Jefferson County

Established in 1913, Jefferson County has a rich and varied history, spanning more time and growth than this date might suggest. The area was first a hunting ground for the Shoshone and Bannock tribes, then a range for hundreds of sheep and cattle. After the Utah-Northern Railroad arrived in 1879, word quickly spread of the region's fertile soil and plentiful water. While Jefferson County became an agricultural hub through unprecedented irrigation developments, it also nourished the minds of children; several famous innovators, scientists, and authors call Jefferson County home. This volume is based on church records, family and community histories, newspaper articles, government records, and oral histories, reflecting the forces that brought the county together in 1913 and its continuing growth and change.

Mother and daughter team Marjorie and Patricia Scott were both born and raised in Jefferson County. Marjorie is the curator of the Jefferson County Historical Society and Philo T. Farnsworth TV and Pioneer Museum in Rigby. She is the widow of three-term Rigby mayor Keith Scott and the mother of 5, grandmother of 13, and great-grandmother of 10. Pat Scott is a certified archivist and a historian with degrees from Southern Utah University, Wayne State University, and the University of Utah. She retired from the Utah State Archives in 2005 and is currently an executive director of the Mormon History Association.