Hyrum is one of a string of small communities in northern Utah’s Cache Valley and its history and economy are for the most part integrated with these communities. Hyrum was settled in 1860 and the residents, as with other Cache Valley settlements, depended on agriculture, particularly dairy cattle, for their subsistence. The cold, dry climate of this high mountain valley was good primarily for raising grain, field corn, and alfalfa, which was used for feeding livestock. Cache Valley was settled by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS Church) who had come to the Utah Territory seeking refuge from persecution. As settlement of the Salt Lake Valley increased, Brigham Young directed settlers to colonize outlying areas to increase dominance over the region. The Cache Valley was one of the better areas for agricultural production because of its climate, and many of the small towns around the main city of Logan were all settled roughly the same time, from the late 1850s to early 1860s. The valley is still a primary agricultural area and produces the majority of dairy products for the state, although commercial and residential developments are encroaching on the agricultural land.

Related:

• The Great Fur Cache
• Elite Hall
• Hyrum Smith
• Pioneer Monument
• Hyrum posts sorted by address