Kiz is named after a Lydia Kiziah Dimick.  Lydia Kiziah married in the Provo area and then moved to Wellington located near Price, Utah.

Lydia and her husband Ephraim bought and moved to an abandoned ranch in June 1906 just outside of Wellington.  The ranch apparently already had horses and cattle and even “stables, granaries, and a blacksmith shop.”  A post office would eventually be built and they needed a name for it so they called the town and area “Kiz” in honor of Lydia.

Here is some very interesting history about Lydia Kiziah and the town of Kiz if you want to read more. Lydia sounds like an incredible woman.  She raised a large family, built a living in the desert, and was a caring and witty woman.  She was often referred to as “Grandma Kiz” by her grandchildren and others.  Lydia Kiziah died from cancer in 1935 at the age of 74 and is buried in the Price Cemetery.

The town was eventually deserted due to years of drought and hardship and by 1940 the town was empty.

Not much can be seen now at Kiz.  There is a small cemetery with a few headstones and an American flag.  If you wander in the area near the cemetery you will find bits and pieces of metal, wood, and some pipes.   What is left of the buildings, are to the west about 1/3 of a mile.  You will see some foundations and walls and even the old ranch fence that was built.  

Relics can be found on the ground.  Please be respectful and don’t take or destroy anything.