issuance of Young's order, several bands of settlers moved out from the Sanpete region and headed for Castle Valley (Emery County). They settled along Huntington Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Ferron Creek. The following spring (1878), several more families arrived. In the spring of 1878, Elias Cox and Charles Hollingshead set up a sawmill in Huntington Canyon to support the colony. On Ferron Creek, settlers plowed lands and began the construction of a ditch for irrigation. Most early settlers in Castle Valley claimed easily watered bottom lands along the creeks and rivers, and by 1879, most of the best lands had been taken up.
The Utah Territorial Legislature created Emery County on February 12, 1880. The description included the future Carbon County area. It was named for George W. Emery, the Utah Territory governor whose term was ending as the act was being debated. The 1880 census showed 556 people and 84 farms in Emery County, but this figure is likely short as many prominent settlers were inadvertently left off the county rolls. By 1890, the population of Emery County had risen to 2,866. Between 1880 and 1900, many significant canals were constructed, including the Huntington Canal (1884), Emery Canal (1885), Cleveland Canal (1885), and the Wakefield Ditch (1880). Many of the early canals are still in service.
In the early 1880s, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad contemplated possible routings through the Emery County region. Early plans to locate the railroad through the heart of Emery County were thwarted when the route over the Wasatch Range was too steep. The route was moved to the NE part of the county, bypassing most settlements. Most of the county thus missed on economic opportunities brought by the railroad, but Green River, on the east county border, quickly boomed after the rails arrived.
Geography
The Green River flows southward along the east side of the county. The Price River flows southeastward through the northeastern corner of the county to its discharge point into the Green on the county's eastern border. The San Rafael River rises in the northwestern part of the county and cuts its way across the county's central areas before discharging into the Green, several miles south of the city of Green River. The county terrain is rough flat areas broken by mountain ranges and ridges and carved by water erosion, generally sloping to the south and east. The county's highest point is ASL, in the Central Utah Plateaus on the county's main north border. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. The Wasatch Plateau, a mountainous area, sits along the western boundary. The main population of the county lives along the base of these mountains. The San Rafael Swell occupies most of the area to the east.
left|thumb|The [[San Rafael Reef]]
The western side of the county is the most populated and contains numerous small communities residing in an agricultural valley that roughly parallels the Manti National Forest to the west. Streams originate in the Wasatch Plateau in the forest, and their headwaters are stored in several reservoirs. Agricultural areas depend on these reservoirs and waterways for survival, and some farmland communities struggle with excess salinity. The east side of the county is dry with rough terrain. Green River, the largest community on this side of the county, is more closely tied to the communities and economy of Grand County. Emery County's maps show the importance of the forest lands to the local communities as there are few significant groundwater aquifers in the area.
Emery County contains three areas: the mountainous Wasatch Plateau to the west; Castle Valley, where the major settlements are located; and the desert of the San Rafael Swell, the San Rafael Reef, Cedar Mountain, and the remote stretches on the east.
The San Rafael River, the lifeblood of the county, originates in the Wasatch Plateau, where the headwaters are stored in several reservoirs for agricultural and industrial use. It flows into Castle Valley in three branches—Huntington Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Ferron Creek—which unite to form the San Rafael River after they pass the communities and adjacent farmland. It then twists its way through the rock and desert to its junction with the Green River.
Geographical names feature Native American, Spanish and English influences. Two Ute Indian names: Wasatch, a gap in the mountains; Quitchupah, a place where animals fare poorly. Wasatch is the name of the plateau between the Sanpete Valley and the Castle Valley. Quitchupah is a small creek south of Emery. The Spanish name is still used in San Rafael, which means Saint Ralph. During Spanish times, the name Rafael was also given to the present Ferron Creek. In 1873, A.D. Ferron, the surveyor sent by Washington to perform cadastral surveys of eastern Utah, named this creek, but before this time, it was the Rafael. The Ute Indians called it the Cabulla, which refers to the small edible part of cactus pear. Huntington Creek was originally called San Marcus; Ute Indians called it Sivareeche, and the Spanish called it Mateo. The Indians called Castle Valley Tompin-con-tu or rock house land, which relates to the present Castle Valley. The Spanish named the valley St. Joseph's Valley.
|align-fn=center
|footnote=US Decennial Census<br>1790–1960 1900–1990<br>1990–2000 2010 2020
2020 census
According to the 2020 United States census and 2020 American Community Survey, there were 9,825 people in Emery County with a population density of 2.2 people per square mile (0.9/km<sup>2</sup>). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 8,811 (89.7%) White, 2 (0.0%) African American, 55 (0.6%) Native American, 36 (0.4%) Asian, 7 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 16 (0.2%) from other races, and 193 (2.0%) from two or more races. 705 (7.2%) people were Hispanic or Latino.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Emery County, Utah – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!Pop 2000
!Pop 2010
!
!% 2000
!% 2010
!
|-
|White alone (NH)
|10,050
|10,108
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,811
|92.54%
|92.09%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |89.68%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|19
|25
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2
|0.17%
|0.23%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|63
|67
|style='background: #ffffe6; |55
|0.58%
|0.61%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.56%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|34
|38
|style='background: #ffffe6; |36
|0.31%
|0.35%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.37%
|-
|Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|10
|9
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7
|0.09%
|0.08%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.07%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|9
|3
|style='background: #ffffe6; |16
|0.08%
|0.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.16%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|107
|72
|style='background: #ffffe6; |193
|0.99%
|0.66%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.96%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|568
|654
|style='background: #ffffe6; |705
|5.23%
|5.96%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.18%
|-
|Total
|10,860
|10,976
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,825
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
There were 4,965 (50.53%) males and 4,860 (49.47%) females, and the population distribution by age was 2,869 (29.2%) under the age of 18, 5,187 (52.8%) from 18 to 64, and 1,769 (18.0%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 38.3 years.
There were 3,535 households in Emery County with an average size of 2.78 of which 2,625 (74.3%) were families and 910 (25.7%) were non-families. Among all families, 2,168 (61.3%) were married couples, 165 (4.7%) were male householders with no spouse, and 292 (8.3%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 779 (22.0%) were a single person living alone and 131 (3.7%) were two or more people living together. 1,257 (35.6%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 2,833 (80.1%) of households were owner-occupied while 702 (19.9%) were renter-occupied.
The median income for an Emery County household was $57,772 and the median family income was $71,556, with a per-capita income of $24,372. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $62,786 and for females $33,143. 12.0% of the population and 7.8% of families were below the poverty line.
In terms of education attainment, out of the 6,350 people in Emery County 25 years or older, 358 (5.6%) had not completed high school, 1,909 (30.1%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 3,081 (48.5%) had some college or associate degree, 687 (10.8%) had a bachelor's degree, and 315 (5.0%) had a graduate or professional degree.
Ancestry
As of 2015, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Emery County, Utah are:
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Largest ancestries (2015) !! Percent
|-
| English ||35.0%
|-
| German || 14.8%
|-
| Danish || 14.5%
|-
| Irish || 10.6%
|-
| Scottish || 6.6%
|-
| Swedish || 5.5%
|-
| Dutch || 5.0%
|-
| French (except Basque) || 4.3%
|-
| Italian || 3.9%
|-
| Welsh || 3.8%
|-
| Norwegian || 2.5%
|-
| Swiss || 1.6%
|}
Economy
right|thumb|[[Pacificorp's Hunter Plant near Castle Dale]]
Livestock and farming were the mainstays of Emery County's economy for much of its history. The opening of large coal mines and the construction of large power plants in Castle Dale and Huntington in the 1970s changed the economy, and the population grew sharply. High wages in this sector initially created high average incomes, but depressed markets for coal and coalbed methane, along with improvements in mining technology, have slowed or postponed this sector for some time.
As a result, unemployment has remained higher than that of the State since 1990. The County still contains extensive natural resources that could be tapped, but the jobs produced from new mining activity may be at a similar level as those replaced by technology.
A proposed nuclear power plant, the Blue Castle Project, is set to begin construction near Green River in 2023.
Education
Emery County School District operates public schools in the county.
- Emery High School
- Green River High School
- Canyon View Middle School
- San Rafael Middle School
- Ferron Elementary
- Cleveland Elementary
- Huntington Elementary
- Cottonwood Elementary
- Book Cliff Elementary
- Castle Dale Elementary
Media
- The Castle Valley Review (Monthly)
- Emery County Progress (Weekly)
Transportation
Airports
- Green River Municipal Airport (U34) = Green River
- Huntington Municipal Airport (69V) - Huntington
Events
- Cleveland Days
- Elmo Horse and Buggy Days
- Emery (town) Days
- Emery County Fair
- Ferron Peach Days
- Green River Melon Days
- Huntington Heritage Days
- San Rafael Swell Mountain Bike Festival
- Joe's Valley Bouldering Festival
Former Events
- Castle Valley Pageant (1978 -2018)
Attractions
- Joe's Valley Reservoir
- San Rafael Reef
- San Rafael Swell
- Buckhorn Draw Pictograph Panel
- The Wedge
- Huntington Reservoir
- Cottonwood Canyon
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Rochester Rock Art Panel
- The historic Emery LDS Church
Politics and government
Like most of Utah, Emery County is reliably Republican. In only one national election since 1964, the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.
{| class="wikitable"
|+State elected offices
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" |Position
!District
! style="text-align:center;" |Name
! valign="bottom" |Affiliation
! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center;" |First elected
|-
| style="background-color:" |
|Senate
|27
| style="text-align:center;" |David Hinkins
| style="text-align:center;" |Republican
| style="text-align:center;" |2008
|-
| style="background-color:" |
|House of Representatives
|69
| style="text-align:center;" |Christine Watkins
| style="text-align:center;" |Republican
| style="text-align:center;" |2016
|-
| style="background-color:" |
|House of Representatives
|70
| style="text-align:center;" |Carl Albrecht
| style="text-align:center;" |Republican
| style="text-align:center;" |2016
|-
| style="background-color:lightgrey" |
|Board of Education
|14
| style="text-align:center;" |Mark Huntsman
| style="text-align:center;" |Nonpartisan
| style="text-align:center;" |2014
|-
|}
<!-- PresRow should be -->
Communities
Cities
- Castle Dale (county seat)
- Ferron
- Green River
- Huntington
- Orangeville
Towns
- Clawson
- Cleveland
- Elmo
- Emery
Unincorporated communities
- Hiawatha (part)
- Lawrence
- Molen
- Moore
Former communities
- Connellsville
- Desert Lake
- Mohrland
- Victor
- Wilsonville
- Woodside
In popular culture
- The scenes for planet Vulcan in the 2009 film Star Trek were filmed near Green River.
- Scenes in which Tim Allen battles a giant rock monster called "Gorignak" in the 1999 film Galaxy Quest were filmed at Goblin Valley State Park.
- The music video for 2008 single, "Human", by The Killers, was filmed in Goblin Valley.
Gallery
<gallery>
Image:CastleDaleUtah.jpeg|Castle Dale
Image:Emery Town Chapel.JPG|Emery
Image:FerronUtah.jpeg|Ferron
Image:ClevelandUtah.jpeg|Cleveland
</gallery>
See also
- List of counties in Utah
- Emery County Cabin
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Emery County, Utah