Randolph was founded in the Bear River Valley in March 1870 when Randolph H. Stewart and other settlers arrived in response to a call from the general authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a week later Apostle Charles C. Rich and his company surveyed the town and named it for its first bishop, Randolph H. Stewart. Set between Big Creek and Little Creek in the shadow of the Crawford Mountains along the western foothills of the Upper Bear River, Randolph grew quickly, and by the spring of 1871 it was a thriving town with a post office, store, blacksmith shop, and sawmill. Its early settlers endured a severe climate and hardship, while later progress brought electricity, a water system, modern communications, transportation, and expanded education beyond the original one-room schoolhouse. Cattle and sheep raising sustained many families, and the tabernacle dedicated on July 26, 1914, reflected the faith of the early settlers. The community also sent men and women on missions throughout the world, and many answered the nation's call to military service, some giving their lives, as generations worked to build an abundant life for the future.