School Building, Widtsoe, Utah

   

Widtsoe was founded in the late 1800's and its population peaked in the 1920's.  Severe drought and erosion took their toll and  by the 1930's the population consisted of a few families.   The residents asked for federal assistance and the Resettlement Administration purchased the land and moved the families to other areas of the state.  The project received national attention and became a model for other resettlement projects.  Go to the Ghost Towns site for the complete story of this fascinating place.

Dorothea Lange, FSA photographer of Migrant Motherfame, made photographs of Widtsoe for the Resettlement Administration.  Sixteen of these photographs can be found at the Library of Congress Site.   (Type in "widtsoe" and click on search.)

All Text and Images © Joe Miller, 2007