Welcome to Parowan, Utah

Welcome to Parowan, Utah. . , [Caption]: Utah’s Patchwork Parkway offers travelers a diverse patchwork of colors, cultures, and climates., [Caption]: Photos below: Parowan Valley and Jessie N. Smith Home. Photo above: Rock Church Museum, Circa 2012., Established in 1851, Parowan was originally a fort located in the town square. Even though the fort walls no longer stand, the town square is still the heart of Parowan, featuring historic buildings and community festivals and gatherings., Long before the arrival of pioneers, groups including the Fremont culture (around A.D. 700 to 1250) called Parowan home Pithouses and artifacts found in the Parowan Valley are a reminder of Southern Paiute villages that once thrived here., Parley P. Pratt Arrives at Heritage Park, Tired from their long journey and getting nourishment from the plentiful spring, Parley P. Pratt and members of his exploring party camped at Heritage Park in January of 1850. Not long after, Pratt raised a flagpole (just above the park) as he declared the area “City of the Little Salt Lake”., In March of 1849, Brigham Young (President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) asked the newly formed Legislative Assembly of the Provisional Government of the State of Deseret to commission Parly P. Pratt (1807-1857) to explore the central and southern portions of Utah with a party of men. They traveled some 700 miles in just a few months, arriving back at Salt Lake City in February of 1850. Many Southern Utah towns were settled based on sites Pratt recommended, the first being Parowan., In 18851, a group of Mormon pioneers led be George A. Smith would follow in the footsteps of Parley P. Pratt’s group as they briefly camped at Heritage Park before settling Parowan., Parowan’s Heritage Park pays tribute to the founding pioneers of Southern Utah with a pioneer tribute monument and statues of Parley P. Pratt, Paulina Lyman (186-1912), and handcart pioneers (many Mormon pioneers traveling to Utah from the eastern United States used handcarts to transport their belongings., Southern Paiutes – First Inhabitants, According to archaeologists, the Fremont people inhabited the western Colorado Plateau and the eastern Great Basin, which includes portions of Southern Utah. Archaeologists believe that the Southern Paiutes entered Utah around A.D. 1100-1200, succeeding the Fremont people, and consider the Fremont and Southern Paiutes two different cultural groups. The “Fremont” name comes from the Fremont River named after explorer John C. Fremont who mapped this area in the mid-nineteenth century., Southern Paiutes do not make a distinction between the two groups, believing that their ancestors were the people living in Parowan Valley. At one time, Southern Paiutes’ land extended into California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, northern Arizona, and southwestern Colorado., Historic Buildings, Jesse N. Smith House , 35 W. 100 South, Parowan , Built in 1858 by original pioneers and believed to be the oldest standing adobe home in Southern Utah., Dr. Priddy Meeks Farmstead , 20 N. 400 West, Parowan , Built around 1857 and home to the first doctor in Parowan., Rock Church , Town Square between Center and 100 South on Main Street, Parowan , Built in 1863, it now serves as a museum and genealogy resource featuring numerous artifacts. , Bishop’s Store-house , 20 N. 100 West, Parowan , The 1885 Store-house was established by Mormons to provide goods and food to individuals in need., Parowan Community Theatre , 27 North Main Street, Parowan , The “Aladdin” was a welcome retreat during the 1930s Depression Era. In the 1990s, Parowan City purchased the building and restored it back to its original façade. Various musicals and plays are performed annually by local residents.