Scofield, Utah
Scofield, Utah | ||
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FIPS code 49-67990[4] | | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413267[2] | |
| Website | www | |
Scofield is a town in
History
The town of Scofield is situated on high ground two miles south of the reservoir of the same name, the oldest and largest of the major impoundments on the Wasatch Plateau. Once the most populous community in Carbon County, Scofield has shrunk to only a few permanent residents. What has slowed the continual decline has become outsiders constructing summer vacation homes. The old brick school stands empty at the upper end of town, and there are abandoned buildings scattered through what was once the business district. Only the cemetery on a hill to the east suggests that this was once a community of some size. Visitors to the cemetery quickly become aware of the diverse ethnicity that populated the town.[6]
Settlement
Due to the luxuriant growth of the native grasses indigenous to this region, this valley was first utilized as pastures for the immense herds of cattle that came from Utah Valley. Among the first settlers of this region were S. J. Harkness, T. H. Thomas, William Burrows, O. G. Kimball, D. D. Green, A. H. Earll, R. McKecheney, who were attracted by the immense ranges for their cattle.[7]
Discovery of coal and coming of the railroad
As coal veins commenced to be worked, it was not long before the discoverers found out that the supply seemed inexhaustible. The railway companies finding that the coal fields were of such magnitude and covered so much territory, began to survey for practicable routes to reach the coal. The route through
However, this state of affairs was not to continue for long, as the rights of the company to hold the land came to be questioned. Part of their land was
In 1882, the Utah Fuel Company took over the mine and town, and it soon became a subsidiary of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The region continued to thrive until 1900, when there were several hundred men in the mines and residents that numbered as high as 1,800. The mine was considered to be the safest in the region and according to reports, was free from the gases that plagued so many other coal operations.
Disaster
On May 1, 1900, an errant spark touched off the fine haze of coal dust deep underground, and the Winter Quarters #4 mine exploded with fury. Exactly 100 of the men were killed in an instant, and another 99 died from the poisonous afterdamp, making this one of the worst coal mine disasters in history. Death came so swiftly that some of the mineworkers were found still clutching their tools. That one moment of time left 105 widows and 270 fatherless children behind. Almost 150 of the slain miners were buried in the cemetery in nearby Scofield, and two special funeral trains carried the rest of the victims to burial grounds in Utah and in other states.
Decline
On May 28, just four weeks after the disaster in Number Four, coal mining resumed at Winter Quarters. While some of those who had escaped the explosion left the area for other work, many others returned to the mines. The dead were soon replaced, though production evidently suffered somewhat from the loss of more experienced miners. Despite declining profitability, the Winter Quarters mines continued to operate until the 1930s. The
Scofield, sustained by several mines in Pleasant Valley, was still the largest town in Carbon County in 1915, when its citizens made an attempt to have the county seat moved to their community from Price. By the 1920s, however, the coal industry in Pleasant Valley was clearly in decline and most mines ceased operation causing the town to lose nearly all its residents.
Geography
The town of Scofield lies in the
According to the United States Census Bureau, Scofield has a total area of 0.69 square miles (1.8 km2), all land.[5]
Utah State Route 96 passes through Scofield, leading north then east 17 miles (27 km) to U.S. Route 6 near Colton, and south 6 miles (9.7 km) to its end at Clear Creek.
Climate
Scofield has an alpine subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with enormous yearly snowfall in its long, cold winters due to its location in the Wasatch Range. Summertime on the other hand is pleasant, with warm days and crisp, cool nights hovering not too far above freezing.
| Climate data for Scofield, Utah (Skyline Mine), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 56 (13) |
56 (13) |
67 (19) |
74 (23) |
88 (31) |
91 (33) |
98 (37) |
94 (34) |
84 (29) |
75 (24) |
67 (19) |
59 (15) |
98 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) |
46.0 (7.8) |
53.3 (11.8) |
62.0 (16.7) |
71.3 (21.8) |
79.9 (26.6) |
84.0 (28.9) |
81.5 (27.5) |
76.9 (24.9) |
67.4 (19.7) |
55.7 (13.2) |
46.4 (8.0) |
84.6 (29.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.4 (−0.9) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
37.7 (3.2) |
43.7 (6.5) |
54.4 (12.4) |
66.4 (19.1) |
73.9 (23.3) |
71.7 (22.1) |
63.2 (17.3) |
50.1 (10.1) |
37.7 (3.2) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
49.2 (9.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 21.8 (−5.7) |
22.5 (−5.3) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
34.1 (1.2) |
43.5 (6.4) |
53.4 (11.9) |
60.8 (16.0) |
59.0 (15.0) |
51.0 (10.6) |
39.7 (4.3) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
21.1 (−6.1) |
38.7 (3.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.1 (−10.5) |
14.0 (−10.0) |
19.5 (−6.9) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
32.6 (0.3) |
40.5 (4.7) |
47.8 (8.8) |
46.4 (8.0) |
38.8 (3.8) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
19.3 (−7.1) |
12.4 (−10.9) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −5.1 (−20.6) |
−4.7 (−20.4) |
3.1 (−16.1) |
9.8 (−12.3) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
38.6 (3.7) |
37.3 (2.9) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
13.5 (−10.3) |
−0.4 (−18.0) |
−6.4 (−21.3) |
−10.4 (−23.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −41 (−41) |
−38 (−39) |
−27 (−33) |
−12 (−24) |
9 (−13) |
14 (−10) |
24 (−4) |
22 (−6) |
12 (−11) |
−9 (−23) |
−25 (−32) |
−37 (−38) |
−41 (−41) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.03 (77) |
2.73 (69) |
2.43 (62) |
2.66 (68) |
1.93 (49) |
1.05 (27) |
1.48 (38) |
1.62 (41) |
1.89 (48) |
1.94 (49) |
2.31 (59) |
2.91 (74) |
25.98 (661) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 42.5 (108) |
40.7 (103) |
29.6 (75) |
24.5 (62) |
7.2 (18) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.6 (1.5) |
8.0 (20) |
28.9 (73) |
42.8 (109) |
225.4 (571.05) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 30.7 (78) |
28.5 (72) |
20.0 (51) |
9.3 (24) |
3.7 (9.4) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
4.7 (12) |
15.1 (38) |
23.8 (60) |
35.9 (91) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.9 | 11.8 | 10.0 | 10.7 | 9.6 | 6.1 | 8.1 | 10.1 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 9.2 | 10.9 | 114.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 11.5 | 11.2 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 7.9 | 10.4 | 63.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[8] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[9] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 680 | — | |
| 1900 | 642 | −5.6% | |
| 1910 | 746 | 16.2% | |
| 1920 | 678 | −9.1% | |
| 1930 | 295 | −56.5% | |
| 1940 | 262 | −11.2% | |
| 1950 | 236 | −9.9% | |
| 1960 | 158 | −33.1% | |
| 1970 | 71 | −55.1% | |
| 1980 | 105 | 47.9% | |
| 1990 | 43 | −59.0% | |
| 2000 | 28 | −34.9% | |
| 2010 | 22 | −21.4% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 23 | [3] | 4.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
As of the
There were 12 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.7% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.50.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 14.3% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $28,750. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $14,375 for females. The
Scofield State Park
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Scofield State Park surrounds Scofield Reservoir and has three different camping areas: Mountain View, Madsen Bay, and Lake Side. Mountain View is a 34-unit campground that includes restrooms, heated showers, fish cleaning and disposal stations, a group use pavilion, a boat launching ramp, and rental boats. Madsen Bay is a 40-unit campground with restrooms, fish cleaning and disposal areas, a boat ramp, and parking for day use. Lake Side has no camping areas and is strictly day use, offering restrooms, a group use pavilion and a fishing platform for the disabled.
Clear Creek Camp
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Clear Creek Camp is an outdoor education center located 2 miles (3 km) south of the town of Scofield, for post-fifth grade students in the Alpine School District. Each summer, Clear Creek Camp hosts approximately 1,100 students. The summer camp experience is designed to educate students about the outdoors and help foster a deep appreciation for the abundant natural resources and beauty in their surroundings. The camp has its roots in an outdoor education program held at Central Elementary School in the 1940s. Between 1940 and the 1960s, the program eventually grew to be so successful that a summer camp was requested. It was held at various locations for many years, including the town of Clear Creek for which it is named. After being there for a few years, property became available from Questar (then Mountain Fuel) with six cabins and a multi-purpose facility in 1973. The facilities were ready to use for groups of students in 1974, and Alpine School District has used the same grounds since then.
See also
- List of cities and towns in Utah
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Scofield, Utah
- ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Scofield town, Utah". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 0-87480-409-4.
- ^ a b Dilley, James W. History of the Scofield mine disaster.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Scofield-Skyline Mine, UT". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Salt Lake City". National Weather Service. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
External links
- Scofield State Park official website
- Pleasant Valley Days, annual summer festival in Scofield
Places adjacent to Scofield, Utah | |
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |||
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