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History · Henefer

Henefer dates to 1853, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 2 old photos and papers from 1941 on.

1853founded
0on the National Register
14%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Henefer’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Henefer began

When was Henefer founded?

1853

Henefer dates its founding to 1853 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1864.

2020 census: 838173 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1864.The full story ↓

What stands out about Henefer’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Henefer.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Henefer’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFields extending into the mountains. He…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Henefer’s post office has been open since 1881. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hennefer
1864–1868
Henefee
1881–1881
Henefer
1881–today
18601940today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Henefer came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Henefer.

Read it all →

Henefer was founded in 1859. The community was named after James and William Hennefer, early citizens.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Henefer, 1853 to 1941

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1853
    FoundingHenefer is established
  3. 1864Post officeThe Hennefer post office opens
  4. 1868Post officeThe Hennefer post office closes
  5. 1881Post officeThe Henefee post office opens
  6. 1881Post officeThe Henefee post office closes
  7. 1881Post officeThe Henefer post office opens
  8. 20th century
  9. 1938Born hereMelvin R. Brown is born here
  10. 1941In the archiveFields extending into the mountains. Henefer, Utah. Mormon farmers in this section not on…
By decade

Henefer, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1940s2 items
Fields extending into the mountains. Henefer, Utah. Mormon farmers in this section not only practice irrigation but tak…1941Fields extending into the mountains. Henefer, Utah. M…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Fields extending into the mountains. Henefer, Utah. Mormon farmers in this section…1941Untitled photo, possibly related to: Fields extending…
1950s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today4 recent
Henefer Utah post office2010Henefer Utah post officeA-12. Henefer Pioneer Trails Park (Henefer, UT) on the California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National Historic T…2008A-12. Henefer Pioneer Trails Park (Henefer, UT) on th…A-11. Weber River Crossing (Henefer, UT) on the California and Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trails (2008)2008A-11. Weber River Crossing (Henefer, UT) on the Calif…Untitled photo2007Untitled photo
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Fields extending into the mountains. Henefer, Utah. Mormon farmers in this section not only practice irrigation but tak…
Retake this viewFields extending into the mountains. Henefer, Utah. Mormon farmers in this section not only practice irrigation but tak…, 1941

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Henefer’s page.

Retake this view · +15

Questions about Henefer’s history

What year was Henefer founded?

In 1853, according to Wikidata. Henefer’s post office opened in 1864.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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 (4), the Library of Congress (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.