United States Utah San Juan County Blanding
Blanding Justice Court
167 East 500 North,
Blanding, Utah 84511
Phone; 435-678-2334 Fax 435-678-1507
April 2, 1905 Blanding had its first settlers on what locals called White Masa, and Navajo's called "Sagebrush," a young mother and father with a baby. In May of that year another family moved into the townsite with the first delivery of mail, on horse back, twice or three times a week. Blanding was first known as Grayson after the horse back riders wife. By June 11 1905 four more families were in Grayson.
An application was made on March 20th 1913 to become a city, it was incorporated as Blanding on July 7th 1913. The name changed to Blanding when a wealthy eastener, offered a library of one thousand books to any town in Utah that would change its name to his name, another town, Thurber renamed there town after him. The books were split when the city of Grayson took the easteners wife's maiden name Blanding. A History of Blanding 1905-1955 written for the 50th Anniversary explains much of the early settlers.
In prehistoric times San Juan was the land of Anasazi indians untill around 1300 their cliff dwellings, and petroglyphs continue to intrest many. When pioneers came to the area they found not only a wild country but Piutes and Navajos indians living in the area. before the pioneers ever came there were four unique cultures in the Blanding area Anasazi,Navajo, Ute, and Spanish.
Blanding is twenty one miles south of Monticello on US Route 91. It is surrounded by more National and State Parks than anywhere else in America. Blanding is the gateway to Utah Canyon Country.
In 2000 the US Census found Blanding to be the principle city in San Juan County with a population of 3,162 people.
History of Blanding 1905-1955 By Albert R. Lyman