Corinne

In 1868 when some real estate promoters could see that the Union Pacific Railroad would build through the Bear River marshes on toward Promontory and the eventual meeting with the Central Pacific Railroad, they began having visions of a great "American" city which would be built on the flats. A town site was laid out in a bend of the Bear River in early 1869 by J.E. House, chief locating engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad, and Corinne was born. A whole block was set aside for a University as the town was meant to be large and important. By 1869, 500 frame buildings and tents had been built to house a permanent population of 1500.

Part of the reason for the early success of the city was the realization that this was the last major railroad boomtown. There were twenty-eight saloons and two dance halls in the first couple of years, with their assorted gambling dens. The town was a popular stop for those passing through, especially those heading to the mines in Montana.

Corinne's decline began in 1871 when the LDS Church started building the Utah Northern Railroad near Ogden. Inasmuch as Corinne was the southern railhead from Montana and Idaho mines - business men and teamsters soon realized that once the railroad extended very far north it would take away most, if not all the mining and supply traffic. People started moving from town and businesses shut down.

Very few people remained in the town. The 1970 census revealed 471 people living in town. However, the town is not the same as it once was. The place of interest in Corinne would be the old Main Street, now called Montana Street. There are a few wooden false front stores and a Methodist church which is the oldest protestant church in the state. Corinne is a quite little community and probably the least ghostly of all the semi-ghosttowns in the state. However, it is worth a visit just to look at the buildings and imagine the great city that once existed here.

Corinne is located 5 miles west of Brigham City which is 4 miles west of I-80 exit.

2 stars.