Utah History for Kids

Area: 1,034 square miles
Population (2000): 1,961
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 (483), Garden City (357), Woodruff (194) Laketown (263)
Economy: agriculture, sheep, recreation
Points of Interest: Bear Lake State Park, Rendezvous Beach State Park, Randolph LDS Tabernacle

Recreational development around beautiful Bear Lake have contributed to Rich County's economy in recent

What is the land like?
Rich County, in the northeast corner of Utah, occupies a narrow area about 18 miles wide and 56 miles long. Wyoming lies to the east and Idaho lies to the north. The southern half of Bear Lake lies in Rich County (the northern half of the lake is in Idaho). The beautiful turquoise-blue Bear Lake is about 18 miles long, 7 miles wide, and 200 feet deep.

In 1863, Mormon pioneers led by Charles C. Rich moved permanently into the Bear Lake Valley, but their original agreement with Native Americans left most of the Utah portion of the valley in Indian hands. Gradually, the Mormons moved south and the villages of Garden City, Pickleville, and Laketown, all near the shore, came into being.

Prehistory and early Euro-Americans
Hunter-gatherer groups lived in and traveled through this area as long as 10,000 years ago. The most recent prehistoric people in this area are called Fremont Indians. Near Woodruff there is a fascinating prehistoric site called a “buffalo jump.” Here, native hunters drove herds of bison over a cliff. They then took meat and hides from the dead animals, leaving many bones behind.

The land around Bear River and Bear Lake was a favorite summer hunting ground for the Bannock and Shoshone Indians. Here they found plenty of big game, ducks and geese, and fish.

Fur trappers from the Hudson Bay Company saw Bear Lake as early 1818. Because so many black bears lived in the area, the trappers called the lake Black Bear Lake. The valley also had lots of beaver and other game, so it naturally became a favorite area for trappers seeking beaver pelts. In 1827 and 1828, trappers held their annual rendezvous on the south shore of the lake.

The Oregon Trail—the route thousands of immigrants took on their way to the Northwest—cut through a corner of Rich County.

Settlers
The first Euro-American to settle in the valley, Thomas L. "Peg Leg" Smith, operated a cattle business, trading post, and horse exchange on the Bear River near present Dingle, Idaho. Mormon leader Brigham Young tried to buy his business in 1848, but Smith held onto it 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. Rich chose land near the present Paris, Idaho, for the first town. Rich asked the Bannock and Shoshone Indians permission to settle there—but settlement did not stop there. Soon, other towns sprang up, including Round Valley in 1863; Kennedyville (Garden City) and Laketown, 1864; Woodruff, 1865; Randolph, 1870; and Argyle, 1875.

Harsh winters limited the number of settlers who came to Rich County. Woodruff averages only 57 frost-free days a year and holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in the state (-50 F. degrees on February 6, 1899).

Economy
Even though much of Rich County is high in elevation, it also has fertile valleys that support farms and livestock. Three-fourths of the county's land is used for agriculture, primarily grazing, and livestock and livestock products account for much of the county's income.

Since the 1970s, Bear Lake has grown as a resort and recreation area. Lakeshore and mountain view lots, condos, golfing, boating, fresh raspberries, and other attractions draw thousands of summer visitors. way in the 1970s to private developments such as Blue Water and Sweetwater. The State of Utah purchased the far southeast beach as a state park and also operates a marina on the west side.

Pressure from all sides on Bear Lake has led to environmental concerns. The desires of water users conflict with the desires of recreational users, and both have negatively affected the lake. Because downstream water users have rights to water from Bear Lake, the lake level has fallen drastically in times of drought. At the same time, the ecosystem of the lake and the valley have been affected by all the commercial and residential development. This multifaceted lake, which has been called a “jewel of the high mountain valleys,” faces a precarious future.