From Deseret News archives:
Morgan County: Utah mountains a playground year-round
It's located smack in the middle of such neighbors as Rich, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Summit counties, and all points within the respective counties.
What you know:
Morgan County is without a big city, which has made it popular with passers-by. This is a rural-type community with lots of fields and open land, and its share of high mountains, streams and rivers.
In the 1990 Census, the entire county population was just over 5,000. Morgan, in fact, has more privately owned land than any other county in Utah. Much of it is used for stock raising — especially beef and dairy cattle and sheep — and for hay and other field crops.
Its main attractions are East Canyon Reservoir, Lost Creek Reservoir, the Weber River and headquarters for the Browning Company.
But, it is the easiest access point to Snowbasin ski area over the Trappers Loop road and the most direct route west to Wyoming and east into Ogden.
Both routes are also popular with bikers.
Most of the country, however, is open land and wilderness that has proven attractive to campers, hikers and fishermen.
Tucked in a high valley in the Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County is split down the center by the Weber River. The many streams that feed into the Weber made the valley attractive to fur trappers in the 1820s and to prehistoric Plains Indians and historic Shoshone and Ute Indians.
And all of this water has made it a popular stop for fishermen today.
The county was created in 1862. During the Utah War (1857-58), settlers in the town of Milton supplied feed for the horses of Mormon troops stationed in canyon passes watching for Johnston's Army. Lot Smith of Stoddard blocked Echo Canyon, burned U.S. Army supply trains, and stampeded government horses and cattle. Despite such incidents, the "war" was settled peacefully.
Lumber was a major industry from 1860 to 1875 in Hardscrabble Canyon. Thousands of railroad ties were furnished to build the Union Pacific Railroad line, and charcoal was shipped to Bingham for use in smelting. During the building of the railroad in 1868, a number of businesses opened in Morgan City, and it became the county's trade center.
Within the county boundaries is East Canyon, a beautiful mountain lake bordered by Highway 66 and the Mormon Pioneer Trail. Excellent fishing abounds, as well as water sports in the summer. There is a campground that is currently undergoing remodeling. Winter means ice-fishing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.
