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Grafton, Washington County, Utah Genealogy: Difference between revisions
Grafton, Washington County, Utah Genealogy (view source)
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[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafton,_Utah The following is copied from Wikipedia].] | [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafton,_Utah The following is copied from Wikipedia].] | ||
Old Grafrton was first settled near here in December 1859 as part of a southern Utah cotton-growing project ordered by Brigham Young (see Utah's Dixie). A group from Virgin led by Nathan Tenney along with Benjamin Platt and Henry Barney and others from Fort Harmony and Virgin City established a new settlement they called Wheeler. Wheeler didn't last long; it was largely destroyed on the night of January 8, 1862 by a weeks-long flood of the Virgin River.[3] The rebuilt town, about a mile and a half upriver, was named New Grafton, after Grafton, Massachusetts.[2] | |||
The town grew quickly in its first few years. There were some 28 families by 1864, each farming about an acre (0.4 hectare) of land.[4] The community also dug irrigation canals and planted orchards, some of which still exist. Grafton was briefly the county seat of Kane County, from January 1866 to January 12, 1867,[5] but changes to county boundaries in 1882 placed it in Washington County.[6] | The town grew quickly in its first few years. There were some 28 families by 1864, each farming about an acre (0.4 hectare) of land.[4] The community also dug irrigation canals and planted orchards, some of which still exist. Grafton was briefly the county seat of Kane County, from January 1866 to January 12, 1867,[5] but changes to county boundaries in 1882 placed it in Washington County.[6] | ||
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Continued severe flooding discouraged resettlement, and most of the population moved permanently to more accessible locations on the other side of the river. By 1890 only four families remained. The end of the town is usually traced to 1921, when the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was discontinued.[7] The last residents left Grafton in 1944. | Continued severe flooding discouraged resettlement, and most of the population moved permanently to more accessible locations on the other side of the river. By 1890 only four families remained. The end of the town is usually traced to 1921, when the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was discontinued.[7] The last residents left Grafton in 1944. | ||
[[Category:Utah]] | [[Category:Utah]] | ||