Washington in Washington County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Washington City 1857

Photographed by Dawn Bowen, June 21, 2007

1. Washington City 1857 Marker

Inscription. 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, Harrison Pierce (Pearce) first counselor, and Jonathan R. Regeon (James B. Reagan) second counselor, Wm. R. Slade and James D. McCullough as Justices of the Peace, James Matthew and John Hawley as constables, Wm. Young and Joseph Adair as fence viewers, G.R.Coley was stray pound keeper, and Wm. R. Slade, Geo. Hawley and G.W. Spencer as school trustees. They immediately started to dig ditches, clear land and build a dam on the Rio Virgin so that they could plat crops. Cotton and corn were the main crops planted that first summer. Since they were Southerners they started to call thei new home “Dixie.” This name soon spread

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to the rest of the area so Washington City is Utah’s Dixie birthplace.

The area where the Willard O. Nisson park now stands was used as a campground in the latter part of the 1800’s. It was known as camp Washington and as Hall’s campground or pasture. Calvin Hall was the owner and operator of the campground. This provided for a place where visitors could come and stay in the small wooden cabins that were located on the property He also had a store located on the southeast corner of 200 W. and Telegraph St. This campground was the first place on Washington that had drinking water delivered in a pipe. A pipe was run from the northeast corner of 200 N. and 200 E. known as Hal’s Head House. This provided clean water to the campground. The water system to provide water to the homes in Washington was built in 1931.

The Antone and Leroy Nisson Families wanted to honor their father, Willard O. Nisson so they arranged for the building of this park. Through an exchange of properties, this property became available to that Washington City could construct this facility. Willard was known as a great schoolteacher, school principal, city mayor,

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, August 30, 2012

2. Washington City 1857 Marker

and a talented musician. Willard’s sister Annie, the wife of Hans Peter Iverson, also came to Washington at this time. The Willard Nisson family home was located on the northwest corner of Main St. and Telegraph St.

Erected 2000 by Washington City Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.

Location. 37° 7.805′ N, 113° 30.806′ W. Marker is in Washington, Utah, in Washington County. It is on Telegraph Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 151 W Telegraph, Washington UT 84780, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Utah’s Color Country. It is also in the American Southwest,

in the Mountain West,

and on the Colorado Plateau.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

Entrance to the Nisson Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Dawn Bowen, June 21, 2007

3. Entrance to the Nisson Park

are within walking distance of this marker: Telegraph Street / Millcreek Mills (here, next to this marker); ZCMI Co-op Building (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Relief Society Hall (about 600 feet away); Thomas W. Smith's Corn Cracker & Grist Millstone (about 700 feet away); Washington Cotton Factory (about 700 feet away); ZCMI Co-op Building 1875–1921 (about 800 feet away); Prominent Pioneer Men and Women Who Helped Settle Washington City (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Washington Cotton Factory (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Washington.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2007, by Dawn Bowen of Fredericksburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,753 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 28, 2007, by Dawn Bowen of Fredericksburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on September 20, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 3. submitted on June 28, 2007, by Dawn Bowen of Fredericksburg, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.