Brigham City, Utah
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| Brigham City, Utah | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Box Elder |
| Area | |
| - Total | 14.3 sq mi (37.1 km²) |
| - Land | 14.3 sq mi (37.1 km²) |
| - Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 4,436 ft (1,352 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 17,412 |
| - Density | 1,216.4/sq mi (469.8/km²) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 84302 |
| Area code(s) | 435 |
| FIPS code | 49-08460[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1439109[2] |
- Brigham City redirects here; for the film by Richard Dutcher of the same name please see Brigham City (film). For the Supreme Court Case involving right to privacy please see Brigham City v. Stuart.
Brigham City is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 17,412 at the 2000 census. By 2004 its estimated population had decreased slightly to 17,149. It is the county seat of Box Elder County[3]. It lies on the western slope of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range at the western terminus of Box Elder Canyon. Brigham City saw most of its growth during the 1950s and 1960s, but has seen a struggling economy and stagnating growth since then. It is currently the headquarters of ATK Thiokol, the company that created the solid rocket boosters for the Space Shuttle.
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[edit] History
Mormon pioneer William Davis first explored the Brigham City area in 1850. He returned with his family and others a year later to create permanent homes. Brigham Young directed Lorenzo Snow to create a self-sufficient city there in 1853. Snow directed both religious and political affairs in the settlement, eventually naming it Box Elder in 1855. Brigham Young gave his last public sermon there in 1877 shortly before his death and the name of the town was changed to Brigham City after the church president. In 1864, the cooperative movement began in earnest with the creation of a mercantile co-op store. Other industries were added, and the Brigham City Co-op is widely recognized as the most successful of the Mormon Co-op ventures. Economic hardships brought an end to the Co-op in 1895, though the Co-op had first started selling businesses off in 1876. Through the Depression, Brigham City remained a typical small, Mormon Utah town. President Snow is buried in the Brigham City Cemetery.
World War II changed Brigham City's image forever. The federal government created Bushnell General Hospital on Brigham City's south side to treat soldiers wounded in the war. The hospital brought an economic boom to the nearby area. Locals sold supplies and food to the hospital while hospital staff patronized local businesses. After the war, the hospital's buildings were used as Intermountain Indian School. Many young Native Americans attended the boarding school until it closed in 1984, though the Intermountain "I" on the mountain is still visible in tandem with Box Elder High School's "B". The facility has left its mark in a number of other ways. Most of the buildings still stand. Some have been converted into businesses and condos, while others remain empty.
Despite layoffs over the past decade, much of Brigham City's economy still relies on Thiokol, the creator of many missiles, as well as the solid rocket booster for the Space Shuttle. Additionally, the local Autoliv (formerly a part of Thiokol) airbag plants also net Brigham City many jobs. The addition of a WalMart distribution center in nearby Corinne has also brought new jobs.
[edit] Geography
Brigham City is located at (41.510192, -112.015011)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.3 square miles (37.1 km²), of which, 14.3 square miles (37.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.14%) is water. It lies at an elevation of 4,315 feet (1,315 meters).
Brigham City lies on the western slopes of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range, at the western end of Box Elder Canyon. Brigham City is generally considered to be the northern end of the Wasatch Front. To the west is a large, flat region of desert scrub, eventually giving way to marshlands on the edge of the Great Salt Lake. Interstates 15 and 84 pass to the west of the city together. U.S. Route 89 approaches from the south and U.S. Route 91 comes from I-15/84 to the west. They intersect in the city, climbing through Box Elder Canyon together. Two routes of the Utah Transit Authority's bus system also provide access to Brigham City from Ogden, and it also has a Greyhound bus stop. It is planned to eventually be the northern terminus of the FrontRunner commuter rail line that will run the length of the Wasatch Front.
The climate of Brigham City is generally the same as that of the rest of the Wasatch Front. Snow is heavy in winter with an annual average of 50.0 inches (127cm), although it is too far north to receive lake-effect snow. Precipitation is light, averaging 18.46 inches (469mm) annually. Summers are hot, but humidity remains low and overnight temperatures are cool, and winters are cold (but rarely frigid). April is the wettest month, while July is the driest.[1]
[edit] Sites of interest
Nearby attractions include Golden Spike National Historic Site, which lies northwest of the city near Promontory Summit. State Route 13 heads northwest from Brigham City and turns north at Corinne. However, State Route 83 continues west from there and eventually reaches Lampo Junction, where the turnoff to the historic site is located. The work of art known as the Spiral Jetty lies west-southwest of this site. The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge lies directly west of Brigham City on the northeast side of the Great Salt Lake at the mouth of the Bear River. #3 of Wasatch Four
The Box Elder Tabernacle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be seen from miles coming towards Brigham City. At night, from all around the county, the Tabernacle can be seen towering over the city and glowing vibrantly. The Tabernacle is in downtown Brigham City, across the street from the proposed Central Square development.
[edit] Peach Days
Peach Days is a celebration that takes place annually in Brigham City. It is a harvest festival filled with celebrations of small-town zeal. Peach days takes place the weekend after labor day weekend.
[edit] Notable Residents
Lorenzo Snow - 5th Prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Founded the city, lived in the city, and is buried in the Brigham City cemetary.
Boyd K. Packer - Acting President of the Quorom of Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Taught LDS seminary in Brigham City.
Donna Smith Packer - Wife of Elder Boyd K. Packer.
Allan F. Packer - General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Dee Smith - Founder of Smith's Food and Drug stores.
Scott Monson - Brother of the current Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Thomas S. Monson.
[edit] Ties to popular culture
Was the namesake of American movie director, producer, writer and actor Richard Dutcher's 2001 film Brigham City about murder in a fictitious small Mormon town. Due to geography and population, the movie was actually filmed in Mapleton, Utah. Brigham City the movie
Movies that have scenes filmed in Brigham City include: The Work and the Story, Species, and Clay Pigeons. [2]
The company Smith's Food and Drug was started in Brigham City.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 17,411 people, 5,526 households, and 4,409 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,216.4 people per square mile (469.8/km²). There were 5,838 housing units at an average density of 407.9/sq mi (157.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.26% White, 0.24% African American, 1.63% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 4.07% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.67% of the population.
There were 5,526 households out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.53.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.2% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,335, and the median income for a family was $46,891. Males had a median income of $39,271 versus $22,061 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,503. About 7.3% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] School
There is one high school, one middle school, one intermediate school, and five elementary schools in Brigham City, part of Box Elder School District They are:
[edit] High School
- Box Elder High School (BEHS) (about 1,300 students)[citation needed]
- Dale Young Community High School grades 10-12
[edit] Middle School (grades 8-9)
- Box Elder Middle School(About 800 students)
[edit] Intermediate School (grades 6-7)
- Adele C. Young Intermediate School is for 6th - 7th graders and has roughly 960 students. These are the first grades in the school district where the students pick and switch classes.
[edit] Elementary Schools
- Bunderson Elementary
- Discovery Elementary
- Foothill Elementary
- Lake View Elementary
- Mountain View Elementary
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Brigham City, Utah is at coordinates Coordinates:
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