Posted in Utah
April 26, 2022
The History Of Corinne Is One-Of-A-Kind And Vastly Different Than Other Small Towns In Utah
Utah is well known for the Mormon Pioneers. In fact, the majority of towns throughout the Beehive State were settled by these courageous people. However, Corinne, Utah, is one small town that was not established by the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In fact, in the 1800s, one newspaper reported that not a single member of the church lived in the town and it became widely known as “The Gentile Capital of Utah.”


In the late 1860s, pretty much every successful business in Utah was owned and operated by members of the church. Brigham Young had established a policy that Mormons could only shop at other members’ businesses. If you weren’t a member of the church, it made it extremely difficult to survive in the Beehive State.

News of this shipping center spread fast and within two weeks, more than 500 tent buildings with businesses were located in the area. In no time at all, boarding houses, a newspaper, cigar factory, gambling halls, and more could be found in the area.

Without the presence of the church, the town looked drastically different than others around the Beehive State. There were more than a dozen saloons and liquor stores, for example.

Brigham Young and the members of the church, however, fought hard to stop the small town. They built the Utah Northern Railroad that traveled from Ogden to Franklin, Idaho. Eventually, this railroad continued farther into Idaho, significantly hurting businesses in Corinne and resulting in many merchants moving to Ogden.

Today, as you drive through this beautiful community, you’ll notice it has become a quiet farm town. It is hard to believe this town has quite a crazy history.
Were you familiar with Corinne’s history? Have you ever spent time in this small town? Let us know in the comments! You can learn more about this small town on the City of Corinne’s website.
Address: Corinne, UT, USA