RICHFIELD, UTAH

'Richfield' is a city in and the county seat of Sevier County, Utah, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,847. It lies in the Mormon Corridor, just off of Interstate 70 about 40 miles east of its junction with Interstate 15. Since it lies about half the distance between Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado, Richfield has become a favorite rest stop for travelers going from one metropolitan area to the other.
Though not large, Richfield is remote from larger cities. One has to travel about 100 miles or more in any direction to reach a more populous town. Its remoteness, plus its location on major transportation corridors, makes it central Utah's defacto regional capital, a shopping and "commercial capital of a vast mountain-valley region."Ward Roylance, Utah: A Guide to the State, Salt Lake City, 1982, p. 602
Though bigger towns are distant, dozens of less populous locations are found in the general area. Many people travel to Richfield to shop, bowl, golf, to attend theater, concerts, or for religious gatherings. They also come to study at the Community College, and to gain access to more substantial medical resources, as Richfield is the closest place that offers these amenities.

Contents

Geography and Climate

Demographics

Religion

History

Famous People

References

See also

External links

Geography and Climate

Richfield is located at (38.765939, -112.087638).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.7 km² (5.3 mi²), all land. Richfield is located 5, 280 feet above sea level.
The Utah Department of Transportation divides Utah up into three whole Regions (Ogden, Salt Lake, Provo) and a fourth Region which is split up into three Districts. One of these Districts is named after Richfield. Richfield is served by major transportation access - situated along Interstate 70 and within 30 minutes of Interstate 15. Richfield is located 159 miles from Salt Lake City and 164 miles from St. George.
Richfield experiences four distinct seasons. Winter high temperatures average in the 30s and 40s with many milder days; low temperatures average in the teens and twenties, with a few mornings starting near or below zero. Snowfall is common, but usually melts in a day or two; however, deeper lasting snow cover is not uncommon. Still, December and January average among Richfield's drier months. Summer days are warm, with normal July highs in the 90s and occasional hot spells that near 100 degrees. Nighttime temperatures during the summer are comfortable--usually in the 50s or 60s. July through September, "monsoonal" thunderstorms frequently form over the nearby peaks contributing to over a third of the 7.8 inches of annual rainfall. Because of its low humidity and mile-high altitude, the Sevier Valley experiences its average first frost by late September and its last in late May, despite the typically warm fall and spring days.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,847 people, 2,166 households, and 1,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 500.7/km² (1,297.4/mi²). There were 2,327 housing units at an average density of 170.2/km² (440.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.41% White, 0.39% African American, 3.29% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.35% of the population.
There were 2,166 households out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.45.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.4% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,024, and the median income for a family was $40,284. Males had a median income of $33,000 versus $20,489 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,320. About 7.0% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
The city has seen a steady increase in population in every Decennial Census since 1890, at which time it was reported to have 1,531 people residing in the city.^[1]

Religion

Like most settled areas of rural Utah, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("LDS" or "Mormons") plays a prominent role. "The Mormons were unbelievably industrious colonizers. From 1847, when they founded Salt Lake City, until 1877," they founded 360 towns.^[2] Following direction from Brigham Young, Latter-day Saints founded the town and outlying hamlets about 150 years ago, and they remain the vast majority of residents.^[3]
A writer once said that the "[s]eparation of Church and State in [Salt Lake City] is about three blocks," referring to the distance from the Utah State Capitol Building to LDS Church headquarters. In Richfield and virtually all other southern Utah towns where the Latter-Day Saints make up over 80% of the populace, the separation can fairly be said to be somewhat less than that.
Yet even in this heart of Mormon Country, non-Mormons and non-participating Mormons, called "inactives," fill a percentage of elective offices.^[4] However, largely due to Latter-Day Saint influence, the city and the surrounding county are heavily Republican. In the 2006 elections no city or county office had a Democrat on the ballot in the whole of Sevier County.
The Richfield Area offers 20 major denominational churches: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, First Baptist Church, Sister of Holy Cross, Jehovah's Witnesses, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Valley community Church, and more.

History

In 1939 Utah Governor Henry H. Blood vetoed a proposal for a junior college in Richfield. Fifty-seven years later, Snow College opened a Richfield campus, which serves about 600 students per year.
Richfield is the county seat of Sevier County, located in west central Utah. It is the largest city in the county and lies in a fertile valley surrounded by beautiful red rock mountains and snow covered peaks. The county can be best described as "rural diversified" due to the convergence of agricultural, retail and industrial activities. Part of Richfield's great appeal is its small size.
With a population of 7,111 people, residents can enjoy a quality of life free from congestion, pollution and noise. Yet, even for a community of this size, residents enjoy varied shopping, restaurants and cultural activities. Richfield is part of Panoramaland, and is a popular thoroughfare to several nearby National Parks and Forests, all providing abundant recreational activities.
The area has been long known for it's outdoor recreational opportunities, such as hiking, fishing and hunting. Mountain biking and All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) riding events have recently added to the area's popularity.
In the early part of January 1864 a party of ten men under the leadership of Albert Lewis came from Sanpete and arrived in what is now Richfield. They found fertile soil, good water and wood in the nearby hills. They decided that it was a desirable site for a settlement.
These pioneers made for a dwelling place for all ten men, which they called 'The Hole in the Ground.' They carefully covered this hole with brush willows and other materials and made a crude chimney of rocks. This strange abode was located where Main Street now stands. These men spent the remainder of the winter in this dwelling, planning and preparing for the time when they could bring their families to this land of promise.

Famous People

★ Jake Garn, served as a U.S. Senator representing Utah; the first member of the United States Congress to fly in space - born in Richfield

★ Joseph Hansen, secretary and guard to Leon Trotsky in Mexico for the last three years before Trotsky was murdered - born in Richfield

★ Walter Frederick Morrison, the inventor of the Frisbee - born in Richfield

References

1. http://www.governor.utah.gov/dea/HTMLBriefs/CityCountyBrief/Historic/CityPop.htm
2. Jim Kjelgaard, The Coming of the Mormons, New York, Random House, 1953, p. 174.
3. Leonard Arrington, An Economic History of the Latter-day Saints: 1830 - 1900.
4. Wallace Stegner, Mormon Country, about 1940.

See also

★ Clear Creek (Utah)

★ Fishlake National Forest

★ Fish Lake, Utah

★ Fremont Indian State Park

★ Glenwood, Utah

★ Intermountain Health Care

★ KUES, PBS station, local channel 19 (a full power relay station of KUED, carrying a remodulated analog signal)[1]

★ Richfield Municipal Airport

★
★ - RIF

★
★ - KRIF

★ List of Registered Historic Places in Utah:Sevier County

★ Richfield area ZIP codes

★ Sevier River

★ ''The Richfield Reaper'' — local newspaper

External links

★ Official city website

★ Website for Snow College Richfield Campus