Santaquin
is located in Utah County, about seventy miles south of Salt Lake
City in a picturesque and beautiful site with a view of Utah Lake
and Mount Timpanogos to the north. Originally called Summit City
because of its location at the summit dividing line between Utah
and Juab valleys, it was settled in late 1851 by pioneers who were
helping settle Payson, located about six miles to the north.
Abundant water, plenty of fertile land for farming, and abundant
groves of trees for firewood, fence posts, and cabin logs made this
an ideal place for a community.
A
friendship developed between local Indian chief Guffich and
Benjamin F. Johnson, leader of the original pioneers, which enabled
the whites to settle peacefully in the area. By 1853 the settlement
had grown sufficiently to become known as Summit Creek Precinct No.
7. Soon after, however, the Walker War broke out, and the settlers
were forced to move for safety to Payson, where they remained until
1855.
Around
this time a fort was built according to plans furnished by
architect Truman O. Angell. After its completion, the settlers
moved back to the town in the spring of 1856. One night soon after
resettlement Chief Guffich came secretly to warn Johnson of an
impending raid by young braves, including his son Santaquin. The
settlers quickly left, and when the raiders found the fort deserted
Chief Guffich explained to them that the white men were good people
and that the Great Spirit had warned them of the attack. It was
claimed that from that day peace was made between the local Indians
and the Mormon pioneers. It was decided to name the town after
Guffich, but he declined the honor and asked that the settlement be
named "Santaquin" for his son.
A rock
schoolhouse was built in the fort in 1856. It was stoutly built and
served the public for many years, still being used into the 1980s.
It was not until 1896 that the first local church building was
constructed, religious meetings having been conducted in the school
building, which now serves as a senior citizens' center and a
veterans' memorial hall.
In
addition to farming, early industries included sawmills, a flour
mill, a molasses mill, and a furniture shop. A silk industry was
started with the planting of mulberry trees, some of which still
remain in the city. Horse and buggy were the only means of
transportation available until 1875, at which time the Utah
Southern Railroad completed a line to Santaquin. About that time,
rich ore was discovered in the Tintic area. Several mines were
discovered on Santaquin ridge, or Dry Mountain, with some copper,
lead, silver, and zinc being mined; the Union Chief mine was the
most prosperous.
Following
serious flooding in 1949, the Summit Creek Canal and Irrigation
Company was given approval to construct a reservoir west of the
city; on several occasions it has prevented disastrous damage to
the community. A diversion dam was completed and more than 10,000
feet of concrete pipe laid in 1971, which proved to be an efficient
method of conserving valuable water resources. Irrigation methods
changed to sprinkling systems or drip systems, enabling farmers to
efficiently irrigate land that was not level, bringing more
farmland into production. Natural gas service was brought to
Santaquin in 1954, and marked a major development in the
modernization of the community.
With the
construction of the steel plant at Geneva and the rapid growth in
the Provo-Orem area to the north, many fruit farmers relocated to
the Santaquin area. Large orchards were planted, replacing wheat
fields and pasture land. The construction of huge cold storage
facilities for the fruit created many jobs in the community.
Another boast to the economy and population came in 1968 with the
completion of Interstate 15 through the town.
The
predominant religion in Santaquin is LDS, with four wards meeting
in two chapels. There is also an Assembly of God chapel. A majority
of the people are of Scandinavian descent. The population of
Santaquin has grown from 12 in 1851 to 1,214 in 1950, to 1,236 in
1970, and to 2,386 in 1990.