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Marysvale, UT One may not think of mountains this far south in Utah but Marysvale lies near the foothills of a large range of peaks. Fishlake National Forest surrounds the town, although Marysvale is not actually within the forest boundaries. Marysvale lies along the Sevier River valley at the transition between the mid-altitude plateau region and the higher mountain forests. The area really is lovely. Mormon pioneers settled in the region starting in the 1850's. Their favorite lifestyle was generally farming and ranching. In the 1880's both coal and precious ore mining began to enter the area. Under the name of Sevier Railway, 61 miles of narrow gauge track was constructed from Thistle to Manti in 1890. This section was converted to standard gauge the following year. In 1896 the line was extended to the gold mines at Belknap, 6 miles from Marysvale. Finally the last few miles to Marysvale were constructed in 1900. Eventually the line became part of the Rio Grande system. Gold was never much of a producer in the area. Instead, mostly coal mining, agriculture, and some light manufacturing provided revenue for the railroad and the townsfolk. In 1940 the railroad dropped the passenger service to Marysvale. After the 1970's the line from Richfield to Marysvale was not used at all. Then in 1983 the flood at Thistle wiped out a long section of the branch line and the railroad could never justify re-opening the tracks.
Richfield, UT Richfield is the seat of Sevier County and a large agricultural center.
Salina, UT Salina is Spanish for salt mine. Pronounced locally as suh-LINE-na. Today Salina is a crossroads of Interstate 70 and U.S. 89. There are many accommodations for the traveler.
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