CHAPTER 1
THE LAND AND ITS EARLIEST INHABITANTS
M,
.illard County, the third largest county in the state of Utah, with an area of more t h a n 6,640 square miles, is one of the most physically diverse counties in the state. The geology and environment of any area help to shape the h u m a n experience there, including where settlement occurs, mining, agricultural, and other economic activities, transportation routes, and communication facilities. Approximately 575 million years ago, d u r i n g the C a m b r i a n period, an ancient ocean covered the western p a r t of the N o r t h American continent. After millions of years of existence, including periodic withdrawal from the land, when the ocean eventually withdrew it left in its wake about 3,000 feet of deposition material over much of the Millard County area. In the Cricket Mountain area some 7,300 feet of sediments accumulated. As ancient seas gradually and intermittently spread over the lands and the waters periodically deepened or became m o r e shallow, various kinds of sediment were deposited and layers of limestones, shales, and some sandstone accumulated to thicknesses of more than 8,000 feet.1 The commercial value of many of these deposits is evident today.
