| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — Cedar City Railroad Depot — Utah Historic Site |
| | Built in 1923, the Cedar City Railroad Depot is historically significant for its direct association with the railroad and its impact on Cedar City. In addition to stimulating the local iron ore and livestock industries, the railroad connection to Cedar City greatly contributed to the expansion of the tourism industry in southern Utah. As roads to scenic areas were developed, Cedar City became a strategic center for travel to national parks and monuments. The first official train arrived at the . . . — Map (db m59566) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — 452 — Cedar City Tabernacle |
| | A tabernacle was erected in 1885 on the adjoining corner of Main and Center Streets and was demolished in the spring of 1932. In 1872 Bishop Christopher J. Arthur suggested that this Tabernacle be built to replace the Social Hall.
Mayhew Dalley drew the plans for a building 72 x 41-1/2 feet with a tower 110 feet high. Edward J. Ashton of Salt Lake City was engaged as architect and Bengt Nelson was appointed director. The excavation was dug in 1872, but because labor was needed on the St. . . . — Map (db m59540) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — 402 — Chaffin Grist Mill |
| | In 1866 Louis R. Chaffin, at the request of Apostle Erastus Snow, placed a gristmill in Cedar City. His son, Henry, ran it until 1868 when Louis returned from "The Muddy." Adjoining land was purchased in 1875. Excavation by Alva Matheson proved the dirt floor basement to be 20 x 24 feet. Lava rock walls had an opening in east end. Upper walls were adobe with wood roof. Joseph Walker's history states he was working in mill in 1881. Later it was destroyed by fire. — Map (db m59538) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — Deseret Iron Works |
| | This monument marks the spot where on Sept. 30, 1852 the first iron was manufactured west of the Mississippi River by the Mormon Iron Missionaries sent by Brigham Young.
This 5½ ton ore body was obtained from the iron deposits used by iron workers located about seven miles west of Cedar City in the Three Peaks area; it is about 16% Fe. The smaller specimens are some that were actually hauled by horse-drawn vehicles to this site and were found during excavation. The blast furnace, . . . — Map (db m1288) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — Ellen (Nellie) Purcell Unthank |
| | Ellen (Nellie) Purcell was born November 6, 1846 in Tintwhistle, England. At 9 she, with her parents and sister Margaret (Maggie), 14, began the trek from Iowa to Salt Lake Valley in 1856 with the Edward Martin Handcart Company.
Early snows overtook the company, both Nellie's parents died on the trail. Nellie's feet were frozen.
On arrival in Salt Lake Valley, she was strapped to a board. No anesthetics were available. Both her legs were amputated just below the knee with a butcher's knife . . . — Map (db m59517) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — Escalante Trail |
| | Father Silvestre Velez de Escalante with Father Dominguez and eight others, first white men to enter the Great Basin, left Santa Fe July 29, 1776 in attempt to reach Monterey. Abandoning attempt, party passed through Cedar Valley October 12 on return to Santa Fe. — Map (db m1440) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — 418 — First Cedar Encampment |
| | Iron ore having been discovered at Iron Springs, Brigham Young called missionaries to Iron County to make iron. A militia of 35 men was organized in Parowan, Nov. 5, 1851, under Captain Henry Lunt. Part of the company left Nov. 10th in 11 wagons and camped overnight in Summit Creek. Late in the afternoon of Nov. 11th, after driving in a snowstorm, they took refuge in the cove of this knoll. They set their wagon boxes on the ground in a line, protected them with brush enclosures, and began . . . — Map (db m59546) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — 222 — Fort Cedar |
| | In November 1851, thirty-five men from Parowan settled Cedar City. A unique temporary encampment, composed of their wagon boxes and sage brush walls, sheltered them through the first winter. In 1853, a fort 100 rods square was built on this site. Its walls were 3 feet wide at the base, nine feet high and one foot wide on top. It covered 63 acres of ground. A city plat of 120 lots was laid out inside the walls. This monument stands on the south west corner of the fort, beside the John D. Lee Gate. — Map (db m59515) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — 309 — Hamilton Fort |
| | In 1852 Peter Shirts located a ranch on Sidon Creek, later known as Shirts Creek. He offered John Hamilton half the water to come and settle there. Hamilton came with his family and Peter Fife. When Walker Indian War broke out they moved to Cedar City but returned in 1855. The three families built an adobe fort enclosing ¼ acre, 95 feet square, walls three feet thick; houses formed part of wall. Soon Jonathan Pugmire, Samuel White and others came. In 1869 a new location for Hamilton Fort was selected on the main thoroughfare. — Map (db m59513) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — Heroine of China — Helen Foster Snow — 1907 – 1997 |
| | Born and raised in Cedar City, Helen Foster Snow was a journalist, traveler, thinker, and activist who was present during the revolutionary period leading up to the establishment of the People's Republic of China and became a heroine to the people of the war-torn land. She was and still is revered as one who played an important role in rallying the Chinese people to oppose the occupation of the country by the Japanese in the 1930s and as one who helped organize support for the Chinese cause in . . . — Map (db m59565) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — Old Brickyards |
| | It is believed that the first fired bricks in Utah were made in Cedar City in connection with the attempt of the Deseret Iron Company to manufacture iron in 1852. The blast furnace was located in the vicinity of 400 North 100 East. Fired brick was made near there for use in the lining of the blast furnace and construction of some brick homes and some public buildings.
By the turn of the century, most of the brickmaking operations had moved to the southern outskirts of the city. These were . . . — Map (db m1381) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — S-89 — Pioneer Iron Works Blast Furnace — Utah Historic Site |
| | To satisfy an urgent need for manufactured iron products, a small group of English, Welch, Scotch, Irish and American pioneers answered a call from Brigham Young to become "Iron Missionaries" to settle Iron County and to make iron. They arrived in Parowan on January 13, 1851 and produced the first iron west of the Mississippi on September 30, 1852 on this site. Due to economic, social, environmental and technical problems the Iron Works was closed down in October 1858. — Map (db m59545) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — The Casting of the Lots |
| | On July 29, 1776, Fathers Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Silvestre Velez de Escalante led an exploration party of ten horsemen from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to establish an overland route to Monterey, California, while spreading the Catholic faith to the native peoples they hoped to meet along the way.
As the Padres traveled along the Beaver River in early October, they became increasingly discouraged about reaching Monterey. Their Indian guide had been frightened and had deserted them to . . . — Map (db m59514) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — The Founding of Southern Utah University |
| | There are five plaques across the base of the statue
In the annals of American higher education, there is no more dramatic founding of a school than that accorded Southern Utah University, nor a more striking example of the extent of the commitment of Utah's early pioneers to the cause of education.
The first State Legislature following Utah's statehood authorized a branch of the state's teacher training school to be located in Southern Utah, but the community so selected would . . . — Map (db m59516) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — 446 — The Social Hall |
| | The Cedar City Pioneers had made their homes in the Old Fort and had built an adobe schoolhouse 28 feet by 60 feet when, in May 1855, President Brigham Young advised them to move to higher ground. By 1859, the majority of the people had moved to the new Cedar City site and had a small, adobe room available for school, church and civic affairs. As more and more people occupied the new Cedar Site, it became apparent that the small building was not adequate.
On January 6, 1861, a committee was . . . — Map (db m59542) HM |
| Utah (Iron County), Cedar City — Ward Hall — Erected 1897 |
| | Site of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recreation building known as the Ward Hall. Rushed to completion in the fall of 1897 and deeded to the State of Utah so the Branch Normal School of the University of Utah could be legally operated for its first year. The building was the first home of Southern Utah State College. The Ward Hall was returned to the LDS Church in the fall of 1898 on completion of the Old Main on the Temple Knoll.
The Cedar City National Guard Armory stood on this site from 1937-1978. — Map (db m59543) HM |
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