Monticello, Utah

Monticello ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Juan County, Utah, United States. It is the second most populous city in San Juan County, with a population of 1,824 at the 2020 census. The Monticello area was settled in July 1887 by pioneers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Monticello, named in honor of Thomas Jefferson's estate, became the county seat in 1895 and was incorporated as a city in 1910.

Monticello, along with much of San Juan County, experienced an increase in population and economic activity during the uranium boom from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Several uranium and vanadium mines were opened in the area, and a uranium processing mill was operated in Monticello by the Federal Government from 1948 to 1960. Following the uranium boom, a massive cleanup project was conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy from 1989 to 2004 to remove radioactive material from lands and buildings and to restore the land formerly occupied by the mill. The Hideout has been ranked the No. 2 Golf Course in Utah and the No. 23 Municipal Golf Course in the U.S.

In 1998, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated the Monticello Utah Temple, the first in a series of mini temples and the 53rd temple for the church.

Monticello rests at the base of the Abajo Mountains on the Colorado Plateau.

History

The Old Spanish Trail trade route passed through the area of Monticello from 1829 into the 1850s.

Monticello was one of the many cities established by Mormon pioneers in the Utah Territory, which became the State of Utah. In that year, on a journey to northern Utah from the San Juan River settlements, Apostles Erastus Snow and Brigham Young Jr. passed through the current site of Monticello. They were quite impressed by it, and this encounter was one of the key factors behind LDS settlement there a few years later. After struggling to farm along the unpredictable San Juan River, leaders began to look to settle the higher country at the base of the Abajo Mountains, also known as the Blue Mountains, where several streams and springs descended from the mountain. Piute Springs, Soldier's Spring, and Montezuma Creek were a few of the water sources in the area named by passersby. They first set up camp at Verdure near the South Fork of Montezuma Creek on March 11, 1887, six miles (10 km) south of what is now Monticello. In 1943, VCA began producing a uranium-vanadium sludge for the Manhattan Engineer District. During these years the mill at Monticello processed large amounts of ore taken from the canyons of southeastern Utah. Efforts have been made and are ongoing to secure compensation for the illness or death of family members exposed to the mill tailings. In 2009, legislation was passed to provide free cancer screening to residents who lived in Monticello between 1941 and 2000.

Geography and climate

Monticello is located in the Four Corners area of the Colorado Plateau.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km<sup>2</sup>), all land, making it the largest city in the county in terms of area.

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Monticello had a population of 1,824. The median age was 34.2 years. 30.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 110.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 111.9 males age 18 and over.

There were 616 households in Monticello, of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 60.7% were married-couple households, 15.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 1,470 || 80.6%

| Black or African American || 3 || 0.2%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 104 || 5.7%

| Asian || 4 || 0.2%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 2 || 0.1%

| Some other race || 96 || 5.3%

| Two or more races || 145 || 7.9%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 285 || 15.6%

2000 census

As of the census A 24 July Parade and Celebration are also held annually in Monticello to commemorate Pioneer Day, a Utah holiday commemorating the arrival of Mormon settlers to the Salt Lake Valley.

Blue Mountain Entertainment is a local arts organization which provides funding to bring cultural performances to Monticello throughout the year.

The City of Monticello annually hosts the Blue Mountain Triathlon. The race begins with of cross country skiing on the Blue Mountain, followed by an bike ride, and ending with a run past Newspaper Rock.

Education

The San Juan School District operates two public schools. The Monticello Elementary School hosts children from grades K-6, while grades 7-12 attend Monticello High School. The San Juan County Library is located in Monticello.

Monticello was selected as the site for an extension of the George Wythe University; groundbreaking for the new facility took place in August 2008 but the project was never completed.

Recreation

Monticello is home of The Hideout Golf Club, an 18-hole golf course constructed near the reclaimed site of the uranium mill. The Hideout has been ranked the no. 2 golf course in Utah

References

External links

Monticello Utah Official City Website
George Wythe College George Wythe College, Monticello's liberal arts college
BLM Monticello Field Office Public Lands Management