Kanab Public Square

Kanab Public Square. . In the spring of 1870 Brigham Young, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and former Governor of the Territory of Utah, passed through the area on a tour of southern Utah settlements. Upon his return to Salt Lake City, President Young sent a group of 52 pioneers led by Levi Stewart to settle a community along the banks of Kanab Creek, a gentle stream of water flowing through the area. , Young returned in September of 1870 with surveyor Jesse Fox, “To lay out the town”. The town consisted of one square mile, with a block in the center set aside for public buildings and designated Kanab’s public square. The other blocks were divided into 4 lots each, and numbered. The head of each family then drew for a lot. , The Public Square (bordered by Center Street, Main Street, 100 North and 100 West) served as a center for community activities including: church meetings, education, recreation and entertainment. Four important buildings were erected on the Square: the Tithing Office, Academy, Ward Hall, and the pioneer Chapel. This aerial view shows the Public Square as it looked in 1950: the Chapel (southeast corner of the Square) is at the lower center; the Ward Hall (southwest corner) is at the left; both the Academy (northeast corner) and the Tithing Office (northwest corner) were gone. Plaques at each corner denote the buildings. Additional information is available at the Kanab Heritage Museum.