*Source. Beehive History 14: Utah Counties. 1988. Utah State Historical Society, 300 Rio Grande, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1182
Cache County, located in the northern part of the state, is bordered by
the Wasatch Mountains on the east and a spur of the Wasatch, the
Wellsville Mountains, on the west. The Bear River flows through the
northwestern corner of the county where the Little Bear, Blacksmith
Fork, and Logan rivers add their waters to it. Cache County was formed
in 1864 by the territorial legislature and its boundaries redefined in
1864 when part of Cache became Richland (Rich) County. Cache Valley was
occupied by prehistoric hunters and gatherers, perhaps as early as
10,000 years ago, and served much later as a rendezvous for Plains
groups and the local Shoshone. Cache Valley was repeatedly visited by
trappers and explorers such as John Weber and Jim Bridger in 1824 and
Peter Skene Ogden and James Beckwourth in 1825.Settlement of Cache
Valley by the Mormons began in 1855 when a group organized by Bryant
Stringham drove a herd of cattle into the valley on July 29 and camped
at Haw Bush Spring, later known as Elkhorn Ranch. Because the winter of
1855-56 was so severe, the cattle were driven back to the Salt Lake
Valley. Peter Maughan, sent to Cache Valley in 1856, founded a permanent
settlement called Maughan's Fort, the present town of Wellsville. More
settlers began to arrive, and five towns (Providence, Mendon, Logan,
Richmond, and Smithfield) were settled in 1859.The Utah Northern
Railroad between Brigham City and Logan was completed in early 1873 and
later extended into Idaho. Then, a branch line from Brigham City to
Corinne tied Cache County to the transcontinental line. The railroad
provided jobs for Cache residents and also opened new markets for their
farm output, especially grain and dairy products. By 1880 national
market trends had begun to affect the local farm economy. Advances in
dry-farming techniques and canal and reservoir construction increased
farm production, fruit and vegetables became cash crops, and the
building of grain elevators in the 1890s allowed Cache farmers to store
grain until prices improved. The county's sheep herds grew from 10,000
in 1880 to 300,000 by 1900, and dairy cows numbered 16,000 by 1910.
Commercial creameries, flour mills, woolen mills, and knitting factories
developed around Cache's booming turn-of-the-century farm production.
Today, Cache continues as the state's leader in dairy products and as a
major producer of hay, alfalfa, and grain. The founding of Utah State
University in Logan as a land-grant agricultural college in 1888
provided the key to the county's future. USU's scientific research,
agricultural extension services, and experimental farms have benefited
farmers locally and in every part of the state. With some 12,000
students currently enrolled, USU has grown to be the county's largest
single employer. Course offerings now include almost all academic
subjects, and the university has become a major cultural resource for
the community. A variety of manufacturing firms, retail trade, and
services (including government services) contribute to Cache County's
diversified economy in the 20th century.
