| |
History in a Pecan
Shell
Utley, now best known as a put in point for canoeists going
down the Colorado River, was established by the Wilbarger family in the 1850s.
James Harvey Wilbarger named it after his wife's maiden name. James operated a
trading post here. The Wilbarger family was also responsible for naming Wilbarger
Creek
By 1892 the community got its own post office and by 1896 there
were two stores. The town reported 25 people by 1914. The population grew to 250
through the 1930s but dropped severely after WWII.
Except for an unexplained spike to 50 during the 1950s, Utley has kept 30 as it's
population figure from the forties until the present (2000). |
|
|
