Kamas was inhabited intermittently by several tribes of Indians, including members of the Ute, Shoshone, and Snake tribes. The first permanent settlements in the valley are believed to have been built by Mormon pioneers including Abraham Marchant, John Lambert, and John Pack who settled under the direction of Brigham Young.

One prominent figure in Kamas folklore is Thomas Rhodes. According to legend, Indian guides from a local Ute Tribe revealed to Rhodes the location of a gold mine from which he was allowed to take gold to assist in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The only condition the Indian guides gave for showing the location of this mine was that Rhodes agreed not to reveal the location of the mine to any other person.

Rhodes adhered to the terms of this agreement until his death. The "Rhodes Mine" is now considered lost, but its legend survives in several books which have been published on the topic.

Modern Kamas hosts Fiesta Days, a community celebration on and around the 4th of July and July 24th, the Pioneer Day holiday in Utah. Fiesta Days include rodeos, a demolition derby, a parade, and the Miss Fiesta Days beauty/scholarship pageant.

Historical Census Populations:

1900 – 440 people
1910 – 418 people
1920 – 563 people
1930 – 558 people
1940 – 729 people
1950 – 721 people
1960 – 749 people
1970 – 806 people
1980 - 1,064 people
1990 - 1,061 people
2000 - 1,274 people

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,274 people, 445 households, and 327 families residing in the city.  Of the 445 households, 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, and the average household size was 2.86 with an average family size of 3.37.  Thirty- three percent of the population was under the age of 18, 9.6% was 18 to 24, 29.9% was 25 to 44, 18.4% was 45 to 64, and 9.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years.  The median income for a family was $46,750.

At any given moment, the population of Kamas is somewhere between “more than a thousand” and “less than two thousand”.  Let us know when you get here, and we’ll adjust the estimate accordingly.