History of St George/Washington County

A JERRY ANDERSON SCULPTURE AT KACHINA SPRINGS AT ENTRADA

The Anasazi Indians were the first known inhabitants of southwestern Utah. They entered this area around 200 BC and left about 1200 A D. The reason for their sudden departure is unclear. Remants of their dwellings, rock art and other artifacts are left as evidence of their 1000 years of living in our desert community.

The Paiute Indians entered this region between 1100 and 1200 A D. The Paiute Indians were a relatively small tribe and were made up of smaller bands of a few hundred native Americans in each band. The Paiutes hunted for deer, rabbits, mountain sheep and other animals. They added seeds, roots, berries and nuts to their food source. Later they raised crops along the rivers using irrigation. They planted corn, wheat, melons, squash and various other vegetables.

The first known contact between Europeans and Paiutes was recorded by the Spanish Dominguez-Escalante group who passed through southwestern Utah in 1776. There is a historical monument of their crossing located past the dinosaur tacks in Warner Valley.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons, entered and settled the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. In 1861, Brigham Young, the leader of the Church, called 309 families to the St George area for the express purpose of growing cotton, grapes and other produce conducive to the warmer climate.

One of the key players in the settlement of St George and the southern territory was Jacob Hamblin. In 1854 Brigham Young assigned Jacob Hamblin to be a missionary to the Indians in the southern Utah. He was considered a great friend by the Indians because of his unquestionable integrity, and was heavily involved in keeping the peace between the early settlers and the Paiute Indians. His home on Santa Clara Drive in Santa Clara is a favorite tourist attraction.

The area became known as "Dixie" because of the warm climate, southern location and the products the area was able to produce. The Utah Territory was officially declared a state in 1896 and the St George area is still generally known as "Utah's Dixie."

Life was very difficult for these early settlers and pioneers. Intense summer heat, with little rainfall made it difficult to raise crops and flash floods would often destroy their crops and buildings. However, they stayed and persevered and built their city. These pioneers built the first Mormon temple completed in the west. The St. George Temple dedicated in 1877 at a cost of $800,000. Intense labor and hard work by all resulted in the Temple as it stand today as a monument to those first settlers. The Tabernacle and the summer home of Brigham Young have been restored and are on the city's historical tour and register.