Wales, Utah
Encyclopedia
Wales is a town in Sanpete County
, Utah
, United States
. The population was 219 at the 2000 census. The town is governed by a mayor and several council members. As of December 2008, Wales had no stores, gas stations nor stop lights. It does have a park, fire station, library and cemetery.
The small mining town of Wales was named for the country of the immigrants that were sent there by Brigham Young
in 1859 to mine the "rock that burns". A Native American Indian named Tabiyuna, a prominent Ute
, had shown Young, then president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a small sample. Young recognized it as coal and asked if any of his group knew how to mine the coal. The Welsh
immigrants, having experience with coal mining in the U.K., were sent to the west side hills to set up mines.
The community's original name was Coal Bed, but was changed to Wales in 1869. There once was a railroad depot and it was an important and busy mining center. The mines and town were abandoned when more productive mines were discovered in Scofield, Utah
. Many of the present residents are descendants of the original miners.
Wales lies on the west side of the Sanpete Valley, at the foot of the Sanpitch Mountains.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 219 people, 64 households, and 54 families residing in the town. The population density
was 731.4 people per square mile (281.9/km²). There were 84 housing units at an average density of 280.5 per square mile (108.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.26% White, 0.46% Pacific Islander, 1.83% from other races
, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.31% of the population.
There were 64 households out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.1% were married couples
living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.1% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.42 and the average family size was 3.73.
In the town the population was spread out with 34.2% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 110.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,313, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $9,885. About 3.7% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 19.0% of those sixty five or over.
Sanpete County, Utah
Sanpete County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. The population according to the 2010 U.S. Census was 27,822. It was possibly named for a Ute Indian chief named Sanpitch, which was corrupted to Sanpete. Its county seat is Manti and its largest city is Ephraim.-Geography:According to...
, 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...
. The population was 219 at the 2000 census. The town is governed by a mayor and several council members. As of December 2008, Wales had no stores, gas stations nor stop lights. It does have a park, fire station, library and cemetery.
The small mining town of Wales was named for the country of the immigrants that were sent there 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 1859 to mine the "rock that burns". A Native American Indian named Tabiyuna, a prominent Ute
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
, had shown Young, then president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a small sample. Young recognized it as coal and asked if any of his group knew how to mine the coal. The Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
immigrants, having experience with coal mining in the U.K., were sent to the west side hills to set up mines.
The community's original name was Coal Bed, but was changed to Wales in 1869. There once was a railroad depot and it was an important and busy mining center. The mines and town were abandoned when more productive mines were discovered in Scofield, Utah
Scofield, Utah
Scofield is a town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 28 at the 2000 census. Scofield's name is frequently applied to the 1900 mine disaster in the Pleasant Valley Coal Company's Winter Quarters mine. The community was named for General Charles W...
. Many of the present residents are descendants of the original miners.
Wales lies on the west side of the Sanpete Valley, at the foot of the Sanpitch Mountains.
Geography
Wales is located at 39°29′10"N 111°38′10"W (39.486170, -111.636049).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 town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the 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...
of 2000, there were 219 people, 64 households, and 54 families residing in the town. 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 731.4 people per square mile (281.9/km²). There were 84 housing units at an average density of 280.5 per square mile (108.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.26% White, 0.46% Pacific Islander, 1.83% 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 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.31% of the population.
There were 64 households out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.1% 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, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.1% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.42 and the average family size was 3.73.
In the town the population was spread out with 34.2% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 110.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,313, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $16,250 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 town was $9,885. About 3.7% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 19.0% of those sixty five or over.