The story of Uinta County includes major trends and important events that shaped the American West.
From the earliest times, Native peoples have occupied this land, following ancient trails in their seasonal migrations. They drifted across the great open expanses, hunting a variety of game and gathering food from the land as they went.
Mountain men, seeking furs, trapped beaver along the streams and rivers, and followed the trails in their explorations of unfamiliar lands. Some remained here when the beaver were depleted, settling in favored spots or becoming guides for the next wave of people along the trails.
Military forts were established, and settlements grew up around them. Pioneers pushed west in wagons and handcarts, seeking open land and opportunities. Thousands wore the trails ever deeper into the landscape, flowing past obstacles and forming communities where the land could support them. Many were left along the way, in shallow graves beneath rock cairns or scrawled markers.
The Pony Express, Overland Stage, and Union Pacific Railroad all followed the way west blazed by the earlier travelers, and eventually the continent was linked by roads for the automobile. The Lincoln Highway and Interstate 80 have not strayed far from the early trails through this area, and tourists, travelers, and truckers continue to use the same basic route.
The movement through was balanced by people who stopped and stayed to build homes and form communities. Their legacy is represented by the enduring ranches, businesses, neighborhoods, and towns.
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