Lee Bennett
Since 1878 the La Sal area has attracted settlers, but its path from settlement to community has been anything but straightforward. Along the way, ranching became an important and enduring part of life in the area. Dry farming held great promise but proved difficult to sustain. Mining brought booms, and with each one, new occupations and new people.The community assembled around the headquarters of the La Sal Live Stock Company (later Redd Ranches), one of southeastern Utah’s largest cattle and sheep operations. Soon the gathering place became the La Sal Store, located across the highway from ranch headquarters. Together with a post office, a school, the large ranch house, and housing at ranch headquarters, a center for community life was formed.Residents were diverse, including Catholics and Mormons, people of Hispanic descent and those who were not, single and married persons, and all age groups. They were sheepherders, cowboys, farmers, miners, teachers, merchants, and all other occupations needed in a growing community. A History of La Sal, Utah explores the people, places, livelihoods, and events that shaped the La Sal area. Over generations, residents worked together to build a community, despite it developing differently from a traditional town. The story reflects the influences of nature and economy through time in a way that is uniquely La Sal.
