Harper Ward, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harper Ward
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 Harper Ward
Location in Utah
Harper Ward
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Box Elder |
| Settled | 1852 |
| Elevation | 4,324 ft (1,318 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes |
84302
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| Area code(s) | 435 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1441508 |
Harper Ward is a small community in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Instead, it's managed by the county.
Harper Ward is located along Utah State Route 38. It stretches for about 8 miles between the towns of Brigham City and Honeyville. This area was once known as Call's Fort from 1855 to 1906. It was later renamed Harper Ward to honor Thomas Harper. He was an important leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the area for many years.
Contents
A Look Back: Harper Ward's History
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 350 | — | |
| 1890 | 377 | 7.7% | |
| 1900 | 488 | 29.4% | |
| 1910 | 603 | 23.6% | |
| 1920 | 743 | 23.2% | |
| 1930 | 238 | −68.0% | |
| 1940 | 237 | −0.4% | |
| 1950 | 284 | 19.8% | |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau | |||
Early Settlers Arrive
The first people to settle permanently in the Harper Ward area arrived in 1852. John Gibbs and George Foster moved from Brigham City and started farming the land. More families joined them the following year in 1853.
Building Call's Fort
In 1855, Brigham Young, who was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visited the area. After his visit, a man named Anson Call built a fort there. This fort gave the community its first name: Call's Fort. This name stuck for the next 50 years.
The Role of Thomas Harper
Thomas Harper was hired in 1856 to manage Anson Call's farm. He became a very important leader in the community. John Gibbs was the first local leader for the church group, serving from 1853 to 1856 and again from 1858 to 1860. Other leaders followed him.
In 1866, Thomas Harper became the leader of the local church group. He continued in this role until 1877. That year, the area was officially organized as the North Ward, and Thomas Harper became its first "bishop." A bishop is a local leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
How Harper Ward Got Its Name
Bishop Thomas Harper passed away in 1899. To honor him and his many years of service, the community decided to change its name. On June 6, 1906, Call's Fort officially became Harper Ward. The name Harper Ward is now used for both the local church group and the general geographical area.
