Orderville, Utah

Orderville is a town in Kane County, Utah, United States. The population was 596 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Orderville is located at (37.262348, -112.653266).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 596 people, 194 households, and 150 families residing in the town. The population density was 64.9 people per square mile (25.1/km²). There were 240 housing units at an average density of 26.1/sq mi (10.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.65% White, 0.50% Native American, 0.17% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.

There were 194 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.57.

In the town the population was spread out with 36.6% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,769, and the median income for a family was $37,250. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $22,321 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,671. 11.3% of the population and 6.7% of families were below the poverty line. 12.1% of those under the age of 18 are below the poverty line as are 5.6% of those 66 or older.

History

Orderville was established at the direction of Mormon leader Brigham Young in 1870 specifically to live the United Order, a voluntary form of Christian communism/communalism defined by Joseph Smith. Orderville was settled primarily by destitute refugees from failed settlements on the Muddy River in Nevada. The extreme poverty of these settlers likely contributed significantly to their devotion to the principles of the United Order.

Although the United Order was practiced in many Utah communities during the late 1870s, Orderville was unique in both the level of success it experienced under the communal living style, and in the duration of the experiment. In the course of a few years, Orderville grew into a thriving, self-sufficient community. The success and relative wealth of the community attracted more settlers and Orderville grew to about 700 people. Orderville not only provided for the needs of its population, but produced a significant surplus for sale to other communities, which was used to purchase additional land and equipment.

The Order continued in Orderville for approximately 10 years. During the early 1880s, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lost interest in the experiment, but Orderville attempted to continue it. In 1885, the enforcement of the Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act of 1882 effectively ended the Order by jailing many of the Order's leaders and driving many of the others underground.