Welcome to Washington County! - Utah's Dixie
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In 1847 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints settled in the Salt Lake Valley. Church leader, Brigham Young, sent settlers out from the Salt Lake Valley to settle other areas of the new territory. St. George was one such settlement.
In 1854 Brigham Young assigned Jacob Hamblin to be a missionary to the Indians in the southern parts of the territory. He was considered a great friend by the Indians and was heavily involved in keeping the peace between settlers and Native Americans. In 1861, Brigham Young sent 300 families to the St. George area to grow cotton and other products conducive to the climate. Many of these early settlers were from America's southern states and the area soon became know as "Dixie" because of its settlers, location, climate and agricultural products. Cotton, silk, dried fruit, molasses, and pecans were just some of the many products produced in the area.
The Utah territory was officially declared a state of the United States in 1896 and the St. George area is still widely known as "Utah's Dixie". It is here that Dixie State College was established. St. George was likely named after George A. Smith who was heavily involved in the selection of the families who settled the area in 1861 and was recognized as a great leader in the region.
Life in this arid climate was very difficult for the early pioneers. With intense summer heat and just a few inches of annual rainfall, farming was a difficult. Unusually heavy rains or flash floods often destroyed crops and buildings, but the settlers persevered and began to build a city. The climate of the region probably hasn't changed much, but the ability to cope with it in air conditioned comfort as well as its mild winter weather makes Utah's Dixie one of the most pleasant growing population centers in Utah.
In 1854 Brigham Young assigned Jacob Hamblin to be a missionary to the Indians in the southern parts of the territory. He was considered a great friend by the Indians and was heavily involved in keeping the peace between settlers and Native Americans. In 1861, Brigham Young sent 300 families to the St. George area to grow cotton and other products conducive to the climate. Many of these early settlers were from America's southern states and the area soon became know as "Dixie" because of its settlers, location, climate and agricultural products. Cotton, silk, dried fruit, molasses, and pecans were just some of the many products produced in the area.
The Utah territory was officially declared a state of the United States in 1896 and the St. George area is still widely known as "Utah's Dixie". It is here that Dixie State College was established. St. George was likely named after George A. Smith who was heavily involved in the selection of the families who settled the area in 1861 and was recognized as a great leader in the region.
Life in this arid climate was very difficult for the early pioneers. With intense summer heat and just a few inches of annual rainfall, farming was a difficult. Unusually heavy rains or flash floods often destroyed crops and buildings, but the settlers persevered and began to build a city. The climate of the region probably hasn't changed much, but the ability to cope with it in air conditioned comfort as well as its mild winter weather makes Utah's Dixie one of the most pleasant growing population centers in Utah.
UtahReach! 2010