Water—the lack of it and too much of it—was the greatest challenge to Dixie’s early Mormon settlers. When the original company of families entered the St. George valley late in 1861, they had little more than two small springs to reply . . . — — Map (db m1395) HM
Numerous petroglyphs are the only record of the original settlers of this area, the Anasazi and Paiute Indians. In January 1858 a small Mormon pioneer group was sent south from Salt Lake City to raise cotton. The pioneers settled the east side of . . . — — Map (db m59015) HM
Brigham Young was prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 30 years. During those three decades he directed the establishment of more than three hundred communities throughout the American West. It was "Brother . . . — — Map (db m59229) HM
The original portion of this home was begun in 1860 and completed in 1871. When Brigham Young purchased it he added the front addition which was completed in 1873. It served as his winter home from that time until his death in 1877. — — Map (db m59181) HM
Near this spot, in the fall of 1859, Brigham Young statesman and leader of the
Mormon people, silently gazed at Pine Valley Mountain, and then the valley and
hills of black lava and vermilion rock before him. He saw in vision a . . . — — Map (db m241415) HM
Across the street west, and 2 blocks south of here, stands the building originally known as the St. George Academy. After the turn of the century Southern Utah citizens realized a great need for higher education in this isolated corner of the state. . . . — — Map (db m1392) HM
Dixie Academy was constructed to provide advanced courses of study. The St. George Stake Academy officially began in 1888 and moved into this building in 1911. A four year program was recognized as two years of senior high school and two years of . . . — — Map (db m1462) HM
Erastus Snow was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont in 1818. He entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 21, 1847, in advance of the first company of Mormon Pioneers. He was ordained an Apostle, at the age of thirty. As a missionary for the Church of Jesus . . . — — Map (db m59168) HM
On this site in 1867, Erastus Snow began construction on a four-story, adobe home which later became known as the "Big House." Snow, an LDS apostle, was the presiding Mormon leader during the colonization of St. George. The "Big House" was an . . . — — Map (db m59233) HM
This structure, built by St. George's first horticulturist J.E. Johnson in 1863, for use as a meeting place for the club, was never used as a residence. — — Map (db m59238) HM
Built just five years after St. George was settled, the Gardeners’ Club Hall is considered to be the oldest public building standing in the city. This small, unassuming adobe building predates the courthouse, the Tabernacle and the Temple by several . . . — — Map (db m1385) HM
To your right, is the top portion of an iron pile driver. It was used to drive volcanic rock into the swampy ground to form the foundation for
the building of the St. George Temple. The pile driver was hoisted by animals using a rope and pulley . . . — — Map (db m240542) HM
In 1826 Jedediah Smith, searching for a route to California, entered what is now Washington County by crossing the black ridge north of here then following Ash Creek to the Virgin River. He followed the Virgin River through the Virgin River . . . — — Map (db m241351) HM
Monument to the Flood of 2005
Warm rain on recently-fallen snow in areas destroyed by wildfires during the summer of 2004 contributed greatly to the flood of January, 2005, which occurred along the Virgin and Santa Clara Rivers. Along . . . — — Map (db m241349) HM
Antonio Armijo was a Spanish Mexican explorer and merchant who in 1829 and 1830 led an expedition to find a trade route between New Mexico and Los Angeles. This was the first trading expedition between New Mexico and Los Angeles. It was so . . . — — Map (db m241344) HM
Old Washington County Courthouse
Built 1866-1876
Architect: Unknown
Construction Supervised by Jacob Gates
Division of State History N-8 — — Map (db m240543) HM
Orson Pratt was one of two Latter-day Saint Apostles called by Brigham Young to lead the St. George colony in 1864. When Orson was called on a mission to Europe, the home passed to Richard Bentley. It was partially converted to a mercantile business . . . — — Map (db m59309) HM
St. George was designated as the county seat on January 14, 1883. This building was begun in 1866 and completed in 1876. It served the county government as offices. The 18-inch thick walls housed the jail in the basement and school was held upstairs . . . — — Map (db m59226) HM
The seat of county government was originally established at Fort Harmony from 1856 until 1859. It was then moved to the city of Washington until 1863 when St. George became the County Seat. By 1866, work had begun on the Washington County . . . — — Map (db m1391) HM
This red brick building completed in 1938 was financed by Mrs. Hortense McQuarrie Odlum to house pioneer relics. The addition was financed by Ferol McQuarrie Kincade in 1985. Daughters of Utah Pioneers volunteer their services as docents for the . . . — — Map (db m59224) HM
The Opera House served as the cultural center of the community from 1875 until the 1930s. The original "T" shaped building seated 300 persons. A mechanically adjustable sloping floor afforded an excellent view of the stage. — — Map (db m59093) HM
At a time of colonization, colonizors of the Dixie Cotton Mission were struggling to survive, their leaders planned a higher priority on culture. The Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, taught that “man is that he might have joy.” His . . . — — Map (db m1393) HM
In 1863, Orson Pratt, Amasa M. Lyman, erastus Snow, Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, laid the corner stones 18 months after pioneers arrived in St. George. Truman O. Angell, Sr. Architect. Miles Romney, Supt. of . . . — — Map (db m1388) HM
Less than a year after St. George was settled, residents were directed by Brigham Young to “build a building as soon as possible which would be commodious, substantial and well furnished with a seating capacity of 2,000.” The building, . . . — — Map (db m1387) HM
When the Mormon pioneers arrived in Utah, they had left behind 2 temples—one in Kirkland, Ohio, and one in Nauvoo, Illinois. Work began on a temple in Salt Lake City in 1853, but was delayed for various reasons. Desirous of having a temple . . . — — Map (db m1386) HM
Brigham Young's purpose in building this tabernacle was to provide an ornament to the city. Its 3-foot thick basement walls of hand-cut limestone bear individual stone cutter marks. Roof trusses were hand-hewn and the twin spiral staircases with . . . — — Map (db m59271) HM
Pioneer workmen transported basalt stone
blocks for construction of the Saint George
LDS Temple foundation by wagon over this
"Temple Quarry Trail".
Completion of the trailhead, archway, and
access to the trail has long . . . — — Map (db m59017) HM
The house behind the store was built in 1876 by William Oscar Bentley. It was sold in the early 1900's to Thomas Judd, who attached a mercantile to the dining room. The Judd family owned and operated the store from 1911 until it was purchased and . . . — — Map (db m59310) HM
The house was built in 1916 by Joe Burgess. He hauled lava rock from the nearby black hill for the foundation stones and constructed the home out of formed cement blocks made by lime canfield. These formed cement blocks became popular in the early . . . — — Map (db m59202) HM
In November 1849 a little-known expedition was sent by Brigham Young to explore southern Utah for possible future settlement. This fifty-man party was led by Apostle Parley P. Pratt.
On Tuesday, January 1, 1850, twenty horse-mounted . . . — — Map (db m241342) HM
In Memory of the Dixie Pioneers who were sent by President Brigham Young to colonize this section of territory. Fort Harmony was built in 1852. Treaties were made with the Indians and other settlements started where conditions were favorable. When . . . — — Map (db m1396) HM
Built by Augustus Poore Hardy in 1871, this house, with classical Dixie dormers, has quite a history. Hardy was sheriff of St. George and was holding a man accused of murder. An armed group of vigilantes broke into the house and forced the keys from . . . — — Map (db m59235) HM
The jail is a small one room building constructed from black lava rock gathered in the nearby foothills. The exact date of construction is not known, however, it is assumed to be built by Sheriff Hardy around 1880. Though used as a granary after the . . . — — Map (db m59270) HM
Dedicated to memory of
Clarence Amos Jones & Madaline Empey Jones.
Donated by their children Boyd Grant Jones and Sylvia Jones Chamberlain,
Wayne Hyrum Jones
to the Washington County Historical Society
This one room home, . . . — — Map (db m59222) HM
Joseph Judd, son of Thomas Judd, who built the store east of here, built this home in 1917. His family lived in the house until 1974. Joseph and his son Thomas operated the Judd Store while they lived here, and Thomas Judd still manages it for the . . . — — Map (db m59308) HM
It is difficult to establish an exact date of construction of this building. It is one of a half-dozen structures built in St. George from leftover rock from the tabernacle during the 1860's. George Brooks is thought to have built the building, as . . . — — Map (db m59268) HM
In the fall of 1849, Brigham Young formed the Southern Exploring Company led
by Parley P. Pratt. Through that winter the compnay of 50 men explored potential town sites and resources from Nephi to present day St. George as part of Young's plan . . . — — Map (db m241416) HM
Mormon Pioneers came to St. George in 1861 where they found rocks of many kinds for building purposes. After Brigham Young, President of the L.D.S. Church, advised them to erect a large meeting house, long layers of red sandstone ten inches thick . . . — — Map (db m59148) HM
The Temple Trail
The temple trail is the route used from 1871 to 1877 to haul timber from Mt. Trumbull, Arizona, to St. George, Utah, for the building of the St. George LDS Temple. Pioneers traveled 80 miles along the rough, dirt road, hauling . . . — — Map (db m59311) HM
When the first settlers arrived in St. George late in 1861, school was held in a wagon box, a tent, a willow shack, or whatever shelter could be improvised. By 1864, the first of four ward houses was completed. It was not until nearly the end of the . . . — — Map (db m1389) HM
With the arrival of the families in St. George, school began. A tent, slates and a few books served students in the 1st Central School. Later school was held in different private homes and public buildings until this permanent school was completed . . . — — Map (db m1390) HM
Jacob Hamblin, pioneer. missionary and friend to the Indians, planted cottonseed in the fertile river bottoms near here in 1855. A settlement was established the next year called Tonaquint, after a local band of Indians that were located there. . . . — — Map (db m241414) HM
The first regularly scheduled overland passenger flight in the USA was made by Western Air Express on May 23, 1926, from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. This 50-foot concrete arrow was one of four here in the St. George area, placed every 10 miles, . . . — — Map (db m59016) HM
The Utah-Idaho Sugar Company after determining that sugar beet seed was a good cash crop, bought these grounds and started production that would last for nearly fifty years.
Sugar beets were planted in the fall in the Bloomington and Washington . . . — — Map (db m59221) HM
One of the most difficult challenges in the settlement of Bloomington, Price City and Atkinville in the late 1860's was taking water from the Virgin River and using the water to irrigate the various farm crops. After years of trying to find a . . . — — Map (db m240546) HM
During construction of the St. George Temple, Brigham Young found the climate in this vicinity beneficial to his health, and decided to have a winter home built in St. George. On December 15, 1873, he arrived from the north and moved into his new . . . — — Map (db m59071) HM
