Mosida, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mosida
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 Mosida
Location in Utah
Mosida
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County (United States) | Utah |
| Established | c. 1910 |
| Abandoned | 1924 |
| Named for | Morrison, Simpson, Davis |
| Elevation | 4,557 ft (1,389 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1437643 |
Mosida (or sometimes Mosida-by-the-Lake) is a ghost town. A ghost town is a place where almost no one lives anymore. Mosida is located in Utah County, Utah, United States. It sits on the southwest shore of Utah Lake. The closest town with people is Elberta, which is about 12 miles (19 km) to the south. Mosida was planned to be a big, new community in the 1910s. However, it did not work out in the end.
Contents
History of Mosida
Starting the Project
The land for Mosida was bought in 1909. Three men bought it from the Utah State Land Board. Their names were R. E. Morrison, Joseph Simpson, and J. E. Davis. They planned to divide the land into smaller pieces. They wanted to sell these pieces for planting peach orchards. They named their new project Mosida. This name was made from the first two letters of each of their last names: Morrison, Simpson, Davis.
A few months later, a group of business promoters from Denver, Colorado bought the project. They formed a company called the Mosida Fruit Lands Company.
Building the Community
The company started to make the land ready for people. They also began to advertise to get investors and buyers. The land west of Utah Lake does not have many large streams. So, the company built a pumphouse right by the lake. They dug irrigation ditches. They also put in many pumps to water the farmland.
A large building was built to house workers. It was called a boarding house and could hold up to 250 people. In 1911, many workers came from nearby towns. They worked to clear the land and plant apple and peach trees. A large machine called a steam tractor was used. It pulled a huge gang plow to break up the soil.
Growth and Grand Plans
By 1912, a lot of land had been plowed. About 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) were ready. They had planted 50,000 fruit trees. They also harvested 50,000 US bushels (1,800 m³) of grain. The company built a fancy 25-room hotel. This hotel became a famous building in the town. It was used for tourists and people who might want to invest.
People who came to buy land or company shares were given a special tour. They heard a strong sales pitch about Mosida's good points and bright future. The company spent a lot of money to impress their guests. A nice passenger boat took them across the lake to and from Provo. Local people sometimes used this boat for dance parties.
The Mosida Fruit Lands Company soon added more houses. They also built a store, a post office, and even a school. They hired two French cooks to make the best meals for their workers. The company's sales efforts worked well. By 1913, about 400 people had moved to Mosida. They were working on the farms and in the orchards.
Challenges and Decline
The new residents soon found that life in Mosida was not as great as the advertisements said. The fruit trees started to die. This was because of high salt and mineral levels in the soil. Other crops like wheat and peanuts grew better. But many grasshoppers damaged the crops that did survive, especially alfalfa.
Getting to and from the isolated town was hard. It became even harder when the Mosida boat was destroyed in a fire on April 17, 1913. Pumping water for irrigation also cost more money than planned. Even with a second pumping plant built in 1914, it was still expensive. The lake level changed a lot each year. In 1915, the water dropped so low that it could no longer be pumped.
The landowners and the company itself started to owe a lot of money. In 1915, the Mosida Fruit Lands Company was put under court control. This is called receivership. Creditors tried to keep the project going for a few more years. But by 1917, most people had left. The number of people living there dropped to 67 by 1920. With no more water or power, Mosida slowly died. The last person left in 1924.
Mosida Today
Some parts of Mosida can still be seen today. These include the foundations of the hotel and schoolhouse. You can also see the concrete walls of a pumphouse.
