User:Cbk25/sandbox

Name
"At the mouth of the canyon opening, onto the desert, are peaks on either side, called the Castle Peaks. Amos C. Thornton owned a ranch and a small farm close by and his frame house was called the Castle, named from these peaks. Hence the name New Castle was given to the town on the desert."

History
The town of Newcastle was settled by a number of people who lived in nearby Pinto, Utah. They bought land under the "Desert Entry" program.

The Iron County Record
The Iron County Record, a local paper printed in Cedar City, UT, from 1893 to 1982, included a section for townships within Iron County. The following is a brief summary of some of the Record articles addressing Newcastle specifically:

8 March 1912. Newcastle is a "scattered community of eight of ten prosperous families with a very bright prospect of a town of some proportions. The townsite covers less than one hundred acres. . . ." This article also mentions a Newcastle Mercantile Company.

19 April 1912. Around the time of this article, Newcastle land sales opened, with Californians being a noticeable majority of the purchasers. Also, a $7000 hotel was being planned.

18 April 1913. The Record mentioned people who were interested in the "Newcastle Company," Which is a topic that merits further research. From this and several entries in the Record, we see that in the early days of the township, there were plans for several businesses, which indicates the intention to build a thriving town.

20 June 1913. We learn of an explosion in a mining tunnel when the Record reports that J.X. Gardner returned home after being treated in a hospital in Salt Lake City for injuries sustained in the explosion.

17 Dec 1915. Homestead applications and "estray" animals.

27 July 1917. World War I conscription list. Three Newcastle residents were called up.

24 Nov 1922. This article mentions some school and social activities associated with the celebration of Thanksgiving, demonstrating Newcastle's attitude toward both education and holidays. Also of interest is more information about the Iron County Record itself: "Entered as second class matter at the Postoffice at Cedar City, Utah, December 1893." Published by Rollo and Sons.

A History of Iron County: Community Above Self
The Utah State Historical society and the Iron County Commission published the Utah Centennial County History Series. The book on Iron County (Newcastle's county) was written by Janet Burton Seegmiller. Of Iron County generally, she wrote: "Despite the natural resources of iron, coal, forests, and great scenic beauty, struggle and sacrifice have marked the history of all peoples who have occupied the semiarid valleys and rugged mountains of the county."

Of Newcastle specifically, the author recorded the naming and the early settlers, then: "The town was established and officially named on 12 April 1909. The New Castle Reclamation Company was already working on the Grass Valley Reservoir and development of farms five miles west of the townsite, where the New Castle Reclamation Hotel welcomed prospective land buyers. A telephone line was established 1 May 1909. School began in 1913."

Iron
After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Salt Lake City, Brigham Young, the president, called for volunteers to colonize the Iron Mission area in Iron County. Initially, the iron works were located near Coal Creek (now Cedar City), where a foundry with a small blast furnace was built.

The following is information from the Iron Mission State Park website: "Despite its initial success, the Iron Mission faced many difficulties. Financial troubles, floods, heavy freezes and furnace failure took their toll. In addition, a crop shortage threatened starvation. The people persevered in the face of these obstacles, but the foundry was eventually closed in 1858."

Population & Demographics
"In 2021, Newcastle, UT had a population of 254 people with a median age of 61 and a median household income of $60,625. Ethnicity in 2021 was 100% White (non-Hispanic), and 100% of the residents were U.S. citizens."