Fountain Green greets you as you top Salt Creek Canyon from Nephi. It began as a popular campground for Salt Creek and San Pitch travelers during the 1850s before the Johnson’s and other families from Santaquin in Utah Valley settled it. Lying just below the Divide and Mt. Nebo, it had a green fountain “BIG SPRINGS” second to no other spring in the Sanpete Valley.

In 1849, as groups of Mormon colonists began to immigrate to the fertile Sanpete Valley, many of them camped at a verdant location in the northwestern end of the valley known as Uintah Springs. A decade later, George W. Johnson of Santaquin was granted permission to establish a permanent settlement on the popular campgrounds. In July 1859 Albert Petty surveyed a townsite, laying out twenty blocks of about 4.5 acres each. Other pioneers soon joined the Johnson family, building log homes and, in 1860, a multipurpose log meetinghouse. In the same year, an irrigation channel was plowed to a canyon in the San Pitch Mountains just west of town, and the growth of Fountain Green was well under way.

Fountain Green’s name is still a fitting description of the lush, green hillside village abundantly watered by what is now called Big Springs and Silver Creek which it forms. Artesian wells and later pumped water provided an ample water supply, allowing the development of agriculture and stock raising, the staple industries of the town from 1860 to the present. In 1865 a sawmill was constructed, followed in 1866 by an adobe meetinghouse and in 1867 by a flour mill. Due to hostilities and one death during the Black Hawk War of 1865-67, a rock fort was erected in 1866. After peace was made with the San Pitch Indians, growth and progress continued unhindered and major crops of wheat, oats, and potatoes were harvested.

Although Fountain Green was the first Sanpete community to receive the railroad in the 1880s, it did not take full advantage of this opportunity, being the only major town in the region to drop in population between 1880 and 1890. Experiencing less fluctuation in size than most other Sanpete villages, Fountain Green reached its zenith of about 1,150 people in 1920, about twice its size of 578 in 1980. It had a population of 602 according to the 1990 census.

Fountain Green’s flourishing in the early twentieth century, during which time it was considered the “richest town” in the county, was due mostly to its successful wool growing industry. Expanding from a cooperatively owned herd of Spanish Merino sheep in the 1880s, sheep growers greatly enhanced their profits after upgrading their herds with high wool producing Rambouillet stock.

A Utah Division of Wildlife Resources fish hatchery is located on the edge of Fountain Green and visitors are welcome to tour the facility most business days.

Lamb Days

Citizens of Fountain Green, young and old, home-grown or transplants, current residents or move-aways, and of course, plenty of visitors, all eagerly await the annual Lamb Day celebration which will be held July 11 and 12, in the Fountain Green Theater, with the annual community theatre production.

Starting Tuesday, July 15, at the Fountain Green City Park, the much anticipated and attended Co-ed Softball Tournament will begin. The tournament will continue through Thursday, July 17. Sign-ups will be available at the Fountain Green General Store.

Friday, July 18, at 12 p.m., the youth will show their lambs at the Youth Lamb Show and Judging at the city park. Softball games will be held in the park following the Youth Lamb Show. Later, from 5 – 8 p.m., the city will host the Lamb and Sourdough Dinner at the park. For a nominal fee participants can partake of a delicious dinner in the midst of great company.

At 8 p.m., the lamb pit preparations begin. People who have not seen the process will enjoy learning the science of the cooking the lamb for the following days lamb sandwiches. This tradition has been passed from generation to generation and only after years of training can the new generation take the reigns.

No one will miss the blare of the sirens awaking one and all to the start of Lamb Day, Saturday, July 19. The physically fit will start the morning with a fun run at 6:30 a.m., while the rest of the town prepares for the day by gathering at the park from 7 to 9 a.m., for a chuck wagon breakfast. At 7:30 a.m., the moving flag ceremony sets a tone of unity for the day’s activities and joins the community members together, cementing the pride that is felt for the flag, the country and the community.

While the park is being transformed with craft booths and activities, the crowds will move to Main Street for the parade which starts at 10 a.m. At Noon, there will be a program and activities in the park.

At 1:30 p.m., the moment everyone has been waiting for arrives, lamb sandwiches go on sale. Get in line early, cause when its gone, its gone.

The Lamb Sale beings at 2 p.m., followed by Mutton Bustin’ at 3 p.m., both events occur at the park.

At 4 p.m., the sawdust dive for prizes and a drawing will be held. Co-ed championship games at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 10 p.m., to bring the festivities to a close for another year.