Located in John's Valley northeast of Bryce Canyon and along the Sevier River at the mouth of Sweetwater Creek, the town existed from about 1908 to 1936.

The Riddle ranch became an important regrouping point for the San Juan Expedition in 1879,[2] but through the end of the 19th century the area was mainly used by local cattlemen to seasonally run their stock.

[3] The new town was granted a post office in 1912, and its name changed again to Winder, in honor of recently deceased Latter-day Saint leader John R.

In 1919 the United States Forest Service relocated its district office from Panguitch to Widtsoe, and there was even serious discussion of moving the county seat there.

[4] Residents prepared for further expansion, enlarging nearby Pine Lake and building an embankment dam to supply more irrigation water.

Rain finally came late in the season and produced a good grain harvest, but the drought continued the next year.

[5] Holt established a creamery in the valley, as well as a storage pond and flume to bring water down 7 miles (11 km) from Pine Lake.

In 1936 the federal Resettlement Administration stepped in to buy out local landowners, freeing them from unproductive land and delinquent taxes.