McCornick, Utah
| McCornick | |
|---|---|
| Ghost town | |
 McCornick
McCornick
|
|
| Coordinates: 39°12′56″N 112°24′30″W / 39.21556°N 112.40833°WCoordinates: 39°12′56″N 112°24′30″W / 39.21556°N 112.40833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Millard |
| Established | 1919 |
| Abandoned | 1930 |
| Named for | William McCornick |
| Elevation | 4,747 ft (1,447 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1455891 |
McCornick is a ghost town located in Millard County, Utah, United States. Lying in Whiskey Creek Flat 11 miles (18 km) northwest of Holden, McCornick was a failed land development project that lasted from 1919 until around 1930.
In 1918, the Sevier River Land and Water Company, after successfully promoting development in the Lynndyl area, expanded its water project southward. The company built an aqueduct from Leamington along the foothills of the Canyon Mountains to irrigate vast tracts of potentially fertile farmland.Boosters began to draw prospective settlers with sophisticated advertising and high-pressure sales pitches. Salesmen emphasized the conveniences of farming so close to Delta, with its large sugar refinery and the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad. They also spoke glowingly of the water supply, which was at the highest level the region had seen in years.
A number of families and bachelors arrived and began farming in early 1919. In May 1919, the canal broke, flooding the farms of about 15 families who had made their homes near the mouth of Whiskey Creek. Despite the damage, the plentiful water produced excellent harvests for most of the farmers that year, enabling them to build some 40 good, permanent homes.
The next year the canal broke a second time, and some families moved away completely, but reports of the settlement's success continued to bring new settlers. In 1920 it began to take shape as a real town.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built a chapel and organized a ward with 83 member families. A small post office was established, and the town was named for William McCornick, a Salt Lake City banker and corporate promoter of the Sevier Land and Water Company. A schoolhouse and a general store were built. McCornick's population reached its peak of about 500 in 1921.
...
Wikipedia