|
|
| (89 intermediate revisions by 11 users not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| {{Locality
| | Grafton was a settlement on the South side of the Virgin River. Floods washed away much of the original farm lands. Grafton is famous as the site where part of the movie, "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Cassidy_and_the_Sundance_Kid Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid]" was filmed. It is located across the Virgin River from present day Rockville, which is at the South entrance to Zion's National Park. |
| |Name=Grafton
| |
| |ID=5324658
| |
| |Level=3
| |
| |Country=United States
| |
| |CountryID=1
| |
| |Locality1=Utah
| |
| |Locality1id=342
| |
| |Locality2=Washington County
| |
| |Locality2id=393440
| |
| |Locality3=Grafton
| |
| |Locality3id=5324658
| |
| }}{{breadcrumb
| |
| | link1=[[Utah, United States Genealogy|Utah]]
| |
| | link2=[[Washington County, Utah Genealogy|Washington]]
| |
| | link3=
| |
| | link4=
| |
| | link5=[[Grafton, Washington County, Utah Genealogy|Grafton]]
| |
| }}
| |
|
| |
|
| == History ==
| | [[Image:Grafton,_Utah_Schoolhouse.JPG|Old Grafton Schoolhouse]]<br> |
|
| |
|
| [[Image:Grafton, Utah Schoolhouse.JPG|thumb|right|450px|Old Grafton Schoolhouse]]
| | '''Old Grafton Schoolhouse''' |
|
| |
|
| Grafton is a [[Utah Ghost Towns#How To Classify Ghost Towns|class 2]] agricultural ghost town in [[Washington County, Utah |Washington County]] on the South side of the Virgin River. Originally called Wheeler, it was settled in 1859. Forty days of straight rain flooded washed away much of the original farm lands and town was reestablished on Jan 1862. Residents of Virgin saw the houses of Grafton go floating by. <ref> Carr, Stephen L. ''The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Epics, 1972. Film: {{FSC|78162}} Book: {{FSC|979.2 H2cr}} {{WorldCat|595478}}. </ref> Grafton was resettled but suffered from floods, difficult irrigation and Indian attacks. By 1920 it was down to 3 families. <ref> Carr, Stephen L. ''The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Epics, 1972. Film: {{FSC|78162}} Book: {{FSC|979.2 H2cr}} {{WorldCat|595478}}. </ref>
| | [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafton,_Utah The following is copied from Wikipedia].] |
|
| |
|
| Grafton is famous as the site where part of the movie, "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Cassidy_and_the_Sundance_Kid Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid]" was filmed.
| | The site was first settled 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 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 upriver, was named New Grafton, after Grafton, Massachusetts.[2] |
|
| |
|
| {{Wikipedia|Grafton, Utah}}
| | 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] |
|
| |
|
| *[http://www.onlineutah.com/graftonhistory.shtml History of Grafton - Online Utah]
| | Flooding was not the only major problem. One particular challenge to farming was the large amounts of silt in Grafton's section of the Virgin River. Residents had to dredge out clogged irrigation ditches at least weekly, much more often than in most other settlements. Grafton was also relatively isolated from neighboring towns, being the only community in the area located on the south bank of the river. In 1866, when the outbreak of the Black Hawk War caused widespread fear of Indian attacks, the town was completely evacuated to Rockville.[4] |
| *[http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/pioneers_and_cowboys/virginriverdousedcottonmissionsettlershopes.html The Virgin River Doused Cotton Mission Settlers' Hopes]
| |
| *[http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ut/grafton.html Grafton Ghost Town]
| |
|
| |
|
| == Location ==
| | 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. |
| | |
| Grafton is located across the Virgin River from present day Rockville, which is at the South entrance to [http://www.travelwest.net/parks/zion/history.html Zion's National Park].
| |
| | |
| *GPS Location: 37°10′02″N 113°04′48″W
| |
| *[http://wikimapia.org/918206/Grafton-Utah-ghost-town Wiki Map]
| |
| | |
| == Time Line ==
| |
| | |
| *1859, December: First Settled, assigned to plant cotton <ref> Reid, Hyrum Lorenzo; Brigham Young's Dixie of the desert; exploration and settlement {{WorldCat|899527}} {{FSC|979.248 H2r}} </ref>
| |
| *1862, January 8: Settlement completely flooded after 40 days of rain <ref> Carr, Stephen L. ''The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Epics, 1972. Film: {{FSC|78162}} Book: {{FSC|979.2 H2cr}} {{WorldCat|595478}}. </ref>
| |
| *1862: Rebuilt 1.5 miles north from original site and renamed Grafton after Grafton Massachusetts <ref>Thompson, George A; ''Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures'' {{WorldCat|9202286}} {{FSC|979.2 H2tg}}</ref>
| |
| *1866 to 1867: County seat of Kane County
| |
| *1866: Removed to Rockville, Indian concerns
| |
| *1882: Boundary realignment put Grafton in Washington County
| |
| *1890: Resettlement was sparse due to flooding and irrigation problems; 20 families remained
| |
| *1921: Town was nearly abandoned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints church branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] discontinued <ref>
| |
| Douglas D Alder; Karl F Brooks; A history of Washington County: from isolation to destination {{WorldCat|35394589}} {{FSC|979.248 H2a}} </ref>
| |
| *1944: No known residents
| |
| | |
| === Neighboring Communities ===
| |
| | |
| Rockville | Springdale | Virgin | Dalton | [[Duncan's Retreat, Utah|Duncan's Retreat, Utah]]
| |
| | |
| === Biography and Genealogies ===
| |
| {| style="float:right;
| |
| |-
| |
| |{{MormonLDSRemoval}}
| |
| |}
| |
| *[http://earlylds.com Early Latter Day Saints - A Mormon Trail Pioneer Database]
| |
| | |
| === Cemeteries ===
| |
| | |
| [[File:Grafton Cemetery.jpg|thumb|right|400px]]
| |
| | |
| Indian attacks were evidence of the Old West in Grafton. Multiple pioneer men died in these attacks as did the attackers. The South East corner of the cemetery holds the nameless graves of the Native Americans killed in the same battles buried by the dutiful pioneers.
| |
| | |
| *[http://www.onlineutah.com/graftonpics05.shtml Photo Grafton Cemetery]
| |
| *[http://www.utahgravestones.org/cemetery.php?cemID=504 Grafton Utah Gravestone Photo Project]
| |
| *[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=77244&CScntry=4&CSst=47&CScnty=2800& Historical Grafton Cemetery Findagrave.com]
| |
| *''Grafton, ghost town, cemetery, Washington County, Utah'' <ref> Bonnett, Elaine F. ; ''Grafton (ghost town) [cemetery], Washington County, Utah'' Book: {{FSC|979.248/G1 V3b}} Film: {{FSC|1697360 Item 25}} </ref>
| |
| *''Tombstones in Grafton, Utah'' <ref>''Tombstones in Grafton, Utah'' {{FSC|979.248/G1 V3g}}</ref>
| |
| *''Springdale, Rockville, Grafton and Shonesburg cemetery card file; Washington County, Utah '' <ref>Springdale, Rockville, Grafton and
| |
| | |
| Shonesburg cemetery card file; Washington County, Utah Film: {{FSC|1597756 Item 12}} </ref>
| |
| '''Check cemeteries in neighboring communities'''
| |
| | |
| *[http://www.utahgravestones.org/cemetery.php?cemID=522 Rockville Cemetery Utah Gravestone Photo Project]
| |
| *[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=77414&CScntry=4&CSst=47&CScnty=2800&CSsr=21& Rockville Cemetery - Findagrave.com]
| |
| *[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=109355&CScntry=4&CSst=47&CScnty=2800& Duncan's Retreat Findagrave.com]
| |
| *[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=109357&CScntry=4&CSst=47&CScnty=2800& Hilltop Cemetery Springdale - Findagrave.com]
| |
| *[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=77489&CScntry=4&CSst=47&CScnty=2800&CSsr=21& Virgin Cemetery also known as the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery - Findagrave.com]
| |
| | |
| === Church Records ===
| |
| | |
| ==== The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints====
| |
| | |
| *''Record of members, [1877]-1907'' <ref> ''Record of members, [1877]-1907'' Film: {{FSC|25966}} </ref>
| |
| | |
| ==== Historical Newspapers ====
| |
| | |
| *[http://digitalnewspapers.org/newspaper/?paper=Washington+County+News Washington County News]
| |
| | |
| === Museums, Societies and Libraries ===
| |
| | |
| *[http://www.graftonheritage.org Grafton Heritage Partnership Project] <br>P. O. Box 630184 <br>Rockville, UT 84763<br>
| |
| *[http://dupstgeorge.org Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP), Washington County, Utah]<br>[http://wchsutah.org/dup/dup.htm Washington County DUP Companies and Camps]<br>145 East 100 North<br>St. George, UT 84770<br>Phone: (435)628-7274
| |
| *[http://wchsutah.org/index.php Washington County Historical Society] <br>Post Office Box 404 <br>St. George, UT 84771<br>
| |
| *[http://www.zionpark.org Zion Natural History Association]<br>Springdale, UT 84767<br>Phone:(435)772-3265, (800)635-3959
| |
| | |
| === Vital Records ===
| |
| | |
| ==== Birth ====
| |
| | |
| ==== Marriages ====
| |
| | |
| *Marriage information may be located at the [http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/westernstates/search.cfm Western States Marriage Database] searchable by bride or groom.
| |
| | |
| ==== Death ====
| |
| | |
| *[http://www.archives.utah.gov/research/indexes/20842.htm Utah Department of Archives] 1903 to 50 years ago<br>Choices of search types - name, date of death (year, month, day, or any combination) and county.<br>Images of actual death certificates.
| |
| *'''''Utah Death Certificates 1904 - 1956 -'''''A free internet access to the 1904-1956 death certificates can be viewed on the [https://www.familysearch.org/ Family Search Historical Records]. Utah requires a death certificate before a burial is completed. A death certificate may contain information as to the name of the deceased, date of death, and place of death, as well as the age, birthdate, parents, gender, marital status, spouse and place of residence. For information on death prior to 1904 you can search the [https://cce.my.salesforce-sites.com/burials/ Utah State Burial Index].
| |
| | |
| == Suggested Reading ==
| |
| | |
| *''The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns.'' <ref> Carr, Stephen L. ''The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Epics, 1972. Film: {{FSC|78162}} Book: {{FSC|979.2 H2cr}} {{WorldCat|595478}}. </ref>
| |
| *''Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures'' <ref>Thompson, George A; ''Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures'' {{WorldCat|9202286}} {{FSC|979.2 H2tg}}</ref>
| |
| *''Brigham Young's Dixie of the desert; exploration and settlement'' <ref> Reid, Hyrum Lorenzo; ''Brigham Young's Dixie of the desert; exploration and settlement'' {{WorldCat|899527}} {{FSC|979.248 H2r}} </ref>
| |
| *''A history of Washington County : from isolation to destination ''<ref>
| |
| Douglas D Alder; Karl F Brooks; ''A history of Washington County: from isolation to destination'' {{WorldCat|35394589}} {{FSC|979.248 H2a}} </ref>
| |
| *''Grafton ghost town on the Rio Virgin'' <ref> Lyman D. Platt ; L. Karen Platt'' Grafton ghost town on the Rio Virgin'' Book: {{FSC|979.248 H2p}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| == Websites ==
| |
| | |
| *[http://www.utah.com/oldwest/ghost_towns.htm Grafton]
| |
| *[http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/zion/grafton_ghost_town.html Grafton and Zions Canyon]
| |
| *[http://www.ghosttowngallery.com/htme/grafton.htm Grafton Gallery]
| |
| *[http://history.utah.gov/findaids/C00406/ Grafton Photography Collection]
| |
| *[http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ut-grafton.html Grafton - Virgin River Ghost Town]
| |
| *[http://www.atozion.com/blog/?p=757 Grafton - Zions]
| |
| *[[Utah Ghost Towns|Utah Ghost Towns]]
| |
| | |
| == Sources and Footnotes ==
| |
| | |
| <references/>
| |
| | |
| [[Category:Washington County, Utah]][[Category:Ghost Towns]]
| |
