Entry Points:
About Wales
An Indian named Tabiona provided a sample of coal to Brigham Young in 1854, saying “heap burn.” He led two Welsh immigrants, who were coal miners, to the vein, which was located in the mountains just southwest of Wales. These two, John Rees and John Price established the settlement and developed the coal mine, which was the first in Utah. The settlement was called "Coalbed" until 1869, when it was changed to Wales, after the nationality of the settlers here. The mines were operated into the 1870's and a railroad was built to carry the coal to market. The mines were eventually abandoned when better mines were discovered at Scofield.
Wales sits right at the feet of the Sanpitch Mountains, on the west side of Sanpete Valley. A small canyon climbs into the mountains exactly west of Wales, called Wales Canyon. The west side of the valley is drier than the east side, but some farming and ranching are done here, including a substantial turkeys industry. Wales has a population of 219, as of the 2000 census, with houses scattered over a neat grid of streets four blocks wide and five blocks long. Wales, being off of any major travel routes is strictly a residential community. Utah Highway 117 connects it to U.S. Highway 89, several miles to the east. Moroni is a somewhat larger town, a couple miles to the northeast, and Fountain Green is several miles north on West Side Road.
The San Pitch Mountains are forested and have many cliffs and rocky outcroppings overlooking the town. Along with a view across the valley of the mountains of the Wasatch Plateau, Wales enjoys a picturesque setting.
For More Information:
See the article in Wikipedia, Wales, Utah, and see the historic marker in town.