Rockport, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rockport
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 Rockport
Location in Utah
Rockport
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Summit |
| Established | 1860 |
| Abandoned | 1953 |
Rockport is a ghost town located in Summit County, Utah, United States. It sits in a narrow part of the Weber Valley. This old town was once home to people for almost 100 years.
Today, most of the original townsite is covered by the Rockport Reservoir. You can find the Lake Rockport Estates neighborhood in the area now.
Contents
The Story of Rockport
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 113 | — | |
| 1880 | 127 | 12.4% | |
| 1890 | 133 | 4.7% | |
| 1900 | 147 | 10.5% | |
| 1910 | 116 | −21.1% | |
| 1920 | 101 | −12.9% | |
| 1930 | 109 | 7.9% | |
| 1940 | 91 | −16.5% | |
| 1950 | 83 | −8.8% | |
Early Settlers and Tough Times
The first European American settlers arrived in this area in 1860. They first called their new home Crandall. The very next year, they changed its name to Enoch City.
Life was very hard for these early pioneers. Winters were freezing cold with lots of deep snow. Even so, the settlers decided to stay. In 1863, they built their own gristmill. A gristmill is a building where grain is ground into flour.
Building a Fort for Safety
In 1866, a conflict known as the Black Hawk War began. This caused many people to fear attacks from the Ute people. Because of this fear, everyone in Enoch City had to leave. They moved to a safer place called Wanship.
The settlers returned to their homes the following year. But this time, they built a strong rock wall around the entire settlement. This wall was about 2 feet thick and 8 feet high. Because of this protective wall, Enoch City got a new name: Rock Fort.
From Fort to Town
Once the troubles with the Ute people ended, the rock wall was no longer needed. The settlers carefully took it down. They used the stones from the wall to build other buildings in their town. Since it was no longer a fort, the town received its final and permanent name: Rockport.
Growing the Community
In 1872, a special concrete building was constructed. It was made using Portland cement from nearby Hoytsville. This building became the town's first store, a general store. It also served as the local post office.
Rockport also became known for its rock quarry. A quarry is a place where stone is dug out of the ground. This stone was used to build many buildings in the area. People also found a good source of fuller's earth in Rockport. Fuller's earth is a type of clay used for cleaning and filtering. The town also had a sawmill, which cut logs into lumber.
The End of Rockport
For many years, Rockport's population stayed above 100 people. However, in the 1940s, the number of residents slowly started to drop. The town's post office and school eventually closed down.
Even so, 27 families were still living in Rockport in the 1950s. At that time, the government decided to build the Wanship Dam. This dam would create a large lake. The lake would cover almost the entire town of Rockport.
The families living there protested, and most voters in Summit County were against it. But in 1952, the government bought the whole valley. They needed the land for the dam's construction. The lake created by the dam is called Rockport Reservoir. It flooded the town of Rockport.
Today, when the water level in the reservoir is low, you can sometimes see old foundations and streets. The only part of Rockport that remains above the water is its small cemetery. It sits on a ridge overlooking the lake. Some of Rockport's historic buildings were saved. They were moved to Pioneer Village at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington.
