Santa Clara in Washington County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
John George and Susette Bosshard Hafen Home
The home quickly became an integral part of Santa Clara's early history. It served as Santa Clara's first official post office, and it also housed the beginning of Santa Clara's merchandise cooperative. After Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) was founded in Salt Lake City, other cooperative stores were founded throughout Utah. One of these was started in Santa Clara. John George Hafen became its first manager, and he stored the merchandise stock in one of the rooms in the house.
John George Hafen was born in Switzerland in 1838. His mother died a few years later. In 1861, he and his father and sister Barbara traveled from Switzerland to Salt Lake City. Upon arriving at their destination, John George was married to Susette Bosshard, a young woman whom he had met before leaving Switzerland. They were all new converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had traveled with other new members who came to Salt Lake City to reside with the main body of the Church. Soon after arriving however, this group of Swiss settlers was called by Church President Brigham Young to travel on to the southern part of Utah. President Young assigned them the task of establishing a town on the Santa Clara River. Within weeks of their arrival, the town site was surveyed, and on December 22, 1861, it was dedicated.
The new Santa Clara residents intended to establish a grape-growing industry. Residential lots and vineyard plots were assigned through drawings from a hat. John George Hafen, his father Hans George Hafen, and his sister Barbara and her husband drew adjoining lots and vineyard plots. John George built a small log cabin for himself and Susette on their lot, and Hans George Hafen built a small shanty on his property. Eventually, they built and moved into the large home on Santa Clara Drive that is pictured here.
Erected 2005.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1861.
Location. 37° 7.969′ N, 113° 39.218′ W. Marker is in Santa Clara, Utah, in Washington County. Marker is on West Santa Clara Drive, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3003 West Santa Clara Drive, Santa Clara UT 84765, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hug-Gubler Home (a few steps from this marker); Santa Clara Relief Society House (within shouting distance of this marker); Preston and Vella Ruth Hafen Home (within shouting distance of this marker); The Settling of Santa Clara / First Public Buildings / Missionaries and Settlers (within shouting distance of this marker); Swiss Colony (within shouting distance of this marker); Frederick and Anna Reber Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Santa Clara Merc (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Santa Clara Tithing Granary (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Santa Clara.
Also see . . . Washington County Historical Society. The Hans George Hafen House, built c.1862, is, in its present configuration, a one and one-half story, Victorian Eclectic-style cross wing building on a stone foundation. The house probably began as a Classical-style, single-cell, adobe building, which then received a c. 1880s cross wing and subsequent early twentieth-century additions. Some of the exterior adobe walls have received a coating of gunnite and the entire house has been painted, but the outline of the adobe brick is easily recognized on a few of the surfaces. (Submitted on September 7, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 396 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 5, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.