Wahsatch, Utah
Encyclopedia
Wahsatch is a ghost town
in Summit County
, Utah
, United States
. It lies along I-80
at the northeastern end of Echo Canyon some 23 miles (37 km) east of Echo
, and only 11 miles (17.7 km) west of Evanston, Wyoming
. Wahsatch was established as a railroad camp, later achieving local prominence in sheep ranching
. It was inhabited from 1868 until the 1930s.
in the process of building the First Transcontinental Railroad
. From 1868–1869 a population of hundreds dug the 772 feet (235.3 m) Echo tunnel
through the Wasatch Mountains west of town. Wahsatch soon became a major supply station and railhead
, with its own roundhouse
, workshops, boarding houses, and warehouses. When the transcontinental railroad was finished in May 1869, a meal station for waiting passengers was constructed.
During the tunnel construction in 1868–1869, Wahsatch was known as a wild and lawless place. Laborers spent their wages immediately in tent saloons. Shootings were common, and there is even record of a lynching
. Lacking a formal cemetery, the town buried its dead in makeshift hillside graves. This violent period was short-lived; in the early 1870s Wahsatch's development was outpaced by that of nearby Evanston, Wyoming, and the railroad moved most operations to Evanston. The population sharply dropped, and most of the buildings were demolished. Wahsatch became little more than a point for loading livestock
.
Toward the end of the 19th century Wahsatch enjoyed a minor rebirth, as a location central to the area's growing sheep ranches. A number of new dwellings were built as ranchers and laborers began to gather here annually for sheep shearing
season. In the spring of 1899 alone, an estimated 700000 pounds (317,514.7 kg) of wool
was sheared. In June 1903 it was reported that 489 carloads of sheep had arrived at Wahsatch from their winter range. The town grew enough to justify the building of a new school in 1910. In 1916 Wahsatch became the headquarters for the construction of a second railroad tunnel, bringing another temporary surge in population. The railroad built a new depot and section houses in the 1930s, but Wahsatch soon declined, along with the sheep industry. The town was abandoned in the 1930s.
The entire townsite is on railroad property. Most visitors see little more than an old wooden sign reading Wahsatch alongside the tracks, but there are some remnants of railroad buildings and equipment.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Summit County
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 lies along I-80
Interstate 80 in Utah
In the U.S. state of Utah, Interstate 80 runs east–west through northern part of the state, passing through the Bonneville Salt Flats, the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, the Wasatch Mountains and Echo canyon. In western Utah the highway was built along the corridor of the Victory...
at the northeastern end of Echo Canyon some 23 miles (37 km) east of Echo
Echo, Utah
Echo is a census-designated place located in Summit County, Utah, United States. The population was 56 at the 2010 census. Although Echo has never had a sizable population, the town is historically significant.-History:...
, and only 11 miles (17.7 km) west of Evanston, Wyoming
Evanston, Wyoming
Evanston is a city in Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Uinta County.-Geography:Evanston is located at...
. Wahsatch was established as a railroad camp, later achieving local prominence in sheep ranching
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
. It was inhabited from 1868 until the 1930s.
History
Wahsatch was established in 1868 as a railroad construction camp, the first of many such camps set up in Utah by the Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
in the process of building the First Transcontinental Railroad
First Transcontinental Railroad
The First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad that connected its statutory Eastern terminus at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska The First...
. From 1868–1869 a population of hundreds dug the 772 feet (235.3 m) Echo tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
through the Wasatch Mountains west of town. Wahsatch soon became a major supply station and railhead
Railhead
The word railhead is a railway term with two distinct meanings, depending upon its context.Sometimes, particularly in the context of modern freight terminals, the word is used to denote a terminus of a railway line, especially if the line is not yet finished, or if the terminus interfaces with...
, with its own roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
, workshops, boarding houses, and warehouses. When the transcontinental railroad was finished in May 1869, a meal station for waiting passengers was constructed.
During the tunnel construction in 1868–1869, Wahsatch was known as a wild and lawless place. Laborers spent their wages immediately in tent saloons. Shootings were common, and there is even record of a lynching
Lynching in the United States
Lynching, the practice of killing people by extrajudicial mob action, occurred in the United States chiefly from the late 18th century through the 1960s. Lynchings took place most frequently in the South from 1890 to the 1920s, with a peak in the annual toll in 1892.It is associated with...
. Lacking a formal cemetery, the town buried its dead in makeshift hillside graves. This violent period was short-lived; in the early 1870s Wahsatch's development was outpaced by that of nearby Evanston, Wyoming, and the railroad moved most operations to Evanston. The population sharply dropped, and most of the buildings were demolished. Wahsatch became little more than a point for loading livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
.
Toward the end of the 19th century Wahsatch enjoyed a minor rebirth, as a location central to the area's growing sheep ranches. A number of new dwellings were built as ranchers and laborers began to gather here annually for sheep shearing
Sheep shearing
Sheep shearing, shearing or clipping is the process by which the woollen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep's wool is called a shearer. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year...
season. In the spring of 1899 alone, an estimated 700000 pounds (317,514.7 kg) of wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
was sheared. In June 1903 it was reported that 489 carloads of sheep had arrived at Wahsatch from their winter range. The town grew enough to justify the building of a new school in 1910. In 1916 Wahsatch became the headquarters for the construction of a second railroad tunnel, bringing another temporary surge in population. The railroad built a new depot and section houses in the 1930s, but Wahsatch soon declined, along with the sheep industry. The town was abandoned in the 1930s.
The entire townsite is on railroad property. Most visitors see little more than an old wooden sign reading Wahsatch alongside the tracks, but there are some remnants of railroad buildings and equipment.
External links
- Wahsatch at GhostTowns.com