Venice, Utah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Venice, Utah
Unincorporated community
The old Venice School
Venice, Utah Location in Utah Show map of Utah Venice, Utah Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Sevier
Settled	1875
Founded by	Francis G. Wall
Elevation	5,223 ft (1,592 m)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	84701
Area code(s)	435
GNIS feature ID	1446921

Venice (/ˈvɛnɪs/ VEN-iss) is a small, unincorporated community in Sevier County, Utah, United States. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a city or town with its own local government.

Exploring Venice, Utah

Venice is a quiet farming community. It is about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Richfield, which is the main town in the county. Venice is located near State Route 118 and State Route 119.

The Sevier River flows right through the middle of Venice. To the east, there is a rocky hill called the Black Knoll. On this hill, you can see a large letter "V" made of rocks. This "V" stands for Venice! The community was named after the famous city of Venice, Italy.

The Story of Venice

Early Settlers and New Names

The first person to settle in the Venice area was Francis George Wall. He bought land here in 1875. He built a cabin and moved his family to the area. As more people moved in, the settlement was first called Wallsville, named after him.

An important part of the community was the bridge over the Sevier River. The first bridge was built around 1885. In 1887, a log building was built. It was used as both a school and a church.

Growing Up: Post Office and New Name

A post office opened in the local store in 1894. By 1900, the community was growing. Residents decided to change the name of their town from Wallsville to "Venice."

Schools and Buildings

In 1900, a new white brick schoolhouse was built. This school taught students until 1924. After that, a new school building was constructed in Venice. The old brick school was then sold and used as a church building until 1984. The school that opened in 1924 closed in 1950. However, that building still stands today and is a well-known landmark in Venice.

Railroad Connections

For many years, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad was very important for Venice. It ran through the community, helping farmers send their crops to other places. It also carried passengers. The railroad line was closed after a big landslide in 1983.

Life and Work in Venice

Farming and Sugar Beets

Farming has always been the main way of life in Venice. For a long time, especially in the early 1900s, farmers grew a lot of sugar beets. These beets were a very important crop that farmers sold for money.

At first, farmers sent their sugar beets to a factory in nearby Elsinore. When that factory closed in 1928, they had to send their beets further away. Over the years, factories closed, and farmers had to ship their crops even longer distances. This made it more expensive for them. The last sugar beet farmers in Venice stopped growing them in 1976.

Raising Animals and Cooperatives

Raising animals is still a big part of the community's economy. Farmers in Venice raise cattle, sheep, and chickens. In the 1960s, Venice farmers worked together. They formed a group called the Venice Feed & Cattle Company. This group helped them process animal feed and sell their crops and livestock.

Learning in Venice

Students from Venice have always gone to high school in Richfield. After the Venice School closed in 1950, younger students also started going to schools in Richfield.

See also

In Spanish: Venice (Utah) para niños