The reasons people have come to Castle Country and continue to stay in the area vary a great deal. For some who have stayed there were job opportunities that brought them. For others it was family, or the allure of a more quiet setting than what city life offers.
Lenise Peterman is a transplant to Castle Country coming to the area only three years ago. She is originally from Louisiana and then later moved to Texas. She worked in many different places in litigation support. In 2004 she came to Utah, moving to the Wasatch Front.
“I stumbled upon Helper in 2011 during the Helper Arts Festival,” she says. “I came with a friend who is an artist and I immediately fell in love with the area. From that point on I started visiting regularly.”
She said she eventually put together a plan to change her life and move to Castle Country permanently.
“I love the clean air here and the historic relevance of the place,” she said. “The fact that I can walk out of my front door, get to a hiking trail and not even get in a car to do it is wonderful. It is just a beautiful area.”
She said there has been a lot of adventure since she moved to the Castle Country.
“I have met so many wonderful people,” she said. “But what has been really fun is uncovering the gems within our community. There is so much history and great stories about the area.”
Peterman says that one of the most important things to her is public service and she loves to give back to the community which she has adopted as her own. She has worked as co-director for the Helper Arts Festival and been involved in various other kinds of community boards and activities.
Due to her activism, her personal dedication and vision she was elected to the be the Mayor of Helper in 2017 and started her term at the beginning of 2018.
“This is a place where a person can make a difference,” said Peterman.
As they say in Castle Country “Many come for a day and stay for a lifetime.”