The Circleville Massacre
April 1866
Believing that Paiutes had aligned with the Utes, regional militia officers decided to question "All straggling Indians in the vicinity." After a skirmish between two local Paiutes and militia men near Fort Sanford, settlers received word that two Paiutes had shot a member of the Utah Militia, and the area's military commander advised Circleville and Panguitch residents to disarm the Paiutes encamped near those settlements.
Circleville residents met and decided to convince the local band of Paiutes to come into town to hear a letter read by the local bishop. The men who complied were disarmed and placed under guard, and the women and children were held in a cellar.
What happened next is not clear. One recorded account states that two young Paiute men attempted an escape amid gunfire, one successfully; it was then decided to put all the captives to death. The settlers buried the bodies of their victims in a mass grave. Several young Paiute children thought too young to bear witness were spared and adopted by local families. Soon after the incident, Circleville was abandoned.
In 1874, Circleville
this page online
On April 22, 2016, Representatives of the Town of Circleville, Paiute Tribe of Utah, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Utah Division of State History, and Utah Westerners dedicated this monument. The monument was paid for by numerous caring organizations and individuals.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1866.
Location. 38° 10.318′ N, 112° 16.193′ W. Memorial is in Circleville, Utah, in Piute County. It is on U.S. 89, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Memorial is in this post office area: Circleville UT 84723, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in andspecifically he Central Utah Valleys in Color Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in Colorado Plateau. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Circleville Massacre Monument (here, next to this marker); Circleville Veterans Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Circleville (within shouting distance of this marker); "The Paiute Trail Story" (approx. 2.7 miles away); Trade with the Native Americans (approx. 2.7 miles away); Butch Cassidy Childhood Home (approx. 2.7 miles away); "More lives than a dozen cats" (approx. 2.7 miles away); Kingston Ward (approx. 5.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Circleville.
Related marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2020, by Jacob Oscarson of Salt Lake City, Utah. This page has been viewed 716 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 1, 2020, by Jacob Oscarson of Salt Lake City, Utah. 2. submitted on May 5, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
