Oakley, Utah
Encyclopedia
Oakley is a city in Summit County
, Utah
, United States
. It is part of the Salt Lake City
, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 948 at the 2000 census.
It is located 45 miles (72.4 km) east of Salt Lake City on SR-32, in the Kamas Valley. With an elevation of 6500 feet (1,981.2 m), it is a gateway to the Uinta Mountains
. Scenic route Weber Canyon Road follows the Weber River
to its headwaters; it also follows the Smith and Morehouse Creek to its reservoir in its own scenic canyon 15 miles (24.1 km) from Oakley. The towns of Marion, Kamas
, and Peoa
are its neighbors, and the Weber River flows nearby.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6.3 mi2, all of it land.
, Oakley had 948 people, 278 households, and 232 families residing within the city. The population density
was 150.5 people per square mile (/km2). There were 330 housing units, with an average density of 52.4 housing units/sq mi (/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.41% White, 0.11% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 2.95% from other races
, and 0.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.32% of the population.
Of the 278 households, 48.2% had children under the age of 18; 74.5% were married couples
living together; 6.5% had a female as head of household with no husband present; and 16.5% were non-families. Of the city's households, 10.8% were individuals; and 4.3% were persons living alone who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41, and the average family size was 3.74.
In the city, 36.8% of the population were under the age of 18; 8.3% from were from 18 to 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 19.9% were from 45 to 64; and 6.2% were 65 or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females, there were 107.9 males; for every 100 females 18 or over, there were 102.4 males.
The median household income in the 2000 census was $61,250; the median income for a family was $62,059. Males had a median income of $41,250, compared to $30,625 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,855. About 1.6% of families and 2.3% of the population of the city were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
, was sent to this valley from Salt Lake City by Brigham Young
in 1850 to check on the possibility of establishing settlements along the Weber River and the nearby Provo River. His report was, ". . . a good valley, abundant grass and plenty of water".
The first white man to winter there, in 1853, was Thomas Rhodes. An explorer, trapper, prospector, part-time farmer, and close friend of Brigham Young, he was occasionally called from his California prospecting by Brigham Young when there was a need for money for the church. Rhodes would disappear for a week or so into the Uinta Mountains
and return with a supply of gold.
The first settlers in Oakley were William Stevens and wife, Emma Crowden Stevens; they moved there in 1868. Soon to follow were relatives and friends, among them the Fraziers, Hortins, Richards, Wildes and Gibbons, to name a few; all these names are still prominent in the town.
Oakley's original name was "Oak Creek", derived from the name of a creek that ran just east of the present town site and that was thickly overgrown with oak trees. The town changed its name to "Oakley" in late 1886 or early 1887; the new name was chosen from many names submitted by the settlers in a contest.
Incorporated in 1933 on land originally purchased from the Union Pacific Company by the early settlers in the land sale of the 1880s, Oakley has maintained its small town charm as primarily an agricultural community. At one time, it was a large producer of dairy products. More recently, it has focused on cattle- and horse-feeding, "haying", and still some dairy production. In addition, it is a base for recreational activities, which abound—hiking, fishing, horseback riding, camping, hunting, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing—all within a very short distance from town.
Memories of early residents can give a real feeling for the town in its early days of the 20th century. Charles Reed Seymour, son of LDS Bishop John Heber Seymour, wrote the following:
, held each year on the Fourth of July weekend. This rodeo, sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
, celebrated its 75th birthday
in 2005 with the opening of a $3 million, 6,000-seat arena.
Summit County, Utah
Summit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a rugged and mountainous area. In 2010 its population was 36,324. It is part of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Salt Lake City–Ogden–Clearfield Combined Statistical Area. The county is...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
The Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in north central Utah, anchored by Salt Lake City. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 968,858. As of July 1, 2009 the U.S...
. The population was 948 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Oakley is located at 40°43′7"N 111°17′16"W (40.718595, -111.287863).It is located 45 miles (72.4 km) east of Salt Lake City on SR-32, in the Kamas Valley. With an elevation of 6500 feet (1,981.2 m), it is a gateway to the Uinta Mountains
Uinta Mountains
The Uinta Mountains are a high chain of mountains in northeastern Utah and extreme northwestern Colorado in the United States. A subrange of the Rocky Mountains, they are unusual for being the highest range in the contiguous United States running east to west, and lie approximately east of Salt...
. Scenic route Weber Canyon Road follows the Weber River
Weber River
The Weber River is a c. long river of northern Utah, USA. It begins in the northwest of the Uinta Mountains and empties into the Great Salt Lake. The Weber River was named for American fur trapper John Henry Weber.-Weber River:...
to its headwaters; it also follows the Smith and Morehouse Creek to its reservoir in its own scenic canyon 15 miles (24.1 km) from Oakley. The towns of Marion, Kamas
Kamas, Utah
Kamas is a city in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,274 at the 2000 census....
, and Peoa
Peoa, Utah
Peoa is an unincorporated community in southwestern Summit County, Utah, United States, between Jordanelle and Rockport State Parks. It lies along State Route 32 south of the city of Coalville, the county seat of Summit County. Its elevation is . The population was 253 at the 2010 census...
are its neighbors, and the Weber River flows nearby.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.3 mi2, all of it land.
Demographics
In the 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Oakley had 948 people, 278 households, and 232 families residing within the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 150.5 people per square mile (/km2). There were 330 housing units, with an average density of 52.4 housing units/sq mi (/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.41% White, 0.11% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 2.95% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.32% of the population.
Of the 278 households, 48.2% had children under the age of 18; 74.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together; 6.5% had a female as head of household with no husband present; and 16.5% were non-families. Of the city's households, 10.8% were individuals; and 4.3% were persons living alone who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41, and the average family size was 3.74.
In the city, 36.8% of the population were under the age of 18; 8.3% from were from 18 to 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 19.9% were from 45 to 64; and 6.2% were 65 or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females, there were 107.9 males; for every 100 females 18 or over, there were 102.4 males.
The median household income in the 2000 census was $61,250; the median income for a family was $62,059. Males had a median income of $41,250, compared to $30,625 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $21,855. About 1.6% of families and 2.3% of the population of the city were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
History
A Mormon pioneer, Parley P. PrattParley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
, was sent to this valley from Salt Lake City by Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
in 1850 to check on the possibility of establishing settlements along the Weber River and the nearby Provo River. His report was, ". . . a good valley, abundant grass and plenty of water".
The first white man to winter there, in 1853, was Thomas Rhodes. An explorer, trapper, prospector, part-time farmer, and close friend of Brigham Young, he was occasionally called from his California prospecting by Brigham Young when there was a need for money for the church. Rhodes would disappear for a week or so into the Uinta Mountains
Uinta Mountains
The Uinta Mountains are a high chain of mountains in northeastern Utah and extreme northwestern Colorado in the United States. A subrange of the Rocky Mountains, they are unusual for being the highest range in the contiguous United States running east to west, and lie approximately east of Salt...
and return with a supply of gold.
The first settlers in Oakley were William Stevens and wife, Emma Crowden Stevens; they moved there in 1868. Soon to follow were relatives and friends, among them the Fraziers, Hortins, Richards, Wildes and Gibbons, to name a few; all these names are still prominent in the town.
Oakley's original name was "Oak Creek", derived from the name of a creek that ran just east of the present town site and that was thickly overgrown with oak trees. The town changed its name to "Oakley" in late 1886 or early 1887; the new name was chosen from many names submitted by the settlers in a contest.
Incorporated in 1933 on land originally purchased from the Union Pacific Company by the early settlers in the land sale of the 1880s, Oakley has maintained its small town charm as primarily an agricultural community. At one time, it was a large producer of dairy products. More recently, it has focused on cattle- and horse-feeding, "haying", and still some dairy production. In addition, it is a base for recreational activities, which abound—hiking, fishing, horseback riding, camping, hunting, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing—all within a very short distance from town.
Memories of early residents can give a real feeling for the town in its early days of the 20th century. Charles Reed Seymour, son of LDS Bishop John Heber Seymour, wrote the following:
Local attractions
Oakley is most famous for its annual rodeoRodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
, held each year on the Fourth of July weekend. This rodeo, sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is an organization whose members compete in rodeos throughout North America, primarily in the United States. The PRCA sanctions rodeo venues and events through the PRCA Circuit System. Its championship event is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo...
, celebrated its 75th birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
in 2005 with the opening of a $3 million, 6,000-seat arena.
Prominent residents
- Richard Maynes, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.