Jeffrey D. Nichols History Blazer, June 1995 Like so many other
western towns, Moab, Utah, has experienced prosperous times
followed by harder times. The various boom and bust cycles in
and around the town have involved mineral products, agricultural
products, and recreation. The town's up-and-down economic
history has reflected national and international events and
concerns from the Cold War to the fitness craze. The town site,
originally settled by Mormons in 1855, was abandoned after
fierce resistance from local Indians. In 1876 the area was
resettled and became a relatively prosperous, though tiny,
agricultural community. The first real local boom involved the
discovery of small amounts of gold in the nearby La Sal
Mountains in the 1890s. Although these deposits did not prove
substantial, other "riches" helped make Moab noteworthy. By the
1910s well-established local orchards were benefiting from the
region's 325 days of sunshine, producing prize-winning apples,
grapes, pears, and peaches. In 1910 J.P. Mi