Cedar City in Iron County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)

The Utah Parks Company Commissary

Photographed by Jeremy Snow, August 23, 2024

1. The Utah Parks Company Commissary Marker

Inscription.

The Utah Parks Company Commissary. . , From 1923 to 1972, the Utah Parks Company (UPC), a subsidiary company of Union Pacific Railroad brought thousands of visitors to southwestern Utah and northern Arizona, Cedar City was the starting point for travelers on the UPC tours; the "Grand Circle" tour took visitors by bus to Zion National Park, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Cedar Breaks National Monument, with a few stops along the way., The UPC operated as concessionaires in nearby national parks-building, maintaining, and staffing the park lodges, inns, cabins as well as the Hotel El Escalante in Cedar City. This building served as the administrative and logistical headquarters for the UPC; all supplies, reservations, accounting, maintenance, and hiring for the UPC was coordinated through this office. Supplies for the various operations were shipped to the commissary by train, unloaded on the large dock on the south side of the building and then sent to the national parks and monuments by truck several times a week. The building was equipped with a freight elevator that moved canned goods and bulk supplies to and from the basement and there were large refrigerators for meat, which was sliced to order by the butcher on site. The building also housed a large humidor for tobacco products and several shelves for concession and curio items. The commissary staff controlled nearly every aspect of UPC field operations., UPC commissary driver Brent Turek recalls, "If you went to Grand Canyon, the first stop would be up at Cedar Breaks after having crawled at 10 mph up Cedar Canyon. [There] you would offload what they needed, then rearrange your load because it would tip over very easily. You were judged on your skill as a packer to make sure you had little breakage. Guaranteed there would be some 'breakage' whenever you drove, the most common being one-quart bottles of chocolate milk that always 'broke' at breakfast.", Dedicated Monday, June 19, 2023 by Cedar City Historic Preservation Commission

From 1923 to 1972, the Utah Parks Company (UPC), a subsidiary company of Union Pacific Railroad brought thousands of visitors to southwestern Utah and northern Arizona, Cedar City was the starting point for travelers on the UPC tours; the "Grand Circle" tour took visitors by bus to Zion National Park, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Cedar Breaks National Monument, with a few stops along the way.

The UPC operated as concessionaires in nearby national parks-building, maintaining, and staffing the park lodges, inns, cabins as well as the Hotel El Escalante in Cedar City. This building served as the administrative and logistical headquarters for the UPC; all supplies, reservations, accounting, maintenance, and hiring for the UPC was coordinated through this office. Supplies for the various operations were shipped to the commissary by train, unloaded on the large dock on the south side of the building and then sent to the national parks and monuments by truck several times a week. The building was equipped with a freight elevator that moved canned goods and bulk supplies to and from the

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basement and there were large refrigerators for meat, which was sliced to order by the butcher on site. The building also housed a large humidor for tobacco products and several shelves for concession and curio items. The commissary staff controlled nearly every aspect of UPC field operations.

UPC commissary driver Brent Turek recalls, "If you went to Grand Canyon, the first stop would be up at Cedar Breaks after having crawled at 10 mph up Cedar Canyon. [There] you would offload what they needed, then rearrange your load because it would tip over very easily. You were judged on your skill as a packer to make sure you had little breakage. Guaranteed there would be some 'breakage' whenever you drove, the most common being one-quart bottles of chocolate milk that always 'broke' at breakfast."

Dedicated Monday, June 19, 2023 by Cedar City Historic Preservation Commission

Erected 2023 by Cedar City Historic Preservation Commission.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1923.

Location. 37° 40.879′ N, 113° 3.821′ W.

Photographed by Jeremy Snow, August 23, 2024

2. The Utah Parks Company Commissary Marker

Marker is in Cedar City, Utah, in Iron County. It is on North 100 West, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 221 N 100 W, Cedar City UT 84721, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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

and in 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 are within walking distance of this marker: Cedar City Railroad Depot (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); El Escalante Hotel (about 500 feet away); The Utah Parks Company (about 500 feet away); Heroine of China (about 600 feet away); Palace Drug Building (about 700 feet away); Pioneer Stockman (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cedar Sheep Association (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Southern Paiute People (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cedar City.

Another marker

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is no longer nearby. Escalante Trail (was about 600 feet away but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2024, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. This page has been viewed 180 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 2, 2024, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.