History of Santa Clara
Located along the Santa Clara River, Santa Clara City was settled by Jacob Hamblin in 1854 and incorporated in 1915. The big settlement occurred in 1861 when fifteen Swiss families were asked to pioneer this settlement. They had just arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah from Switzerland when they were asked to move again because of their ability for hard work and industry.
These settlers started with very little and made this area of Utah literally blossom. They planted fruit trees, vineyards, and vegetables. After several years, they produced enough food that they were able to peddle their produce throughout Utah and Nevada.
Over the years Santa Clara became famous for its fruit and produce production. Numerous fruit stands lined the street through the City, providing an outlet for the crop production in the area. After Highway 91 was abandoned in favor of the Freeway (I-15), the fruit stands declined and most of them have now disappeared.
Although very few buildings and homes remain from these original settlers, the Relief Society House still stands. It was built in 1907 and has been beautifully restored.
In 2007, the City of Santa Clara completed a $10,000,000 historic downtown streets-cape renovation project geared at initiating new “life” and vitality in the downtown area.
The City can best be characterized as suburban in nature since many city residents commute to work in the City of St. George and other nearby business areas. Santa Clara has a rapidly growing population, estimated currently at 8,000 residents. The St. George metro area, of which Santa Clara is a part, was recently ranked as the fastest growing community in the United States in a recent U.S. Census report. The City’s population has grown nearly 100% since the 2000 census.
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