🠈 Moab, Utah 🠊
Moab, the seat of Grand County is a small town in the heart of the Canyonlands of Southern Utah. The 2010 population count was 5,046.
From 1776 to the early 1800s, the area was a crossing of the Old Spanish Trail. In 1865, a group of LDS Pioneer attempted a settlement called "The Elk Mountain Mission." The group had a hostile relation with the natives and abandoned the idea.
The permanent settlement of the area began in 1878 and Moab was incorporated in 1902. Only 27% of the population of Grand Canyon professes to being Mormon, this is the lowest percentage in Utah.
The origins of the name is unknown. Some believe it was taken from references in the Bible. Moab was the son of Lot. His descendants, the Moabites, lived near the Dead Sea. They were described as incestuous idolaters. Others believe "Moab" was derived from the Paiute word "moapa" for Mosquito.
References:
- Wikipedia - Moab (Drawn 3/5/2017)
- Biblehub - Moabites (Drawn 3/5/2017)