Oasis, Utah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oasis, Utah
CDP
Location of Oasis within Millard County and the State of Utah.
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Millard
Settled	1880
Area
• Total	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)
• Land	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	4,590 ft (1,400 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	75
• Density	188/sq mi (72/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP codes	84624, 84650
Area code(s)	435
GNIS feature ID	2584773

Oasis is a small community in Millard County, Utah, in the United States. It's called a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's a special area the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town. In 2010, only 75 people lived there. Oasis was once a very important place for shipping goods by train in Millard County. However, it became less important after the city of Delta grew larger.

Geography of Oasis

Oasis is located in the eastern part of the Sevier Desert in Millard County. It's about 140 miles (225 km) southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah's capital. The community is also about 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Delta and 2 miles (3 km) east of a village called Deseret.

About 4 miles (6 km) north of Oasis is the Gunnison Bend Reservoir. This is a lake formed by the Sevier River. The area around Oasis has farms that use irrigation, which means they bring water to the land. These farms are like a green "oasis" on the edge of the dry desert.

Oasis Climate

Oasis has a type of weather called a semi-arid climate. This means it's usually dry, but it gets enough rain to support some plants, unlike a true desert.

History of Oasis

Oasis began to grow around 1880. This was after the Utah Southern Railroad Extension reached the area in 1879. At first, the settlement was called Deseret Station. By 1885, it became known as Oasis.

In the early years, a small dam near Deseret provided water for farming. Later, in 1886, two companies were formed to build bigger canals. These canals helped bring more water to the land, allowing more farms to grow. This also helped the population of Oasis increase steadily.

Railroad Importance

For a while, Oasis was very important because of its railroad station. Mines in places like Frisco and Joy sent a lot of valuable metals through Oasis. The station also served communities as far away as Baker, Nevada, which was 100 miles (160 km) away.

Oasis became a good place for shearing sheep and shipping farm animals. It was also a spot where people could get supplies for their ranches. A small business area started to develop, with a general store, a hotel, a restaurant, and even a bank.

Community Growth

In 1891, the local church group, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, divided its congregation into three parts: for Hinckley, Deseret, and Oasis. From this time on, Oasis was seen as its own separate community, growing out of Deseret.

Rise of Delta

In 1905, a meeting was held in Oasis to choose a location for a new town. This new town was first named Burtner, but it later became Delta. Delta grew very quickly. By 1910, Delta's population was almost twice as big as Oasis.

Many new settlers came to the makeshift train station in Delta. By 1911, it was the busiest train station in the county. That same year, Burtner was renamed Delta, and the railroad built a large new station there. Because Delta was in a central location, it became much more important than Oasis.

Life After the Railroad

After losing its main railroad business, Oasis went back to focusing on farming. Important crops included Alfalfa seed, and sugar beets. Some businesses also rounded up and trained wild Mustang horses to sell. In 1913, a creamery (a place that makes dairy products) was built in Oasis.

In the 1920s, a coal-fired power plant was built in Oasis. It was small and not very efficient, but it provided electricity to Deseret, Hinckley, and Delta until 1930.

Hard Times and Flooding

The late 1920s were difficult for the whole region. There were droughts (long periods without rain), insects, and frost, which damaged crops. Many farms had to close because of money problems. The Oasis State Bank also closed in 1928. The droughts continued into the 1930s, meaning there wasn't enough water for irrigation. Large areas of farmland around Oasis had to be left empty.

In June 1983, about 400 people in the Deseret and Oasis area had to leave their homes. This happened because the Gunnison Bend dam and another dam above it broke. This was due to a lot of melting snow and rain that year. A huge amount of water flooded a large area, with Oasis roughly in the middle. This left many farms without water for irrigation that year.

Population of Oasis

According to the 2010 census, 75 people lived in Oasis. There were 28 homes in the community. Most of the people (78.7%) were White. About 4.0% were American Indian and Alaska Native. Another 14.7% were from other racial backgrounds, and 2.7% were from two or more races. About 17.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

See also

In Spanish: Oasis (Utah) para niños