| Utah (Washington County), Washington — “Utah’s Dixie” Washington City |
| | Founded 1857. This monument is erected in honor and memory of the founders of Washington City. The settlers who arrived 1857 were sent here by Brigham Young, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for the purpose of growing cotton to clothe Mormon pioneers and to colonize the territory. Those early pioneers named their city on May 5 or 6, 1857 in honor of George Washington and also called the area “Dixie” in rememberence of their former homes in the South. . . . — Map (db m59317) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — Adair Spring — Birthplace of Utah's Dixie — Washington City, Utah |
| | In early 1857 Brigham Young called a group of Southerners on a cotton mission to southern Utah to raise cotton. Samuel Newton Adair, the leader of ten families, arrived at this spot Apr. 15, 1857, after leaving Payson, Utah on Mar. 3. They camped here a short time and then moved down near the Virgin River on what became known as the "Sand Plot." Apostle Amasa M. Lyman who was passing through the area recommended that they move back to the spring area which they did. Robert Dockery Covington . . . — Map (db m59321) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — 430 — Covington Mansion |
| | In 1857, Robert D. Covington, directed by Brigham Young, led twenty-eight families to Washington, Utah, to establish the "Cotton Mission." In 1859, a large structure was built that would serve as a meeting house for the Saints, a way station for the early missionaries to the Indians, and the home of the first bishop in Dixie, Robert Covington. The spacious upper floor, entered by an outside stairway, became a community social center with parties, dances and plays held there until 1877. Built of . . . — Map (db m59322) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — Historic Pine Valley Mountain |
| | To the north stands historic Pine Valley Mountain, one of the best known and most historic mountains of the Southern Utah Rockies. Indian legends carry traditions of this imposing landmark back many generations. To the Mormon Pioneers it furnished fuel and food -- wild game, pinenuts, and berries -- in abundance.
In 1866 mountain mahogany and yellow pine, particularly suitable for use in making certain types of pipes for the Mormon Tabernacle Organ, construction of which was just beginning, . . . — Map (db m59323) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — Prominent Pioneer Men and Women Who Helped Settle Washington City |
| | Present city officials and citizens of Washington City desired to pay tribute to early prominent pioneers who first settled here in 1857. These pioneers sacrificed their all while improving conditions in this harsh, dry, hot inhospitable, mosquito-infested area. This spot was selected because it represents the early town square where meetings were held in an open-air bowery. Our first adobe school and first rock school and church once stood here or close by. Those represented here in this park . . . — Map (db m59315) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — Relief Society Hall — Built 1875 |
| | The Relief Society Hall's main section was built in 1875 and the west wing about 1904. This makes the present "L" shaped building. Both sections were built of adobes that were produced locally. Its style of architecture is Greek Revival that prevailed in Utah during the early settlement days. It is the only remaining late-nineteenth -century public building in Washington City and is the oldest standing Relief Society Hall in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This building . . . — Map (db m59312) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — S-3 — Robert D. Covington House — Utah Historic Site |
| | Built c. 1859 by Washington's
first Bishop and leader
of the 1857 Cotton Missionaries.
Good example of pioneer stone work. — Map (db m59585) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — N-180 — Robert D. Covington House — Utah Historic Site |
| | This house was built c. 1859 for Robert D. Covington, leader of the Mormon colonizing group sent from Salt Lake City to establish a cotton industry in this warm region of the Utah Territory. The native sandstone building material was quarried 1/4 mile to the east. The twin brothers who built this structure also worked on other historic buildings in the area, including the Cotton Mill in Washington, Utah and the fort at Pipe Springs, Arizona. Robert D. Covington lived to the ripe old age of 87, and died here in Washington in 1902. — Map (db m59586) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — Telegraph Street / Millcreek Mills |
| | Telegraph Street. When Washington was laid out in May, 1857, there was not a street named or located where Telegraph Street is today. It was not until the resurvey of January, 1873, ordered by Wm. Snow, Judge of the Probate Court dated December, 1872, that Telegraph Street was shown on a city map. The Telegraph was completed between St. George and Logan, Utah on January 10, 1867, and the wire for the telegraph was located about where Telegraph Street is today.
Millcreek Mills. . . . — Map (db m1444) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — The Granary |
| | The first settlers of Washington City built granaries to store dry grains, tools, wine and other items.
The sandstone and black lava rock in this reconstructed building came from the Morgan Adam granary which was originally located at 60 South 100 West. The original granary was probably erected in the late 1800s. It was slightly smaller than this building and had air holes instead of windows.
Some of the granaries in this community were used not only for storage but for family living space, and on one occasion, a school. — Map (db m1315) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — Thomas W. Smith's Corn Cracker & Grist Millstone |
| | Thomas Washington Smith was one of the original pioneers to settle Washington in 1857. He must have started to build his mill immediately after arriving the millstones were large and of granite and would have taken a Herculean effort to shape and transport them to the mill site. It is almost beyond comprehension to think he arrived in Washington in early May 1857, went to the base of Pine Valley Mountain and found large granite boulders these he cut into millstones, by hand, and built a mill on . . . — Map (db m59314) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — Utah’s Dixie Birthplace, Washington City |
| | Founded 1857.After the Adair and Covington companies meetings with Isaac C. Haight in May 1857, they immediately started to prepare the land to grow crops. William H. Crawford, secretary of the group, wrote to the Deseret News, May 7, 1857, “... thinking you would like to hear from the Saints that were called to come to this place for the purpose of raising cotton and such things as could be raised in other parts of the valleys of the mountains and so far as we have examined I . . . — Map (db m59316) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — Washington City 1857 |
| | Washington City was founded by 38 southern families in the spring of 1857. Brigham Young called these families to serve on a mission to grow cotton in an area explored by John D. Lee in 1852. The mission was called the Cotton or Southern Mission. Brigham Young knew that southerners knew how to grow or at least had seen cotton grown. The city laid out on the 6 or 7 of May and the officials for the city’s operation were elected. Robert D. Covington was selected as the religious branch president, . . . — Map (db m1442) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — M-21 — Washington Cotton Factory |
| | Built 1865-1870 on orders from Brigham Young. Appleton Harmon supervised construction. Center of Dixie “Cotton Mission”. Operated as a co-operative business and briefly under private lease until c. 1900 — Map (db m1308) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — 213 — Washington Cotton Factory |
| | Early in 1857 Brigham Young called Samuel Adair and Robert D. Covington as leaders of two companies of pioneers to settle here and grow cotton. In 1861 a Scandinavian company came to assist in the work. The town was named in honor of George Washington and was the county seat from 1859 to 1863. A cotton factory was built to process the cotton grown in the Virgin River Valley and the area became known as “Utah’s Dixie.” — Map (db m1309) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — ZCMI Co-op Building — 1872 - 1875 |
| | Official outlet of ZCMI (Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution), "America's First Department Store." This building housed the Zions Co-op Rio Virgin Manufacturing Company from 1872-1875. It was part of the ZCMI co-operative system which served more than 150 communities in the Intermountain area with retail commodities and services beginning in 1868. — Map (db m59313) HM |
| Utah (Washington County), Washington — ZCMI Co-op Building 1875–1921 |
| | Official outlet of ZCMI (Zion’s Co-operative Mercantile Institution), “America’s First Department Store.” This building housed the Washington Co-op from 1875 to 1921. It was part of the ZCMI co-operative system which served in the Intermountain area with retail commodities and services beginning in 1868. — Map (db m59014) HM |
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