Alton, Utah
History
Alton was first settled by Lorenzo Wesley Roundy in 1865 and was originally called "Roundys Station". Roundy's family was forced to leave due to conflicts with the local indigenous tribes. The community was later called "Graham", after Graham Duncan McDonald, a local pioneer. Over the years, many names have been discussed, but a consensus could not be reached. In 1912, a drawing was held at a community event to determine the community's name. Charles R. Pugh, who had been reading about the Alton Fjord in Norway, suggested the name, and it was pulled from the hat by a two-year-old child.
Dustin Cox currently serves as Alton's Mayor and has been in the position for some time. He will likely run unopposed in the town's next election.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 106 | — | |
| 1910 | 98 | −7.5% | |
| 1920 | 169 | 72.4% | |
| 1930 | 193 | 14.2% | |
| 1940 | 239 | 23.8% | |
| 1950 | 154 | −35.6% | |
| 1960 | 116 | −24.7% | |
| 1970 | 62 | −46.6% | |
| 1980 | 75 | 21.0% | |
| 1990 | 93 | 24.0% | |
| 2000 | 134 | 44.1% | |
| 2010 | 119 | −11.2% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 120 | 0.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the census of 2010, there were 119 people in 39 households in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 89% white, 5% Hispanic or Latino, and 2.5% Native American.
The population was 45 percent male and 55 percent female. The population was 38.7 percent under 18 and 20 percent 65 or over.
Geography
Alton is in northwestern Kane County, in a sloping valley known as the "Alton Amphitheater", 4 miles (6 km) east of U.S. Route 89 along Utah State Route 136. Kanab Creek flows past the east side of the community.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km), or 1.74%, are water.
Climate
Alton has a warm-summer continental climate (Köppen Dsb).
| Climate data for Alton, Utah, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1915–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
68 (20) |
76 (24) |
81 (27) |
90 (32) |
96 (36) |
101 (38) |
97 (36) |
93 (34) |
85 (29) |
77 (25) |
67 (19) |
101 (38) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.3 (5.2) |
43.4 (6.3) |
51.5 (10.8) |
60.0 (15.6) |
69.4 (20.8) |
80.5 (26.9) |
85.3 (29.6) |
83.1 (28.4) |
75.9 (24.4) |
64.1 (17.8) |
51.2 (10.7) |
41.0 (5.0) |
62.2 (16.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.6 (−1.3) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
38.0 (3.3) |
44.5 (6.9) |
52.3 (11.3) |
61.7 (16.5) |
68.2 (20.1) |
66.6 (19.2) |
59.4 (15.2) |
48.8 (9.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
47.3 (8.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.9 (−7.8) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
35.2 (1.8) |
43.0 (6.1) |
51.2 (10.7) |
50.1 (10.1) |
42.9 (6.1) |
33.5 (0.8) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
17.8 (−7.9) |
32.4 (0.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−17 (−27) |
−7 (−22) |
−2 (−19) |
5 (−15) |
23 (−5) |
32 (0) |
32 (0) |
20 (−7) |
−2 (−19) |
−5 (−21) |
−24 (−31) |
−24 (−31) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.03 (52) |
2.07 (53) |
1.51 (38) |
0.82 (21) |
0.87 (22) |
0.41 (10) |
1.17 (30) |
1.87 (47) |
1.70 (43) |
1.80 (46) |
1.22 (31) |
1.83 (46) |
17.30 (439) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 17.8 (45) |
18.7 (47) |
12.6 (32) |
5.2 (13) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.0 (5.1) |
6.4 (16) |
14.1 (36) |
77.5 (197) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.4 | 7.0 | 5.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 2.3 | 6.5 | 7.8 | 6.2 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 5.9 | 66.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.2 | 5.3 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 23.9 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
See also
References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alton, Utah
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Alton town, Utah". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
- ^ Andrew Jenson. Encyclopedic History of the Church. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1941) p. 17
- ^ John W. Van Cott Utah Place Names. (University of Utah Press, 2000) p. 5
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ Alton, UT, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1966 (1980 rev.)
- ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
External links
Media related to Alton, Utah at Wikimedia Commons
Municipalities and communities of Kane County, Utah, United States | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
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