Smithfield dates to 1859, and 5 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns · #51 of 119 in Utah. What drives it
Most of Smithfield was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. Below: maps from 1917 on and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1864.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Smithfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Smithfield is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #51 of 119 in Utah. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Smithfield’s overall grade.
Utah towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Utah town has 3.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Smithfield’s 3.5 sits near the middle of its state (52% of Utah towns have fewer) while its 5 listings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B−. The pre-1940 share (±2.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1859.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Smithfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Originally known as "Summit Creek" (due to its location on that creek), Smithfield was founded in 1857 by brothers Robert and John Thornley and their cousin Seth Langton, who were sent north from Salt Lake City by LDS Church President Brigham Young to found a settlement on Summit Creek. After a preliminary scouting, Robert returned with his new wife Annie Brighton. The first winter was spent in a wagon box. By the next summer, with more settlers arriving, a small fort was built on the edge of the creek, one cabin of which remains. As the settlement grew, John Glover Smith was named as bishop to lead the church congregation, and the town took his name. In December 1902, the sizable Smithfield Tabernacle was completed. By 1917 the town had planted trees on both sides of its Main Street and had acquired a Carnegie library and a Rotary club. Dependent for many years on dairying, a Del Monte…
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Smithfield. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1964Smithfield 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 Smithfield.
Every building
Smithfield, building by building, 1917–1929
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Smithfield’s post office has been open since 1864.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Cardon
1cemetery inside Smithfield
Smithfield City
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Smithfield’s history
What year was Smithfield founded?
In 1859, according to Wikidata. Smithfield’s post office opened in 1864, and the census of 1870 counted 744 people here.
How does Smithfield rank for history?
Smithfield is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #51 of 119 in Utah. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Smithfield?
5 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Smithfield Public Library (listed 1981, the first).
How old are the homes in Smithfield?
7% of Smithfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 2.8% for an Utah town; the median home was built in 2002.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (8), Wikidata (4), the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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