THE first recorded earthquake in the Territory of Utah may have happened in the summer of 1859.
According to the Deseret News of Sept. 21, 1859, residents of Parowan and Virgin City felt "a slight shock of an earthquake ... It caused furniture to move and dishes to rattle ... To a person lying upon the ground it appeared as if a wagon was rolling rapidly nearby."
-In the same newspaper account, residents of Parowan claim they saw "a beautiful display of the aurora borealis." On a cloudless night, they saw a broad red arch rising in the north. This took place on the night of August 31 and September 1 of 1859.
-Another earthquake took place in the early fall of 1868 at Fort Ephraim in San Pete County. Three distinct shocks were felt by residents, as recorded in the Deseret News of Oct. 21, 1868.
-On December 6, 1871, Cedar City residents reported in the Salt Lake Herald Republican of Dec. 7, 1871 about feeling an "ill mannered"" earthquake, which opened cupboard doors and shook large buildings. However, no damage was reported.
-The southern half of Utah was shook by a series of earthquakes on Nov. 13-14, 1901. According to the Davis County Clipper, people were driven from their homes and took shelter on the streets, making fires to keep warm. Some buildings in Sevier County were completely ruined. The LDS Tabernacle in Richfield suffered at lest $2,000 in damages. Many buildings in Monroe will require $25 to $100 to repair. Epicenter of the quakes may have been in the high Tushar Mountains, east of Beaver.
The 1859 earthquake was during the Carrington Event, one of the largest solar storms on recorded.
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