About Woodenshoe Park
Woodenshoe Park is a community gathering place in the small town of Peoa, Utah. Located 15 minutes from Park City in the Kamas Valley.
Our park offers a beautiful and spacious setting for all your event needs. Whether you're planning a small gathering or a large celebration, Peoa Park is the ideal venue for a memorable experience including family reunions, rodeo events, musical concerts, and more.
History of Peoa
About seven miles northwest of Kamas, Utah, on the east bank of the Weber River, sits the town of Peoa. Founded in 1857 by William W. Phelps.
Mr. Phelps drove stakes into the ground and actually named the place PEOHA after the word was found on a log. In Native American language it meant “love or to marry”. However, it is unclear if it also was the name of an Indian Chief or trapper. The “H” was later dropped, and it became PEOA. Peoa is unincorporated, relying on Summit County government.
Peoa was a fertile, thickly vegetated area full of wildlife and fresh water springs with the Weber River providing abundant water for future farming and livestock. The land of Peoa was laid out in strips running east to west, 12 rods wide, making the strips about 12 acres each. (A rod is a unit of measurement 116 1/2 feet.) Each farm had two building plots to a strip. A strip of land to the south was called Meadow Claims and was about six acres each. As these acres were taken up, a remaining portion was then called “Undivided”, and is still called that today. The land used in common for grazing has since become a town park and arena (Woodenshoe Park and Arena). The arena holds a well-attended annual Peoa Stampede.
South of the arena is called Woodenshoe, named after Scandinavian settlers who wore wooden shoes.
Peoa is known as a unique agricultural community which used to have beaver and fox ranches right on the main street, SR32. A cemetery, dairy and beef cattle ranches can also be found along with meadow larks singing their song….”Peoa is a Pretty Little Place.”