UTGenWeb - Garfield County

Utah was the 45th state to enter the United States (January 4, 1896).

Origin of Garfield County:

March 9, 1882, the Twenty-fifth Territorial Legislature created Garfield County, taken from the eastern part of Iron County, to which it had belonged. The name Snow County was proposed by the Legislature in honor of Erastus Snow, a pioneer prominently identified with the development of Southern Utah. But at the recommendation of Governor Eli H. Murray, (of Utah) the name Garfield was given to our county in honor of President James A. Garfield of the United States of America, who had recently been assassinated.
This act creating Garfield County adjusted the boundaries of Iron, Kane and Washington Counties to meet new conditions. Garfield County has the same boundaries today as when it was created in 1882, to-wit: On the north by Piute and Wayne Counties, on the east by the Colorado River, which separates it from San Juan County; on the south by Kane County and on the west by Iron County. It's width from north to south is about 42 miles, it�s average length from east to west is about 124 miles, and the area is 5,234 square miles.

Source: Golden Nuggets of Pioneer Days - A History of Garfield County