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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
I was in Richfield, Utah recently, where I spoke to the local chamber of commerce. During my stay, I took advantage of the opportunity to visit with several local business leaders and learn more about this great part of our state.
Sevier County is located in the high plateau country of central Utah. Fourteen communities lie in a fertile valley bordered on the west by the Pahvant Mountain Range and on the east by the Wasatch and Fish Lake plateaus. National forests cover almost half of the county, resulting in numerous opportunities for recreation.
I was curious about the name, "Sevier." Where did it come from? What is its significance? Was it named after an early settler? Surprisingly, everyone I asked just kind of shrugged his or her shoulders and said, "I don't know."
One theory I heard was that the river, which flows through the basin, has many "severe" turns and bends, so it's named the "Sevier River." Early Spanish explorers called the river "Rio Severo," but some historians believe they may have confused it with the much more "severe" Virgin River.
I was very interested in the business communities in the county. With more than 50,000 acres of cropland, agriculture is still the biggest industry. Barley, cattle, corn silage, commercial feeding, dairy, hay, hogs, oats, sheep and turkeys are all part of a diverse and vibrant agriculture community.
Aspen harvesting, construction, mining of coal, gypsum and salt, public utilities, financial, retail trade, tourism and transportation also play a part in Sevier County's business.
During the next few Speaking on Business segments, I'll tell you about some of the companies and business leaders that contribute to this great part of Utah.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
