Tag Archives: Spring City

Spring City, Utah

12 Friday Aug 2016

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Spring City was first known as “Allred Settlement”. The original settlers in 1852 were under the leadership of James Allred and most of them were his family members. When an LDS ward was organized there in 1853, Ruben W. Allred was appointed the first bishop. The settlement was abandoned in the summer of 1853 because of ongoing conflict with the indigenous people of the area, the Ute people, including San Pitch Utes (Sanpete county derives its name from the San Pitch Utes).  The village was reestablished as “Springtown” in 1859 by William Black, George Black and Joseph S. Black. Christen G. Larsen was made bishop of a new LDS ward in 1860. Beginning in 1853, the Allred family and other church leaders had begun to encourage Danish immigrants to settle in Sanpete County, and, particularly after the community was reestablished in 1859, to join the Allred Settlement. By the mid-1860s locals referred to the north side of town as “Little Copenhagen” or “Little Denmark”.  Spring City was also a site of fighting during the Black Hawk War.(*)

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Spring City Pioneer Cemetery

06 Friday Jun 2014

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The pioneers of Spring City established a cemetery at this location in 1857. It is in the shape of the State of Utah. The earliest known burial was that of Newton Devine Allred in 1857. Three men who were casualties of the Black Hawk War, James Meek, Martin Andrew Johansen, and Lars Alexander Justesen, were buried here in 1867 and 1868. Isaac Allred, brother of James Allred founder of Spring City, was interred in 1870.

Many of the markers were of local sandstone, and the elements have washed away some of the names and dates. This cemetery was nearly covered with wooden markers, mostly children’s graves. Some graves were marked with only a square stone at the head and a smaller one at the foot, and still others with a pile of rocks. The last person buried here was Isaac Morton Behunin in 1910. This cemetery was then filled and a new location was found.

Spring Town

06 Friday Jun 2014

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In 1859, this area was resettled permanently by families of James Allred, Wm. Black, James Ellis, a large Danish colony of gifted craftsmen and stonemasons, and others. They surveyed the land, raised abundant crops, and became known as the breadbasket of Utah; built substantial homes and chapel of oolite stone, quarried south of town. The fort built west of the chapel in 1853 was burned by Indians, 1854. Town was incorporated, named Spring City 1870, John R. Baxter, Mayor.

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Spring City Pioneers

29 Thursday May 2014

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This spring was long used by Indians and early scouts as a camp site. James Allred, directed by Brigham Young on March 22, 1852 led his sons and their families here to build their homes. In 1853 a large colony of Scandinavian emigrants joined them. The waters of Canal Creek and natural springs supplied the settler. Twice, the Indians drove them out, burning their fort and all their possessions; but in 1859, they returned to establish permanently the town of Spring City.

(The marker with the above text on the east side of the monument was placed in 1950, two more were added in 2016 and the text is below)

A long, wooden watering trough (later metal, then concrete) served livestock corralled in town, as well as old highway 89 travelers, from a rocked-in spring on Main Street until 1931 when it was moved to the side. Many children of the town escaped summer’s heat by dangling their warm legs in the cold spring water until those limbs turned blue. The area near the spring and monument was also a youth meeting place after weekly Church meetings, with alleged courtships having their beginnings here.

In early days, baptisms occurred in ponds, deep ditches, or in the Manti Temple font after 1888. Another option became available in 1889; the City granted permission for a 24′ by 26′ cabin to be built here at the request of Lauritz Larsen, local LDS Ward official. It was used until 1914 when the rock chapel was dedicated. It housed a large, square, tin tub filled with cold spring water piped from the William Blain spring in the center of Main Street.

Located at 87 North Main Street in Spring City, Utah

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