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Duchesne County


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Duchesne County Facts:

County Website: Duchesne County
Area: 3,256 square miles
Population: 20,862 (2015)
County Seat: Duchesne City
Origin of County Name: after the Duchesne River which was possibly named for a French Canadian trapper
Cities/Towns: Altamont, Duchesne, Myton, Roosevelt, Tabiona
Economy: livestock, alfalfa and hay, oil, natural gas
Points of Interest: Big Sand Wash Reservoir, High Uinta Wilderness Area, Moon Lake, Starvation Reservoir

 

About Duchesne County:

In 1914 the legislature created Duchesne County from part of Wasatch County. The county became official with the coming of the new year-1915. The state's highest mountain, Kings Peak (13,528 feet), is located in the county's Uinta Mountains. Major streams running through the county include the Strawberry, Duchesne, Lake Fork, and Yellowstone rivers.

The settlement of Duchesne County is unique in Utah history, for unlike much of the state, it did not occur under the direction of Brigham Young. Rather, it was settled by individuals who obtained 160 acres under the federal Homestead Act. Homesteaders were required to prove that they intended to farm the land. After five years of living on the land, making improvements, and paying $1.25 per acre homesteaders were given title to their homesteads.

 

Resources:

More information for Duchesne County can be found at the following sites:

 

Gallery:


Upper Stillwater Dam in Duchesne County.
Image from Wikimedia Commons
Moose in Duchesne County, Utah.
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Duchesne County Courthouse, in Duchesne, Utah.
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This is the old Strawberry Riverside School located in Strawberry, Utah, ten miles west of Duchesne, Utah. The original 20' x 30' structure was built in 1912.
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An oil well in the Uinta Basin, Utah. Petroleum production is a large part of the economy in eastern Utah.
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An agricultural building in Myton, Utah.
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Starvation Reservoir in Duchesne County, Utah.
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Freedom Bridge over Starvation Reservoir in Duchesne County.
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Redman Village, an archaeological site consisting of several rock shelters left by the Fremont culture in Nine Mile Canyon, Utah.
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Strawberry River in Duchesne County Utah.
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Uinta Mountains, Duchesne County Utah.
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Wildflowers in Duchesne County Utah.
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