th ▁century , ▁they ▁joined ▁the ▁U tes ▁in ▁San ▁Luis ▁Valley , ▁Colorado . ▁U tes ▁were ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁tribes ▁to ▁obtain ▁horses ▁from ▁escaped ▁Spanish ▁stock . ▁ ▁Spanish ▁expl or ers ▁tra ve led ▁through ▁U te ▁land ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 6 . ▁They ▁were ▁followed ▁by ▁an ▁ever - in cre asing ▁number ▁of ▁non - N atives . ▁The ▁Colorado ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁flo oded ▁U te ▁lands ▁with ▁prospect ors . ▁M orm ons ▁fought ▁the ▁U tes ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 0 s . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁the ▁US ▁federal ▁government ▁created ▁the ▁U int ah ▁Res ervation . ▁Ut ah ▁U tes , ▁including ▁the ▁T imp an og os ▁or ▁T imp an og ▁tribe ▁from ▁Central ▁Ut ah , ▁settled ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁and ▁were ▁joined ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁by ▁eight ▁bands ▁of ▁Northern ▁U tes . ▁ ▁The ▁US ▁government ▁tried ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁U tes ▁to ▁farm , ▁despite ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁water ▁and ▁unf avor able ▁growing ▁conditions ▁on ▁their ▁res ervation . ▁Ir rig ation ▁projects ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁put ▁water ▁in ▁non - t rib al ▁hands . ▁U te ▁children ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁attend ▁Indian ▁board ing ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁and ▁half