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MANTI |
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Brief History Manti, the Sanpete county seat, was founded in 1849 by Latter-day Saint pioneers*. 224 men, women and children left the Salt Lake valley to settle in the Sanpete Valley after the Ute chief Walker invited Brigham Young, then the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to send a colony of people to join Chief Sanpeetch's people in the area*. Brigham Young named the city "Manti" in 1850, after a city in the Book of Mormon. In 1853, a large group of Dainish imigrants arrived in Manti. The Walker War in the 1850's is believed to have been fought over trade disruptions* and possibly chidl slave trade. There were 3 forts constructed at Manti: the Little Stone Fort, the Log Fort, which stood where the courthouse now stands, and the Big Fort, which included 9 blocks and the Little Stone Fort.*. Most of the farmers lived in town and traveled to their farms. Because of the dry climate, irrigation was done first with ditch and furrow, and then with modern sprinkler systems. Sheep and turkey are important livestock enterprizes in the area*. Between the 1890's and 1903, the Manti watershed was protected with the creation of the Manti National Forest*. The first railroad into Manti was completed in 1896, but was abandoned in 1983. Access today is by truck and private automobile on HWY 89 and HWY 128*. |
Last Updated: 03.10.2018