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Summit County


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Summit County Facts:

County Website: Summit County
Area: 1,882 square miles
Population: 42,145 (in 2019)
County Seat: Coalville
Origin of County Name: the county includes high mountain summits that form the divides of the Weber, Bear, and Green River drainage areas
Cities/Towns: Coalville, Francis, Henefer, Kamas, Oakley, Park City 
Economy: skiing, tourism, lumbering, livestock
Points of Interest: Echo Reservoir, High Uinta Wilderness Area, Park City area ski resorts, Park City Historic District, Rockport State Park

 

About Summit County:

Summit County, found entirely in the Uinta Mountains, receives its name from the many mountain summits that are found within the county borders. For thousands of years, the area was a traditional hunting ground for the Shoshone and Ute tribes.  In 1846 the ill-fated Donner-Reed party were the first to take "a shorter route" on their way to California.  They traveled down Echo Canyon and beyond.  The group built a trail, part of which was later used by the Mormon pioneers on their way to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.  The area became a mining district around 1860 when coal was found in the city now known as Coalville, the county seat.  Mining the land near Park City began to produce silver, lead, and zinc.  While the city produced mining products for over 50 years the city almost became a ghost town in the 1950's when mining became too expensive.  The skiing industry came to the rescue in the 1960's when Park City became known as a ski town.  In 1957 the town of Rockport was purchased by the national government to build the Wanship dam.  After building the dam the town of Rockport was flooded to create Rockport Reservoir that still is in use today.

During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City was home to many events including the Bobsled, Luge, Skeleton, Nordic Jumps, and Snowboarding.  The Utah Olympic Park and the Park City Mountain Resort are open to visitors who want to see where the events took place or even try out the sports.  Each January the streets of Park City are filled with stars, people from Hollywood, during the annual Sundance Film Festival that brings thousands of visitors to Park City to see the newest independently made films.  Park City has made more money as a ski resort community than it ever did in mining.  There are many things to do year round in Summit County.  While recreation has provided much economically for Summit County, many farms and lakes still dot the land and are equally important to the state.

 

Resources:

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

 

Gallery:


Welcome to Kamas sign on Utah State Route 248 (West 200 South) in Kamas, Utah.
Image from Wikimedia Commons

The Oscar F. Lyons House, a historic home in Peoa, Utah.
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Echo Canyon, Utah.
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The Echo Church and School in Echo, Utah.
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Summit County Courthouse, Coalville, Utah.
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The Whitney Ranger Station originally served as an administrative outpost for the Unita National Forest.
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The McPolin Farmstead, a historic farm in the northern entry corridor of Park City, Utah.
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The Jacob F. Richardson House, a historic home in Park City, Utah.
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USA Luge Junior National Team Athlete, Matt Wolbach, slides through curve 6 while participating in the 2010 "Utah Winter Games" at Utah Olympic Park.
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Main Street of Park City, Utah.
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Rockport Reservoir.
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The post office in Henefer, Utah.
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The Road Island Diner, a historic diner in Oakley, Utah.
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The Oakley Independence Day Rodeo.
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