St. George in Washington County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
William Carter (1821-1896)
Photographed by Jeremy Snow, February 23, 2025
1. William Carter (1821-1896) Marker
Inscription.
William Carter (1821-1896). . William Carter was a member of the Vanguard Company, the first group of saints to travel to what is now Utah in 1847. He cultivated land along the way so that crops could be planted for travelers who followed. Upon entering the Salt Lake Valley, he used his plow to successfully irrigate and plow the first 1/2 acre of ground in preparation for crops on July 23, 1847. When the pioneers first entered St. George in 1861, William took that same plow and plowed a ditch from a spring in the northeast of St. George down to where the pioneers were camping to have the water handy for use. He became known as the First Plowman and Irrigator of the American West. William worked on the Nauvoo and Salt Lake Temples, and he served as the foundation foreman for the St. George Temple where he led workers in pounding great slabs of lava under the temple for strength. , William dedicated his life to building Zion, both the place and the people.
William Carter was a member of the Vanguard Company, the first group of saints to travel to what is now Utah in 1847. He cultivated land along the way so that crops could be planted for travelers who followed. Upon entering the Salt Lake Valley, he used his plow to successfully irrigate and plow the first 1/2 acre of ground in preparation for crops on July 23, 1847. When the pioneers first entered St. George in 1861, William took that same plow and plowed a ditch from a spring in the northeast of St. George down to where the pioneers were camping to have the water handy for use. He became known as the First Plowman and Irrigator of the American West. William worked on the Nauvoo and Salt Lake Temples, and he served as the foundation foreman for the St. George Temple where he led workers in pounding great slabs of lava under the temple for strength.
William dedicated his life to building Zion, both the place and the people.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Immigration • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is July 23, 1847.
Location. 37° 6.473′ N, 113° 35.127′ W. Marker is in St. George, Utah, in Washington County. It is on North 100 West, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 78 N 100 West, Saint George UT 84770, 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 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 Mexicos Alta California.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 24, 2025, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. This page has been viewed 173 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 24, 2025, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
