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Altonah History
On-Site Resources
Last Updated: November 2020
Altonah is located in the "Upper Country" in Northern Duchesne County at an altitude of 6,000 feet and at one time was the largest community in the area. The town lies at the foot of Mt. Emmons, part of the Uinta range. This area was once known as Clay Basin. The post office was originally located in the home of Robert Alexander and so the town and post office were called Alexander, but later renamed Altonah by William Smart. Residents proudly called the town of Altonah "Queen City of the Reservation".
 J.M. Millard Mercantile Co. Main Street, Altonah (1915) |
 Lake Fork Bridge |
In 1905 after the Uintah Reservation was opened to white settlement, several families (primarily from the town of Vernal in Uintah County) filed for a homesteads. Many others followed in the years shortly afterwards. Many became farmers and ranchers as the land was rich and there was plenty of water from the Yellowstone River and Lake Fork.
Altonah had a local paper called "Reservation News" published between 1915-1916 by a Mr. Dubendroff. It was later sold to Aaron Johnson and renamed "The Intermountain News" which was published only a short time.
The first school house was initially a small, one-room log cabin with a dirt floor and had only thirteen students. The first school teacher was James Bird Alexander.
Some Early Residents Include the Families of:
Source: List compiled from 'A History of Duchesne', by John Barton & 'Early History of Duchesne County', by Mildred M. Dillman
| Peter Akelund Robert Alexander Milton Alexander James Alexander Martin Allred Charles Anderson John Anderson William Ashby John Ashby Oscar Beebe William Bowden Heber Bowden Harry Bryner Ernest Burgess Raymond Burgess James Burgess W.W. Butler Alonzo Caldwell Ervin Caldwell Earl Caldwell Loren Caldwell Heber Carroll Lafayette Chidester Jerry Clark |
E.D. Clyde Albert Dastrup (blacksmith) Gill Davis Warren Davis G.A. Dennis Zenos Dodge C.L. Foote Elmer Gale John Glenn Mr. Gunnerson James Gurr Chancy Hill Martin Isaksen Hans Jacobson Joseph S. Larsen John Lazenby J.D. McKune (owner sawmill) J.M. Millard (store owner) W.A. Maxfield George Mecham George Merick Frank Miller Parley Miller Samuel Miller |
Robert Milton James B. Murray (farmer) W.J. Ostler J.B. Payne George Petty R.S. Petty Clair Preece (store owner) Lott Powell W.R. Preece W.A. Ralphs M.C. Redding David Reese Frederick Roberts C.N. Shiner Dr. Shipp H. Smellow W.R. Snyder Oscar Stoddard Brigham Timothy David Thompson Mr. Westover Ed Wilderman Charles Wright |