Widtsoe, Utah
| Widtsoe, Utah | |
|---|---|
| Ghost town | |
 Widtsoe
Widtsoe
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| Coordinates: 37°49′56″N 111°59′44″W / 37.83222°N 111.99556°WCoordinates: 37°49′56″N 111°59′44″W / 37.83222°N 111.99556°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Garfield |
| Established | 1908 |
| Abandoned | 1936 |
| Named for | John A. Widtsoe |
| Elevation | 7,605 ft (2,318 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1447328 |
Widtsoe /ˈwɪtsoʊ/ is a ghost town in Garfield County, Utah, United States. Located in John's Valley northeast of Bryce Canyon and along the Sevier River at the mouth of Sweetwater Creek, the town existed about 1908–1936.
The first settlers, including Isaac Riddle and a wife of John D. Lee, came to John's Valley as early as 1876. The Riddle ranch became an important regrouping point for the San Juan Expedition in 1879, but through the end of the 19th century the area was mainly used by local cattlemen to seasonally run their stock. There were few permanent residents.
In the early 1900s Jedediah Adair bought land here and started growing oats, wheat, and barley. His success attracted other settlers, and by 1908 the community became known as Adairville. As the settlement continued to expand, it was renamed Houston for John Houston, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints's local stake in Panguitch. In 1910, Adair's wife Julia donated 40 acres (0.16 km2) of land for the development of an official townsite. The town was divided into blocks 20 rods (330 ft; 100 m) square with 4 lots per block and streets 5 rods (83 ft; 25 m) wide. The new town was granted a post office in 1912, and its name changed again to Winder, in honor of recently deceased Latter-day Saint leader John R. Winder.
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