Cove Fort, Cove Fort, UT by Tim Stewart Via Flickr: **Cove Fort** - National Register of Historic Places Ref # 70000623, date listed 19701006 2 mi. E of I-15 on UT 4 Cove Fort, UT (Millard County) The Indians called the site Pa-Hump-Pa (Cove Creek); Mormon emigrants named it Cove Creek. Cove Fort is located at a crossroads of early western trails. Jed Smith reached the site enroute to California in 1826; the old Spanish Trail also passed it. Both California-bound emigrants and Mormons passed by and camped on Cove Creek. However, not until 1860 did Charles Willden and his son Elliot establish the first permanent residence there, known as Willden's Fort. Because of Indian hostilities in the Black Hawk War, and because Mormons needed protection for their newly completed telegraph lines to southern Utah, Brigham Young purchased the site for the church and called Ira N. Hinckley from Coalville, Utah, to settle there and construct a fort. Hinckley moved his family and immediately began to raise the fort in the spring of 1867, which was completed by November of that year. Cove Fort was built of black volcanic rock laid in with lime mortar, burned nearby. Ira N. Hinckley directed the work and was assisted by Hans Hansen, Horace Owens, James Owens, Albert Shales, Nathan Baldwin, Christian Hansen, Alien Russell, and Dorus and Orange Warner. The estimated construction cost was about $23,000. (1) References (1) NRHP Nomination Form npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/70000623.pdf