Woodside (Utah)

Woodside is a ghost town on the western shore of the Price River in virtually uninhabited eastern part of Emery County, Utah. Its enclosed gas station is one of the few signs of human activity in this lonely section of the U.S. Route 6 between Wellington and the Green River.

History

The development of the city began around 1880 with the construction of railway bridge in the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and a water tower for steam locomotives. The first residents in this area was the local prospector Henry H. Hutchinson, who settled there in 1881.

In the next few years, more and more people settled and began irrigation ditches to create. Attracted by the abundance of water and the Canadian poplar, which was there numerous existing and grew well, they founded a settlement called Lower Crossing.

As the city grew and added more stores and a blacksmith, she was named Woodside because of poplar grove.

One of the biggest challenges for Woodside was the Price River itself Prior to the construction of the Scofield reservoir, the water level of the river has fluctuated, with peaks in early and late summer almost dried up. Due to the large catchment area of ​​the river has a distant rain could mean a devastating flash flood for Woodside. Despite these problems, the city grew constantly.

A hotel and a warehouse were built next to the railway station and Woodside as a supply base for neighboring farms. The school building was built in 1892, also served as a gathering place for the inhabitants.

In 1900 the city had 114 inhabitants. The peak was reached 20 years later with 300 people. In the late 20s of the 20th century Woodside lost his stop and the associated transport of animals when the railroad took up this and many other tasks in Helper. This blow was followed by several droughts in the 30s and in 1940 the population had fallen to 30 people.

In the 1940s, a small tourist attraction from Woodside. The railway company had invested around 1880 a water fountain, which was transformed in the course of time by naturally occurring and with high pressure carbon dioxide escaping into a bubbling mud hole. This hole developed further into a cold water geyser tourist attractions, near which a shop, a café and a gas station were built, as in the meanwhile Route 6 at Woodside led past. By 1970, burned down both the business as well as the café and thus the geyser and the gas station now form the only remnant of Woodside.

Formerly the geyser eruption reached a height of 23 meters, which he no longer reached now by far. A plaque explaining the history of the city, located on the now- fenced urban area in which the current owner keeps two llamas.

Woodside today

Since mid-2012 the entire city for $ 3.9 million is for sale.

Swell

• Location in Utah
• Emery County
• Ghost town
• Location in North America