Escalante, Utah

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Escalante, Utah
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

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pushpin_label_position =left
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of Utah
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Utah
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Garfield

government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 7.6
area_land_km2 = 7.6
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.9
area_land_sq_mi = 2.9
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 818
population_density_km2 = 107.4
population_density_sq_mi = 278.2

timezone = Mountain (MST)
utc_offset = -7
timezone_DST = MDT
utc_offset_DST = -6
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 1774
elevation_ft = 5820
latd = 37 |latm = 46 |lats = 10 |latNS = N
longd = 111 |longm = 36 |longs = 5 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 84726
area_code = 435
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 49-23750GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1440956GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Escalante is a city in Garfield County, Utah, United States, along Utah Scenic Byway 12. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 818.

The town was named after Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, a Franciscan missionary and the first European explorer in the region. In 1776, Escalante and his Spanish superior Francisco Atanasio Domínguez left from Santa Fe, New Mexico on an attempt to reach Monterey, California (EarthMetrics,1989). During this journey, usually referred to as the "Dominguez-Escalante Expedition", Escalante and his companions passed by the Grand Canyon and were the first white men to enter Utah.

ettlement history

Members of the Southern Utah militia, under the leadership of Captain James Andrus, passed through the Escalante area during the Black Hawk Indian War of the mid-1860's. They recorded finding wild potatoes growing in the area and named a valley just east of the Escalante Mountains "Potato Valley". In 1872, a group of settlers from Panguitch, Utah investigated the area, meeting members of the John Wesley Powell expedition. Powell's group recommended any new community be named "Escalante" in honor of the explorer, even though the 1776 expedition never reached the remote valley. The community of Escalante was finally settled in 1875. The even more isolated community of Boulder to the north was established as a ranching community in 1889.

Geography

Escalante is located at coor dms|37|46|10|N|111|36|5|W|city (37.769482, -111.601382)GR|1 and is surrounded by part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²), none of which is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 818 people, 304 households, and 220 families residing in the city. The population density was 278.2 people per square mile (107.4/km²). There were 404 housing units at an average density of 137.4/sq mi (53.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.89% White, 2.32% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 2.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.03% of the population.

There were 304 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,143, and the median income for a family was $35,500. Males had a median income of $30,385 versus $19,028 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,501. About 7.3% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

*EarthMetrics and SRI International for Contel Systems and the U.S. Air Force 1989, Katieri Treimer, "Site research report, site no. 916, Southwest Colorado"

External links

* [http://www.escalante-cc.com/ Escalante Chamber of Commerce]