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ST. GEORGE / WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORY
Earlier Native American inhabitants of the St. George area included the Virgin River
Anasazi, who left evidence of their presence in the rock art and archaeological sites that
remain. The first recorded Euro-Americans to visit the area were the Dominguez-
Escalante Party in 1776; they were followed by fur trappers, including Jedediah Smith,
and still later by government survey parties.
By 1854 the LDS Church had established an Indian mission at Santa Clara, two miles
north of the St. George Valley. In 1857 and 1858 experimental farms were set up to the
east and west of where St. George was to be built. While touring the experimental desert
farms in May 1861, Brigham Young predicted the settling of the area. Five months later,
in October 1861, 309 families were called by church authorities to what was called the
Cotton Mission. Most of those sent had abilities that were deemed essential to
establishing a successful community.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Brigham Young thought it would be necessary to
raise cotton, if possible. Many of the early settlers of St. George originally came from the
southern states. They came to the "Cotton Mission" to grow cotton, but they also
brought with them a phrase for the area which has become widely adopted--they called
the St. George area "Utah's Dixie."
In 1863 St. George became the county seat for Washington County. That same year the
construction of the St. George Tabernacle began. It was completed in 1875.
Construction of the temple was a cooperative effort of many communities in southern
Utah. The area was suffering from a monetary depression, and a work project was
needed in which employment would mean food for families. Other important area
buildings from the pioneer era include the historic courthouse (1870) and the social hall
and opera house (1875).
Silk was produced in the area as early as 1874 but did not add to the material prosperity
of the city. Nevertheless, the mulberry trees, which were planted to feed the worms, have
continued to provide shade to the city's residents. Other early pioneer endeavors
included producing molasses, dried fruit, and wine.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of St. George, the Dixie Academy
Building was constructed in 1911. The academy was operated by the LDS Church until
1933, at which time it became a two-year college within the state higher education
system. In the 1960s the new Dixie College campus was opened in the southeast corner
of the city. Today enrollment at the college is approximately 2,500 students; however,
the college reaches most of the community with its programs and activities.
Since the 1960s, St. George has continued to grow as a retirement location and as a
haven for "snowbirds" seeking to escape from the colder winters in the rest of the state.
Tourism and recreation have become primary industries for St. George. The population
of the city has grown at a rapid pace during the last quarter of the twentieth century.
- St. George, the county seat of Washington
County, is the largest of all the towns founded
during the LDS Church's Cotton Mission of 1861.
Located in the southwest section of Utah at an
elevation of 2,880 feet above sea level, St.
George has an average annual temperature of
59.9º with summer temperatures well into the 100s
and the average maximum winter temperature
around 55º. The average annual rainfall is 8.30
inches, and the normal growing season is 196
days. All these factors made the area a suitable
location for the early settlement.
Earlier Native American inhabitants of the St. George area included the Virgin River
Anasazi, who left evidence of their presence in the rock art and archaeological sites that
remain. The first recorded Euro-Americans to visit the area were the Dominguez-
Escalante Party in 1776; they were followed by fur trappers, including Jedediah Smith,
and still later by government survey parties.
By 1854 the LDS Church had established an Indian mission at Santa Clara, two miles
north of the St. George Valley. In 1857 and 1858 experimental farms were set up to the
east and west of where St. George was to be built. While touring the experimental desert
farms in May 1861, Brigham Young predicted the settling of the area. Five months later,
in October 1861, 309 families were called by church authorities to what was called the
Cotton Mission. Most of those sent had abilities that were deemed essential to
establishing a successful community.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Brigham Young thought it would be necessary to
raise cotton, if possible. Many of the early settlers of St. George originally came from the
southern states. They came to the "Cotton Mission" to grow cotton, but they also
brought with them a phrase for the area which has become widely adopted--they called
the St. George area "Utah's Dixie."
In 1863 St. George became the county seat for Washington County. That same year the
construction of the St. George Tabernacle began. It was completed in 1875.
Construction of the temple was a cooperative effort of many communities in southern
Utah. The area was suffering from a monetary depression, and a work project was
needed in which employment would mean food for families. Other important area
buildings from the pioneer era include the historic courthouse (1870) and the social hall
and opera house (1875).
Silk was produced in the area as early as 1874 but did not add to the material prosperity
of the city. Nevertheless, the mulberry trees, which were planted to feed the worms, have
continued to provide shade to the city's residents. Other early pioneer endeavors
included producing molasses, dried fruit, and wine.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of St. George, the Dixie Academy
Building was constructed in 1911. The academy was operated by the LDS Church until
1933, at which time it became a two-year college within the state higher education
system. In the 1960s the new Dixie College campus was opened in the southeast corner
of the city. Today enrollment at the college is approximately 2,500 students; however,
the college reaches most of the community with its programs and activities.
Since the 1960s, St. George has continued to grow as a retirement location and as a
haven for "snowbirds" seeking to escape from the colder winters in the rest of the state.
Tourism and recreation have become primary industries for St. George. The population
of the city has grown at a rapid pace during the last quarter of the twentieth century.
