Zion was little visited by outsiders during the 19th Century. The region's isolation began to erode in 1908, when Deputy Surveyor Leo Snow mapped the upper Virgin River for the U.S. Department of the Interior. Snow's report was so persuasive that . . . — — Map (db m40420) HM
Barely visible on the canyon rim are the ruins of a cableworks from the early 1900s. Mormon pioneers in the Zion area needed lumber for construction, but the good timber - ponderosa pine - was out of reach on the mesa above. Settlers had to haul . . . — — Map (db m198467) HM
Original Inhabitants
Native peoples lived in the Zion area long before the first Euro-Americans came to this canyon. "Southern Paiutes believe they have lived in this area since the time of creation. Because of the abundance of animals, . . . — — Map (db m40425) HM
The early Mormon settlers of Springdale and other Virgin River communities were resourceful and enterprising farmers. Taking advantage of the natural water resources available on the canyon floor, they dug irrigation systems and planted corn, . . . — — Map (db m40424) HM
Until the late 18th Century, Zion's only visitors were the original inhabitants of the region. The earliest appearance of Europeans came in 1776 when the Dominguez-Escalante expedition after abandoning their quest for an overland route to . . . — — Map (db m80538) HM
