About Gunnison City

Gunnison City

Gunnison City, nestled in Utah's Sanpete Valley, was founded in 1859 by a group led by Bishop Jacob Hutchinson under the direction of Brigham Young. The city was named in honor of Captain John W. Gunnison, a key figure in the Stansbury transcontinental railroad survey who was killed near Sevier Lake in 1853. Originally known as Chalk Hill Point, the area also saw a second settlement near the San Pitch and Sevier Rivers, colorfully referred to as Hog’s Wallow or Kearn’s Camp, led by another group from Springville.

In 1862, Brigham Young advised relocating the community to its current location to escape the swampy conditions of the earlier sites. The new location on the lower San Pitch offers a flatter landscape compared to neighboring towns, which proved ideal for agriculture. Over the years, Gunnison developed a strong farming economy, once producing crops like sugar beets, peas, cabbage, and celery, as well as raising turkeys. Today, agriculture remains central to the community’s identity, with small grains, alfalfa, beef cattle, and dairy products continuing to shape the area's rural and economic life.