Sumith Prasad
In Netflix’s Western series ‘American Primeval,’ Sara and Devin Rowell embark on a journey to Crooks Springs, where the latter’s father lives after claiming a gold source. When a reclusive man named Isaac Reed learns about their daring endeavor, he joins them to protect them. They are accompanied by Two Moons, who seeks solace in the kindness and compassion of the Rowells after eloping from her house. For Sara, Devin, and the young Native American girl, Crooks Springs represents a better life filled with safety and happiness. Throughout the six episodes of the show, the name of the place is mentioned frequently before they finally reach the town. Despite its significance in the period drama, Crooks Springs cannot be visited in reality!
Crooks Springs is a Fictional Town in Utah
Crooks Springs is a fictional Utah town conceived by Mark L. Smith, the creator and screenwriter of ‘American Primeval.’ First of all, there is an unincorporated community with the same name in St. Clair County, Missouri. However, even though the exact location of the town is not explicitly stated in the Western drama, Sara’s destination is outrightly unrelated to the place in the Show-Me State. The region in Missouri is named after Lee Crook, who ran a destination spa there. He was born in 1869, years after the events in the period drama, which includes the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Furthermore, Jim Bridger informs Sara that the town she wants to reach is beyond the Wasatch Mountains, a mountain range near the borders of Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, far away from Missouri. The fictional place represents hope and survival for Sara, who wants to protect her son regardless of the extremes she has to go to. She believes that her child will thrive in the peaceful town with his father. This appealing or even comforting image of a quaint little region is what convinces her to embark on a perilous journey across the Wasatch Range. In addition to being a town, Crooks Springs also symbolizes security and warmth, which are essential for life.
‘American Primeval’ was entirely filmed in New Mexico, mainly in and around Santa Fe. Many mountainous regions in the state hosted the shooting of the period drama, including Cochiti Pueblo and Los Alamos. The settlement of Crooks Springs, which we see at the end of the limited series, was recreated in one of these mountainous locales. Since the topography of the Land of Enchantment is similar to Utah in many ways, the location in the former state convincingly doubles for the town in Utah.
Read More: American Primeval: Is James Wolsey Based on a Real Mormon Commander?
