Beaver, Utah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beaver, Utah
Welcome sign for Beaver, November 2011
Location in Beaver County and the state of Utah
Location of Utah in the United States
Beaver, Utah Location in Utah Show map of Utah Beaver, Utah Location in the United States Show map of the United States Beaver, Utah Location in North America Show map of North America
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Beaver
Settled	February 6, 1856
Incorporated	January 10, 1867
Named for	Beaver River
Government
• Type	City council
Area
• Total	6.68 sq mi (17.30 km2)
• Land	6.68 sq mi (17.30 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	5,909 ft (1,801 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,592
• Density	537.7/sq mi (207.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	84713
Area code(s)	435
FIPS code	49-04060
GNIS feature ID	2409807

Beaver is a city in southwestern Utah, United States. It's also the main city of Beaver County. In 2020, about 3,592 people lived there, which was more than the 3,112 people in 2010.

History of Beaver, Utah

Mt. Baldy viewed from Beaver in 1872

Long, long ago, thousands of years before Europeans arrived, Native American people lived in the Beaver area. We know this from old tools and sites found there. They even found a place in the nearby Mineral Mountains where people gathered special rocks for tools.

The Southern Paiute people lived here before explorers came. The first known European explorers, from the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition, visited in 1776.

How Beaver Was Settled

In the mid-1800s, Mormon pioneers created a trade route through the Beaver River valley. This route connected Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. It became important during the California Gold Rush. People called it the Southern Route of the California Trail. Later, it was known as the Mormon Road or California Road.

Beaver was settled in 1856 by these Mormon pioneers. It was one of many settlements built along this road. These towns were usually about 30 miles apart. This was about a day's ride on horseback. Beaver was built between towns in the Pahvant Valley and Parowan Valley.

In 1873, the U.S. Army built Fort Cameron near Beaver. This was to protect the Mormon settlements from Native American raids. Beaver was also home to an important court for the Utah Territory from 1870 to 1896. This court handled cases for many surrounding counties.

In 1856, more Mormons moved to the Beaver Valley. They came from Parowan to the south. In 1858, many people from San Bernardino, California, also settled here. Early settlers built sawmills and gristmills to help the community grow. By 1869, the Mormon settlers in Beaver were numerous enough to form a local church organization.

In the 1870s, people tried to start a woolen mill, a tannery, and a dairy farm. Most people in Beaver raised livestock.

Modern Beaver Milestones

Beaver was the first town in Utah to have electricity. A power plant was built on the Beaver River in the early 1900s. This plant still provides much of Beaver's power today.

Beaver is also famous for its water! In 2006, Beaver won a contest for the best-tasting rural water in the United States. In 2010, Beaver won the top prize in the world for best-tasting water. You can see signs about their water quality along the highway.

Geography of Beaver

Beaver is located in eastern Beaver County. It sits right next to Interstate 15, which is a major highway in Utah.

To the east of Beaver are the Tushar Mountains. Some peaks in these mountains are over 12,000 feet tall! The Beaver River flows from these mountains through the city. It then goes west towards Minersville. To the west of Beaver are the Mineral Mountains.

Interstate 15 runs along the western edge of Beaver. You can get into Beaver from exits 109 and 112. I-15 goes north to Salt Lake City (about 199 miles). It goes south to Las Vegas (about 223 miles).

Utah State Route 153 goes east from Beaver across the Tushar Mountains. Utah State Route 21 goes west through the Beaver River Valley to Minersville.

The American Discovery Trail, a long trail for hiking and biking, also passes through Beaver. A cool landmark in Beaver is the big letter B on the hillside. You can see it easily from the highway!

Beaver's Climate

Beaver has a cool, dry climate. Summers have hot days but cool nights. Winters are cold with some snow.

In summer, days are usually hot and dry. But sometimes, like in July 1936, heavy thunderstorms can happen. Nights are much cooler than in bigger cities like Salt Lake City. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Beaver was 102°F (39°C).

Winters are cold but not too harsh. It usually snows about 34 inches each winter. Temperatures often drop below freezing at night. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -34°F (-37°C) in February 1933.

People of Beaver

In 2010, Beaver had 3,112 people. This was a big increase from 2000. The number of people living in Beaver grew faster than the average for Utah. Most people in Beaver are white.

In 2000, there were 2,454 people living in Beaver. There were 856 households, and 653 of them were families. About 41% of households had children under 18. Most households (65%) were married couples. The average household had about 2.84 people.

The median age in Beaver was 32 years old. About 32.9% of the population was under 18. About 15% of the people were 65 or older.

Famous People from Beaver

Beaver is the hometown of a few notable people:

• Butch Cassidy: He was born in Beaver and became a famous outlaw in the American West.
• Betty Compson: Born in Beaver in 1897, she became an early movie star. She was in films like The Pony Express (1925).
• Philo Farnsworth: He was an inventor who created electronic television. He also invented a small nuclear fusion device.
• Ida Hunt Udall: She was born in Iron County in 1858. She spent most of her childhood in Beaver. She later became known for her diaries and for being a homesteader.

See also

In Spanish: Beaver (Utah) para niños