Evidence of indigenous peoples residing in Sevier County up to 5,000 BP has been unearthed.[3] The Fremont culture of Native Americans occupied the area from about 2000 to 700 BP.[4] The Clear Creek site contains native petroglyphs from that period.
On January 16, 1865, the Utah Territory legislature created the county, with the area annexed from Sanpete County. It was named for the Sevier River.[8] The county seat was Big Spring (later named Richfield). The county borders were adjusted in 1866, 1880, 1890, and in 1921. A clarification of boundary lines corresponding to government survey lines was completed in 1931, marking the present configuration of Sevier County.[9]
Although the county was in place by 1865, much of Sevier County was abandoned in the Black Hawk War in 1867. Attempts to resettle the area were not successful until 1870. By 1874, 753 residents lived in the area.[10]
Geography
Sevier County terrain consists of semi-arid but arable rolling areas punctuated by northeast–southwest mountain ridges, usually forested.[11] The highest point is Fish Lake Hightop in the Central Utah Plateau, at 11,633 ft (3,546 m) ASL.[12] The county has a total area of 1,918 square miles (4,970 km2), of which 1,911 square miles (4,950 km2) is land and 7.8 square miles (20 km2) (0.4%) is water.[13]
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 18,842 people, 6,081 households, and 4,907 families in the county. The population density was 9.86 people per square mile (3.81 people/km2). There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 3.67 units per square mile (1.42 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.61% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 2.00% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,081 households, of which 43.00% had children under 18 living with them, 70.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.30% were non-families. Of the 6,081 households in Sevier County, 155 are unmarried partner households: 137 heterosexual, 11 same-sex male, and seven same-sex female. 17.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03, and the average family size was 3.44.
The county population contained 34.50% under 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 19.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 97.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,822, and the median income for a family was $40,110. Males had a median income of $32,632 versus $19,228 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,180. About 8.30% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.80% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those aged 65 or over.
Features
Interstate 70 runs through the county. As Richfield is about halfway between the major cities of Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado, it has built a hospitality industry, with motels and restaurants serving travelers.
^The Spanish Catholic clerics traveled the Great Basin to find a reported river to the Pacific Ocean. In this area, they discovered a turbulent ("severo") river that flowed northward to Yuba Lake. Thus the name "Sevier."
^Bishop, M. Guy. A History of Sevier County. Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1997.
United States
Utah
