COUNTY FARM BUREAU LEADERSHIP

County President: Brian Johnson   (435-849-5151)

tooele county facts

Area: 6,923 square miles 

Population: 65,185

County Seat: Tooele 

Where it got its name: Either (1) from tule, a Spanish word of Aztec origin meaning bulrush, a marsh plant, or (2) from tu-wada, a Goshute word meaning bear 

Main cities/towns: Tooele, Grantsville, Wendover

Economy: defense, transportation, communications, trade, services 

Interesting places: Bonneville Speedway, Deseret Peak Wilderness Area, Old Pony Express and Stage Route, Wendover Air Base, Great Salt Lake

During World War II the U.S. government built several military installations in Tooele County. These brought many people into the county and millions of dollars into the local economy.

The Wendover Air Base near the Nevada border became an important site for bomber training. It had almost 20,000 military and civilian personnel. The crew that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima trained there.

Tooele Ordnance Depot (now Tooele Army Depot, TAD), built in 1942 on a huge tract of land south of Tooele City, served as a major supply, storage, and repair center. 2,000 people worked there in 1944. Many worked there also during Korean and Vietnam wars.

A missile test range became an important place in developing new missiles. The Dugway Proving Grounds was built in the 1940s as a place to test chemical and biological weapons. In the 1970s, a large number of sheep in the area were killed--presumably from a mistake in the testing.

On average, Tooele County's frost-free growing season starts May 20 and ends Oct 7, totaling 140 days. 

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS

Tooele County Agricultural Statistics (2017)

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References:  ilovehistory.utah.gov, nass.usda.gov