Capitol Reef Cultural Landscape Report

VEGETATION RELATED TO LAND USE (continued)
(Orchard Summaries)

Current Name: Cass Mulford Orchard

Other Name(s): Lower Mulford Orchard; Diamond Ranch

Park Code: 0-16

Location: On the west side of the Scenic Drive, approximately 1.5 miles from the visitor center.

Tract: 1

Acres Cultivated:

Number of Trees: 378

Date Recorded: March 1993

Cass Mulford Orchard

Historical Documentation:

Originally part of the Hyrum Behunin homestead, this land was part of a tract owned from 1915 to 1920 by the Pendleton family. Cass Mulford acquired 56.5 acres in 1922 and added another 88 acres (purchased from J. Jorgensen) in 1929. Mulford owned the 144.5-acre tract from 1922 to 1962, when it was sold to the NPS. A large portion of Mulford's holdings extended up the Fremont River, and some lands along the river were cultivated. Mulford also established pasture lands and hay fields south of the orchard. The main orchard, all apricot, was planted in the 1930s, reflecting the shift toward a commercial market (cannery).

Historic Crops:

Apricot (742)
"Brigham Young" walnut tree (1)
Alfalfa

Current Crops:

Apricot
"Brigham Young" walnut tree