Wards and Branches of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Garfield Stake, Utah

This page includes the boundaries of wards and branches around 1930's, a timeline history, and how to obtain the records.

Source for this page: p. 274.

Garfield Stake
Stake boundaries as of about 1930 See Encyclopedic History..., p. 274.


 * Area of the County: Garfield Stake of Zion consists of Latter-day Saints residing in Piute and Garfield counties, Utah
 * Headquarters in (town): Antimony, UT.
 * Boundaries of stake: All of Piute and Garfield Counties.

History Timeline up to about 1930


 * 1920 - The stake came into existence on Aug. 29 when the Panguitch Stake, Utah was divided and its eastern and northern parts were organized as the Garfield Stake.

Obtain the Records
Therefore, no stake-level records were at the FamilySearch Library.
 * Records of this stake are contained in the wards records below.
 * See the Church History Library for further information.

Wards and Branches
Antimony, Boulder Branch, Circleville, Escalante North, Escalante South, Junction, Kingston and Widtsoe.

Antimony Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 24.

Boundaries: Antimony Ward, Garfield Stake, Garfield Co., Utah, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in the lower part of Grass Valley known as Clover Flat, as well as those residing on Coyote Creek, and in the East Fork Valley locally called John’s Valley. The ward extends from the narrows on Otter Creek (also called the north fork of the Sevier River) to Holt’s Ranch, in Black Canyon. The center of the ward is the village of Antimony, where the ward meeting house stands. This place is 1 1/2 miles north of the point where Coyote Creek empties into the east fork of the Sevier River, or two miles south of the north boundary of Garfield County.

History timeline


 * 1875 - The first L.D.S. settlers entered the district of country now included in the Antimony Ward.
 * 1880 - Wilmot Branch organized Feb. 8 from settlers on the east fork of the Sevier and its tributaries.
 * 1883 - Wilmot Branch organized as the Marion Ward.
 * 1920 - Marion Ward was transferred from Panguitch Stake to the Garfield Stake.
 * 1927 - Name of the ward was changed from Marion to Antimony.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.


 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Boulder Branch
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 80.

Boundaries: Boulder Branch, of Garfield Stake, Garfield Co., Utah, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in a beautiful fertile valley, twelve miles northeast of Escalante in Garfield County, Utah.

History timeline


 * 1903 - Saints in Boulder organized as a regular branch of the Church on August 16.
 * 1908 - Branch organization made part of the Thurber Ward of the Wayne Stake.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.


 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Circleville Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 141-142.

Boundaries: Circleville Ward, Garfield Stake, Piute Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in what is locally known as Circle Valley, and the village of Circleville, which forms the ward center. This village is situated on the west side of the Sevier River, 1 1/2 miles from the base of the mountains on the west, seven miles southwest of Junction, the county seat, 23 miles south of Maryvale, the nearest railway station on the Denver &amp; Rio Grande Western Railroad, and 18 miles by mountain road northwest of Antimony, the headquarters of the stake.

History timeline


 * 1864 - First settlers arrived in Circleville
 * 1865 - During Black Hawk War several settlers were killed and colony was forced to evacuate in 1866
 * 1874 - Saints returned to settle area and were part of the Kingston Ward
 * 1887 - Circleville Ward created from Kingston Ward (as was the Junction Ward)

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.


 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Escalante North Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 236.

Boundaries: Escalante North Ward, Garfield Stake, Garfield Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in that part of the town of Escalante lying north of Main Street, or the street running east and west south of the Amusement Hall, which is owned by the ward and in which meetings and Sunday school sessions are held. The ward also includes some scattered ranches up Escalante Creek.

History timeline


 * 1875 - All saints in Escalante constituted one Bishop's Ward
 * 1921 - Escalante Ward divided into two wards, namely the Escalante North Ward and The Escalante South Ward on August 28.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.


 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Escalante South Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 236.

Boundaries: Escalante South Ward, Garfield Stake, Garfield Co., Utah, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in that part of the town of Escalante lying south of Main Street, and also includes a few ranchers residing on the edge of the desert south of the town.

History timeline


 * 1921 - Escalante South Ward created August 28 when the Escalante Ward was divided into two Wards, Escalante South and Escalante North Ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.


 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Junction Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 384-385.

Boundaries: Junction Ward, Garfield Stake, Piute Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in the town of Junction, which is situated on City Creek, 16 miles south of Marysvale, the nearest railroad station and the terminus of the Marysvale branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Junction is seven miles northeast of Circleville, 35 miles northeast of Panguitch and about 25 miles, in an air line, due east of Beaver.

History timeline


 * 1880 - Saints area organized as a branch of the Church.
 * 1883 - In public meetings, it was agreed that the settlers on the east of the Sevier River who had moved down from old Kingston to Circle Valley should unite with the Kingston Branch, and it became known as the East Junction Branch.
 * 1887 - On March 29, the Kingston Ward was dissolved and two new wards, namely, Circleville and West Junction, were created.
 * 1895 - On January 5, two wards were created, namely, Junction and Kingston. The part of the old ward known as the West Junction Ward was organized as a separate ward called Junction.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.


 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Kingston Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 401-402.

Boundaries: Kingston Ward, Garfield Stake, Piute Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in the town of Kingston and surrounding upland. Kingston is situated on the left bank, or south side, of the east fork of the Sevier River, three miles southeast of Junction, the county seat of Piute County, and seven miles northeast of Circleville. The south fork of the Sevier River forms the boundary line between the two wards, Kingston and Junction. Nearly three fourths of the people in the Kingston Ward live in the village and the rest are scattered on ranches extending up and down the east fork of the Sevier River for several miles.

History timeline


 * 1877 - Settlement of Kingston organized as a branch of the Church on May 6th.
 * 1895 - On January 6, the Kingston Ward was organized.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.


 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Widtsoe Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 950.

Boundaries: Widtsoe Ward, Garfield Stake, Garfield Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in the upper end of Johns Valley through which the east fork of the Sevier River runs from south to north.

History timeline


 * 1911 - Settlers of Houston organized into a branch of the Church July 30.
 * 1914 - On November 14, the branch was organized as the Houston Ward.
 * 1915 - The name of the ward was changed from Houston to Widtsoe June 24.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.


 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.