Springville, Utah

 

Springville was first explored in 1776 by Father Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, a Franciscan padre. What became Springville lay along the wagon route called the Mormon Road that Mormon pioneers and 49ers traveled through southern Utah, northern Arizona, southern Nevada and Southern California. From 1855, each winter trains of freight wagons traveled on this road across the deserts between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City until the late 1860s when the railroad arrived in Utah.^[5] During the year 1849, a group of pioneers led by William Miller and James Mendenhall traveled to the Provo River area. Mendenhall and Miller explored a little further south and fell in love with what is now known as the Hobble Creek area.^[6] Springville was settled in 1850 by eight pioneer families, led by Aaron Johnson,^[6] who crossed the plains to Salt Lake Valley from the East and were directed by Brigham Young to settle 50 miles (80 km) further south.

Incorporated in February 1853, the pioneers called the city Hobble Creek because an early exploration team led by Oliver B. Huntington in February 1849 had a horse lose a pair of iron hobbles (restraints tied to the horse's forelegs) while the team was camped next to the creek.^[7] As the town grew, the name was changed to Springville, after the Fort Springville. Fort Springville was named after the many freshwater springs in the area, particularly near the fort. The original name was not completely lost, however, as the canyon stream (and associated canyons), a local elementary school, and city-owned golf course have retained the name Hobble Creek.^[8][9]

Springville is known as "Art City" due to its strong development of the arts. Springville is home to the Springville Museum of Art, Utah's oldest museum for the visual fine arts (circa 1937).^[10] The museum, housed in a historic Spanish Colonial Revival-style building, showcases collections of many well-known artists, both local and national, including collections of Utah art, a major Soviet collection, early Americana, and the European Steed collection. It was dedicated by David O. McKay as a "sanctuary of beauty and a temple of meditation."^[11] Springville is the birthplace of noted sculptor Cyrus Dallin. The main street is dotted with bronze statues, including several from local sculptors Gary Price and Jeff Decker.

Springville is a thriving community which has experienced steady growth over the past ten years. The current population is projected to grow to more than 50,000 over the next ten years, in line with the expected future expansion of its commercial, office, retail, and industrial sectors along the city's I-15 corridor.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 14.4 square miles (37.4 km²), of which 14.4 square miles (37.2 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.34%, is water.^[12]

Springville is on the west side of the Wasatch Mountain Range and 3 miles (5 km) east of the average shoreline of Utah Lake and almost entirely east of Interstate 15. All vehicular traffic that transports goods to the north, south, east and west funnels through the interstate hub near Springville's strategically important freeway location. A great potential with its strong connection to the arts, Springville is thriving community that has experienced steady growth over the past ten years. Its current population of 31,205 continues to increase with 4.6% annual growth.^{[citation needed]}

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 20,424 people, 5,975 households, and 5,024 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,770.5 people per square mile (683.6 people/km²). There were 6,229 housing units at an average density of 540.0 units per square mile (208.5 units/km²). The city's racial makeup was 94.58% White, 0.11% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.77% of the population.

There were 5,975 households, of which 51.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.9% were non-families. 13.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 3.76.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 37.4% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 14.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. The heavily weighted 18- to 24-year-old demographic is largely due to the city slowly attracting students and graduates from Brigham Young University, in the adjoining city of Provo, as well as Utah Valley University in the nearby city of Orem. For every 100 females, there are 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

The city's median household income was $46,472, and the median family income was $48,845. Males had a median income of $37,942 versus $26,098 for females. The city's per capita income was $15,634. About 6.6% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

In 2010, the population had grown to 29,466.^[14] Ten years later, it had increased again to 35,268.^[14]

Major businesses/employers in Springville include the following:

• digEcor, Inc, manufacturer of the digEplayer portable inflight entertainment device
• Flowserve, manufacturer of large valves, has a facility in Springville's Industrial Park
• Modere, which relocated its corporate headquarters to Springville in 2003
• Stouffer's, a division of Nestle, also has a plant in Springville's Industrial Park
• Wing Enterprises, maker of the Little Giant Ladder Systems is headquartered in Springville
• W.W. Clyde Company, a heavy construction firm
• Namify, a company specializing in name tags and other printing services
• Tatton Baird, Maker of custom hats and accessories

 

Art City Days, held each year in early June, is one of the first city celebrations of the summer season in Utah Valley. Residents join in a variety of activities to celebrate their community, its history, and the warmer weather. Activities include a parade, carnival, hot air balloons, contests, sporting events, and fireworks.^[15]

Springville is also home to the Springville World Folkfest, a week-long celebration of folk dance and music held every July at the outdoor amphitheater in the Spring Acres Arts Park.^[16] Folk dance groups travel from around the world to participate in this festival. Folkfest performers are housed by host families in the Springville area.

Every May, Springville hosts the annual Indian Festival of Utah also in Spring Acres Arts Park, the state's only cultural event devoted to East Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian communities across the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Formerly held in nearby Spanish Fork, it represents the small but thriving Indian American and South Asian American communities of northern Utah.

 

With Springville growing at such a fast rate, the need for a new library soon arose. The old library, the Springville Carnegie Library, could not fit the needs of the rapidly growing city. From 1965 to 2008, the library was housed in the north wing of the Springville Office Building of the time. The old building became the home of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum and the Springville Historical Society. Construction began on the current library in 2008 and was finished in 2011. Along with having over one million books, movies, and playaways, the new library hosts events, classes, and children's programs.

Springville is served by Nebo School District. Public schools in this district within Springville include Springville High School, Springville Junior High School, Spring Canyon Middle School, Art City Elementary, Brookside Elementary, Cherry Creek Elementary, Sage Creek Elementary, Meadow Brook Elementary, and Westside Elementary. Reagan Academy and Merit Academy, both charter schools, are also in Springville.^{[citation needed]}

The Elizabeth DeLong School of the Springville Campus of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind is in Springville.^[17] Its construction began in March 2019 with completion expected for January 2020. Jacoby Architects designed the school, which had a cost of $13 million.^[18]

Under the Köppen climate classification, Springville has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) or a humid continental climate (Dfa) depending on which variant of the system is used.

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  This building functioned as the Springville, Utah public library from 1922 to 1965, when the library was moved to a newer building. A sculpture of Mark Twain reading a book now adorns the lawn.
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  The Springville, Utah Civic Center building with Dallin Pioneer Mother Memorial. The Dallin sculpture was moved from its nearby park site when the new Civic Center Building was erected.
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  This is the Dallin House at 253 S. 300 E. associated with sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin in Springville. Built about 1905, the sculptor apparently lived there at some point in later life.
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  The Art Museum is on 400 South.
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  The Central Bank on South Main Street
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  This old building is at the corner of 200 South and Main Street.
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  Springville, Utah's World Folkfest

• Charity Anderson (born 2000), dancer
• Quinn Allman (born 1982), lead guitarist of alt-rock band The Used
• Don Bluth (born 1937), film director, animator producer, writer, production designer, animation instructor
• Chad Daybell (born 1968), author and husband of Lori Vallow, convicted of multiple murders^[20]
• Jeff Decker (born 1966), sculptor
• Claybourne Elder (born 1982), actor
• Elfie Caroline Huntington (1868 – 1949), photographer
• Bryan Johnson (born 1977), entrepreneur and anti-aging practitioner
• Scott Mitchell (born 1968), NFL player
• Gary Lee Price (born 1955), sculptor
• Colby Ward (born 1964), former pitcher for the Cleveland Indians

• List of cities and towns in Utah

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Springville, Utah.

• Official website