Area:
1,034 square miles;
population:
1,725 (in 1990); county
seat: Randolph;
origin of county
name: two versions
exist--(1) named for
the fertility of the
Bear River Valley
(the county was first
called Richland),
(2) named for Charles
C. Rich, a Mormon
apostle, instrumental
in the settlement
of the Bear Lake area;
principal cities/towns:
Randolph (488), Laketown
(261), Garden City
(193); economy:
agriculture, cattle,
sheep, recreation;
points of interest:
Bear
Lake State Park,
Randolph LDS Tabernacle.
Rich County, located
in the upper northeastern
corner of Utah, occupies
a long, narrow area
approximately eighteen
miles wide and fifty-six
miles long, extending
north of Echo Canyon.
It is bordered on
the east by Wyoming,
on the north by Idaho
(with the southern
half of Bear Lake
extending into the
county), on the west
by several Utah counties
and the Wasatch National
Forest, and on the
south by Summit County.
Fur trappers visited
the Bear Lake Valley
as early as 1811 when
Joseph Miller reportedly
discovered the Bear
River. The area around
the Bear River became
a favorite spot for
trappers, and the
annual trappers' rendezvous
was held on the south
shore of Bear Lake
in 1827 and in 1828.
The Oregon Trail cut
through a corner of
the county. Dr. Marcus
Whitman and his wife,
Narcissa Prentiss
Whitman, the famous
Oregon pioneers, traveled
on this trail in 1836.
The first permanent
white settler in the
area was Thomas L.
"Peg Leg"
Smith, who operated
a cattle business
along with a trading
post and horse exchange
for Indians and Oregon
Trail immigrants on
the Bear River where
Dingle, Idaho, is
located today. Brigham
Young unsuccessfully
attempted to purchase
his business in 1848,
but Smith remained
in the area until
1863 when he became
discouraged and left.
When Congress passed
the Homestead Act
of 1862, Brigham Young
became anxious to
obtain control of
the land before non-Mormons
did. In August 1863
he called Charles
C. Rich to lead an
exploring party into
the Bear Lake Valley
to select a site for
settlement. The first
settlement, known
as North Twin Creek
and later as Paris
Creek, was made near
present Paris, Idaho.
Since Bannock and
Shoshoni Indians also
used the valley, Rich
obtained their permission
to settle there in
order to minimize
conflicts. Other settlements
were soon founded,
including Round Valley
in 1863, Kennedyville,
(Garden City) and
Laketown in 1864,
Woodruff in 1865,
Randolph in 1870,
and Argyle in 1875.
Originally part of
Green River County,
which was formed in
1852, the county became
Richland County in
1864. The name was
shortened to Rich
in 1868, and a final
alteration occurred
in 1872 when part
of Cache County was
added to the county
by the territorial
legislature.
Harsh winters affected
the settlement of
the Bear Lake Valley.
Woodruff averages
only fifty-seven frost-free
days a year and holds
the record for the
coldest temperature
ever recorded in the
state ( minus 50[[ring]]F
on 6 February 1899).
Even though much of
Rich County is highland,
it also has fertile
lowlands that support
productive farms and
livestock, and three-fourths
of the county's land
is used for agriculture,
primarily grazing.
Livestock and livestock
products account for
the greater part of
the county's income.
The development of
Bear Lake as a popular
recreation area with
resorts, public beaches,
and summer homes has
helped to diversify
Rich County's economy.
Linda Thatcher
