Ghost town in Utah, United States
| Watson | |
|---|---|
| Ghost town | |
  WatsonLocation of Watson in UtahShow map of Utah WatsonWatson (the United States)Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates: 39°52′54.8″N 109°09′30.6″W / 39.881889°N 109.158500°W / 39.881889; -109.158500 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Uintah |
| Established | 19 November 1911 |
| Abandoned | c. 1939 |
| Named for | Wallace G. Watson |
| Elevation | 5,378 ft (1,639 m) |
Watson is a ghost town in Uintah County, at the extreme eastern edge of Utah, United States. Watson was founded on 19 November 1911, when an extension to the Uintah Railway moved the terminus of the line to Watson from Dragon.
Geography
Watson is located south of the White River along Evacuation Creek, just North of the ghost town Dragon and the Black Dragon Gilsonite mine. The present-day center of Gilsonite mining, Bonanza, is about 20 miles (32 km) to the north of Watson.
History
The Town was named after Wallace G. Watson, the Civil Engineer who designed the Uintah Railroad that ran from Dragon to Watson along Evacuation Creek. The town was made up of a rail depot, a few houses, a hotel, a post office, a school, a telephone office, and a warehouse. Without a railway north into Vernal, sending items through the mail was often cheaper, so many items came through the post office. The town once had around 750 people living there. The Hotel, named the Watson Hotel was owned by the Railway company.
Notable people
- Wallace G. Watson
References
- Wright, Christian L. (January 11, 2012). Ghost Towns and Gilsonite of the Uinta Basin (PDF) (Report). Buried Electric Records. p. 15. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
- Carr, Stephen L.; Edwards, Robert W. (1989). Utah Ghost Rails. Western Epics. p. 197. ISBN 0914740342.
- "Dragon or Watson - Utah Ghost Town". www.ghosttowns.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- Carr, Stephen L. (1986). The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns (3rd ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Epics. ISBN 0-914740-30-X. OCLC 14255125.
External links
| Municipalities and communities of Uintah County, Utah, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Vernal | ||
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |