Utah, Richfield: Cove Creek Range Fort Editorial Photo

Between April and November 1867, quarrymen, stonemasons, and carpenters from central Utah settlements labored together to construct the fort. Built of black volcanic rock and dark limestone quarried from a volcano nearby, the walls are on hundred feet long and eighteen feet high. Lumber, mostly cedar and pine, was used for the roof, twelve interior rooms, and the massive doors at the east and west ends of the fort. This fort, built instead of a town because of the scarcity of water, was to be a way station for travelers along the `Mormon Corridor`—settlements stretching from Idaho to Nevada connected by a network of roads, telegraph lines, and postal routes.The American flag in the photo shows 37 stars for the - then - 37 states - Utah not being among them at that time.Presently the fort is being kept in an excellent shape by the local LDS community. There are more photos of this fort and some of its rooms in my portfolio.