Known as the second biggest county in Utah, and is home to the Bonneville Salt Flats. What do you know about Tooele County?
Fun Facts
Like I mentioned, Tooele County is the second largest county is the state. It is located on the west side of Utah, along the Utah and Nevada border. Surrounding counties are Box Elder, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Juab. In 2019, there were more than 72,000 people living in Tooele County. The county seat, and the biggest city in the county, is Tooele. The economy in Tooele County is made up of defense, transportation, communications, trade, and services.
History
“About 100 Goshute Indians lived in the Tooele Valley when Capt. Howard Stansbury surveyed the region for the U.S. Army in 1853. The Goshutes – who were said to “have no friends and few enemies” – lived primarily off of berries, seeds, jack rabbits, deer and insects. Their homes were of cedar, brushes, caves or dugouts, and their clothing was made of rabbit or deer hides.
On Sept. 4, 1849, three Mormon pioneer families settled on a small stream south of present Tooele City. A few months later four men obtained timber rights from Small Canyon (today’s Middle Canyon) and Big Canyon (Settlement Canyon). Tooele City was incorporated on January 20, 1853 and named county seat on January 18, 1861.
Tooele was primarily an agricultural community and grew to a population of about 1,200 at the turn of the century. Many of the prominent families who settled Tooele have descendants living in the area. Like their ancestors, these families play an integral role in building our community.”
Tooele transformed into an industrialized city due to the construction of railroads, and the opening of the International Smelting and Refining Company. Construction brought more people and increased the population to 5,000 people by 1930.
Defense
“Outbreak of World War II brought the establishment of military bases in the area that strengthened the nation’s defense, boosted the local economy, and created a dramatic change in Tooele’s history. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, a 25,000-acre tract southwest of Tooele was selected as a site where the Tooele Ordnance Depot was built in 1942. A storage depot for chemical weapons was also constructed 20 miles south of Tooele City. These weapons are now being destroyed by incineration at the Deseret Chemical Depot. Tooele’s heritage was further enriched in the 1950s and 1960s as many Hispanic families moved to the area to support the expanding mission of the depot. Men and women of Tooele played vital roles in supporting the soldiers in the field during World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War.”
Cities/ Towns in Tooele County
Tooele, Grantsville, Stansbury Park, Stockton, Erda, Wendover, Dug Way, Rush Valley, Ophir, and Vernon.
Tourist Attractions in Tooele County
There are some great things to do and see in Tooele County including;
Bonneville Salt Flats, Mormon Trail, Deseret Peak, Great Salt Lake Dessert, Standsbury Island, Tree of Utah, Historic Wendover Airfield Museum, Benson Grist Mill, and Blue Lake.