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History · Dutch John

Dutch John dates to 1957

Most of Dutch John was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. Below: maps from 1952 on.

1957founded
0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Bernardgeorgeh · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Dutch John began

When was Dutch John founded?

1957

Dutch John dates its founding to 1957 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1958.

2020 census: 14169 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1958.The full story ↓

What stands out about Dutch John’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Dutch John are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Dutch John’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Dutch John’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Dutch John came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Dutch John.

Read it all →

The town (but a census-designated place before 2016) was platted and constructed beginning in 1957 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to house workers working on the construction of Flaming Gorge Dam. After the dam's completion in 1964, Dutch John became home to a smaller number of dam maintenance and operations personnel, as well as employees of the National Park Service and United States Forest Service.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Dutch John, 1952 to 1958

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1952On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1957
    FoundingDutch John is established
  4. 1958Post officeThe Dutch John post office opens
By decade

Dutch John, decade by decade

Today1 recent
Flaming Gorge Visitor Center2026Flaming Gorge Visitor Center
On the map

Dutch John on the map, 1952 to 1996

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dutch John. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Dutch John on the 1952 USGS mapDutch John on the 1966 USGS mapDutch John on the 1996 USGS map1952Dutch John Mtn sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Dutch John.

Famous people

Famous people close to Dutch John

Nobody well known was born in Dutch John itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

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James WoodsAmerican actor · b. 1947
Clair BurgenerAmerican politician · b. 1921
E
Earl W. BascomAmerican artist · b. 1906
R
Rod DanaAmerican actor · b. 1934
Douglas Kent HallAmerican writer and photographer · b. 1938
R
Ron AbegglenBasketball coach · b. 1937

Questions about Dutch John’s history

What year was Dutch John founded?

In 1957, according to Wikidata. Dutch John’s post office opened in 1958.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.