Porterville, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Porterville
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Porterville Church in 2009
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 Porterville
Location in Utah
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Morgan |
| Settled | 1859 |
| Founded by | Sanford and Warriner Porter |
| Elevation | 5,151 ft (1,570 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
84050
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| Area code(s) | 435 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1444594 |
Porterville is a small community in Morgan County, Utah, United States. It's called an unincorporated community because it doesn't have its own city government.
Contents
Where is Porterville?
Porterville is located in the southern part of Morgan County. It is about four miles southwest of the town of Morgan. The community sits where Hardscrabble Canyon and East Canyon meet.
A Look at Porterville's History
Porterville was first settled in 1859 by Sanford and Nancy Warriner Porter. They came from Centerville. The area had many trees, so the Porters built a sawmill. This was the very first sawmill in Morgan County.
In 1862, a person in town started teaching school from their home. Later, a proper schoolhouse was built in 1867. For several years after the settlers arrived, the Western Shoshone people, led by Chief Washakie, still visited the area. They came to hunt and gather berries.
The Porterville Church Building
The original church building in Porterville was built in 1898. It was officially dedicated in 1908 by President Joseph F. Smith. Over time, keeping the old church in good shape became too expensive. So, the church members decided to fix up the old schoolhouse and use it as their new church.
The schoolhouse was sold to the church in 1936. However, regular meetings didn't start there until 1946. This delay was mostly because of World War II. The old church building was later sold to Marvin and Grace Kilbourn. They tried to protect it, but it was damaged by vandals over many years.
In 1970, the Bergman family bought the church. They turned it into a home but kept the outside looking the same. In 1971, it was added to the Utah State Register of Historic Sites. When it was changed into a home, the tall steeple tower was removed. The building was seen in the movie Troll 2, which was filmed nearby in 1989. Sadly, a fire in 2000 destroyed most of the original building. Another movie, The Crawlers (film), was also filmed in the area.
There is a photo of the "Porterville Meeting House" from 1920 in the Utah State Historical Society collection. Also, a painting of the church from 1948 by LeConte Stewart was shown in a museum exhibit.
Mormon Flat Breastworks
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Mormon Flat Breastworks
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| Nearest city | Porterville |
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| Built | 1857 |
| Architectural style | Stone breastworks |
| MPS | Utah War Fortifications MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 88001943 |
| Added to NRHP | October 27, 1988 |
The Mormon Flat Breastworks are old defensive walls. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can find them along Jeremy Ranch Road, near the mouth of Little Emigration Canyon. These walls were built from rocks by Mormon settlers in 1857. They were made to protect against "Johnston's Army" during the Utah War. The walls were originally about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall. Trenches were dug for riflemen to stand in and defend.
Images for kids
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The Mormon Flat Breastworks, built in 1857.
