Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Number 292 Settlement of Hatch

The Daughters of Utah Pioneers marker No. 292 stands in the small town of Hatch, on the upper Sevier River corridor about 25 miles southwest of Bryce Canyon. It commemorates the 1872 founding of what would become Hatch — one of the earliest permanent settlements in this stretch of southern Utah — and is maintained by the local DUP chapter of the same number.

The Story Behind the Marker

In 1872, Meltiar Hatch — who had previously attempted to settle the Nevada side of Eagle Valley — followed guidance from LDS Church President Brigham Young and relocated his family to the confluence of Mammoth Creek and the Sevier River. He built a log home and corrals, operated a water-powered sawmill, and ran cattle on the range. What began as an informal co-op ranch grew to roughly 100 residents by 1880 and was eventually named Hatchtown, then shortened to Hatch. The DUP has erected more than 600 such markers across Utah, each pinpointing a place of documented historical significance to the pioneer era.

Visiting

The marker is a roadside stop rather than a staffed attraction. The town of Hatch sits along US-89, making it a natural pause point on the drive between Kanab and the Bryce Canyon area. The Hatch DUP Museum, listed separately in state museum directories, holds local artifacts and records for visitors who want to go deeper into the settlement history. If you are traveling Scenic Byway 12 or the US-89 corridor, a quick stop here adds genuine historical grounding to the landscape you are passing through.