Bicknell Town History

Bicknell Town History. . Early inhabitants of Wayne County and the Bicknell area were the Paleo-Indians, Anasazi, Fremont, Ute, and Paiute Native Americans. The Fremont River, which runs 2 miles south of Bicknell, was named after John C. Fremont, an early explorer who passed through this area on his last and near fatal winter expedition to the West in 1853-54. Wayne County, in which Bicknell is located, was created from Piute County in 1892 because residents found it difficult to travel to the Piute County seat (Junction, Utah, 70 miles away) for business in their wagons. As early as 1873, Brigham Young asked Albert King (A.K.) Thurber and others from Spanish Fork and Provo to explore the valley and report on the possibility of a settlement. They made the exploration and reported on the excellent unoccupied range land that could be used for livestock raising. President Young never acted favorably on the report but A.K. Thurber and others brought a co-op herd of 600 cattle to graze in what was then referred to as “Rabbit Valley," now Wayne County., During the summer of 1874, Thurber built a home for a family and four or five line cabins in a grassy area in what is now called Bicknell Bottoms. Most Thurber and Wayne County early residents came from Sevier, Iron, Kane, Beaver and Sanpete Counties. All but one of Bicknell's early settlers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church), most of whom had come to Utah from Illinois and foreign countries in handcarts and covered wagons (like the one here)., Approximately fifty families first established homes in Thurber near the Fremont River. Because of poor drinking water, sandy soil that piled against houses and buildings and filled ditches, threat of flooding and sickness, including typhoid fever. Church leaders instructed the Saints to move north for their "spiritual and physical well-being." In 1895, the current town site was dedicated and approximately three hundred residents moved north three miles to this current location., In 1914, George C. Brinkerhoff, who was serving a Church Mission to the Eastern States, learned that a wealthy author, historian and Rhode Island's Education Commissioner, Thomas W. Bicknell, was offering to donate a 1,000-volume library to any town in Utah that would take his name. Upon his return from his mission, Brinkerhoff explained the proposition to the citizens of Thurber, with a resulting vote in favor of changing the name of the town. Two towns split the prize, each receiving 500 books with Thurber becoming Bicknell and Grayson becoming Blanding, the maiden name of Bicknell's wife. The local unit of the Church is still known as the Thurber Ward., Many of the current residents of Bicknell are descendants of the original settlers with others having moved in to fill ranching, farming, government, education, medical, tourism, construction and timber-related positions. The area's remote location, small population, and limited resources have precluded the development of an industrial base or large businesses. Because only 3 percent of Wayne County is privately owned, public land use issues have a major impact on the people of this area., The population of Bicknell has ranged from 300 to 370 since its founding with many younger people moving to larger communities after high school graduation to find employment and pursue post-high school educational degrees. Once retired from full-time employment elsewhere, many return to beautiful Bicknell to join those who have stayed here to live. Community life, centered on church, family, and agriculture, has flourished from the beginning. Many people who were raised in Bicknell frequently gather here to enjoy holidays and other activities with their families. Bicknell will always be "home" to anyone who has ever lived here. We are grateful for the early settlers of this community - the men, women and children whose love of God, family and the country left us a rich legacy and vision for the future.