Rich County in the northeast corner of Utah occupies a long,
narrow area approximately 18 miles wide and 56 miles in
length, extending north of Echo Canyon. It is bordered on
the east by Wyoming and on the north by Idaho with the
southern half of Bear Lake extending into the county. Rich
is noted for a so-called buffalo jump kill site where game
was slaughtered by Early Man.
Fur trappers visited the Bear River Valley as early as
Donald Mackenzie's first Snake River expedition of 1818-19
when Michel Bourdon gave the Bear River its name. The area
around the Bear River became a favorite spot for trappers,
and trappers' rendezvous were held on the south shore of
Bear Lake in 1827 and 1828. The Oregon Trail over which
thousands of immigrants to the Northwest traveled cut
through a corner of the county. Dr. Marcus Whitman and his
wife, Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, the famous Oregon pioneers,
traveled on this trail in 1836. The first white settler in
the area, Thomas L. "Peg Leg" Smith, operated a cattle
business, trading post, and horse exchange on the Bear River
near present Dingle, Idaho. Brigham Young unsuccessfully
attempted to purchase his business in 1848, but Smith
remained in the area until 1863 then he became discouraged
and left.
When Congress passed the Homestead Act of 1862, Brigham
Young became anxious to obtain control of the land before
non-Mormons did. In August 1863 he called Charles C. Rich to
lead an exploring party into the Bear Lake Valley to select
a site for settlement. The fist settlement, known as North
Twin Creek and later Paris Creek, was made near present
Paris, Idaho. Since Bannock and Shoshone lndians also used
the valley, Rich obtained their permission to settle there
in order to minimize conflicts. Other settlements were
founded, including Round Valley in 1863; Kennedyville
(Garden City) and Laketown, 1864; Woodruff, 1865; Randolph,
1870; and Argyle, 1875.
Originally part of Green River County, which was formed
in 1852, it became Richland County in 1864; the name was
shortened to Rich in 1868, and a final alteration occurred
in 1872 when part of Cache County was added to it by the
territorial legislature.
Harsh winters affected the settlement of the Bear Lake
Valley. Woodruff averages only 57 frost-free days a year and
holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded
in the state (-50 F. degrees on February 6, 1899).
Even though much of Rich County is highland, it also has
fertile lowlands that support productive farms and
livestock, and three fourths of the county's land is used
for agriculture, primarily grazing. livestock and livestock
products account for the greater part of the county's
income.
The development of Bear Lake as a popular recreation area
with resorts, public beaches, and summer homes has helped to
diversify Rich County's economy.
A Brief History of Rich County from
