State Line

1900

1968

2004

Description:

Plate 646X. State Line 1900 – 1968 – 2004 Viewed northwest to the old town of State Line north of Modena, Utah. The town was founded in 1894 after silver was discovered in the area. By 1902, however, the ore bodies were depleted and the town was abandoned. The 2004 retake was made from the nearest open area, as pinyon and juniper now block the original photopoint. Although some pinyon and juniper were no doubt cut from the surrounding hills to fuel the town, there is no evidence of cut-stumps in the foreground of the 1900 image. In addition, the distribution of pinyon and juniper in the distance (photo left to center) is more indicative of fire-refugia than a cutting pattern - - i.e., the older, larger trees are confined to rocky outcrops, as would be expected if frequent, but low-intensity fires once swept the area. Needless to say, pinyon and juniper have increased dramatically as have forest fuels setting the stage for high-intensity crown fires. In fact, the hill in the distance of the latest retake (photo center) was swept by a high-intensity wildfire in 2003. Although Carr (1986:163) attributed the 1900 photo to the Utah Historical Society, the photograph is not in the Society’s collection.

Photo Information:

Original photo taken ca. 1900; first retake made by Shantz in 1968; second retake by Darrell McMahon on May 4, 2004 - - Photo No. DM-1-5. Original photographs held by Southern Utah University Archives and Special Collections, Cedar City, UT.

Vegetative Community:

Pinyon, Juniper

Location:

South West: Section 25, Range 20 West, Township 36 South; UTM 763082 E, 4209791 N; elevation 7,053 ft.

January 2018