St. George, the county seat of Washington County, is the largest of
all the towns founded during the LDS Church's Cotton Mission of
1861. Located in the southwest section of Utah at an elevation of
2,880 feet above sea level, St. George has an average annual
temperature of 59.9[[ring]] with summer temperatures well into the
100s and the average maximum winter temperature around 55[[ring]].
The average annual rainfall is 8.30 inches, and the normal growing
season is 196 days. All these factors made the area a suitable
location for the early settlement.
Earlier Native American inhabitants of the St. George area
included the Virgin River Anasazi, who left evidence of their
presence in the rock art and archaeological sites that remain. The
first recorded Euro-Americans to visit the area were the
Dominguez-Escalante Party in 1776; they were followed by fur
trappers, including Jedediah Smith, and still later by government
survey parties.
By 1854 the LDS Church had established an Indian mission at
Santa Clara, two miles north of the St. George Valley. In 1857 and
1858 experimental farms were set up to the east and west of where
St. George was to be built. While touring the experimental desert
farms in May 1861, Brigham Young predicted the settling of the
area. Five months later, in October 1861, 309 families were called
by church authorities to the what was called the Cotton Mission.
Most of those sent had abilities that were deemed essential to
establishing a successful community.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Brigham Young thought it
would be necessary to raise cotton, if possible. Many of the early
settlers of St. George originally came from the southern states.
They came to the "Cotton Mission" to grow cotton, but they also
brought with them a phrase for the area which has become widely
adopted--they called the St. George area "Utah's Dixie."
St. George itself was named in honor of George A. Smith, who,
although he did not participate in the town's settlement, had
personally selected most of the company of the pioneers of 1861.
The first years in the new outpost were difficult. Great rainstorms
almost destroyed the farmlands, and intense summer heat and lack of
culinary water made life far from pleasant.
In 1863 St. George became the county seat for Washington County.
That same year the construction of the St. George LDS Tabernacle
began. It was completed in 1875. Before the tabernacle was
completed, on 9 November 1871 work commenced on the St. George LDS
Temple. Construction of the temple was a cooperative effort of many
communities in southern Utah. The area was suffering from a
monetary depression, and a work project was needed in which
employment would mean food for families. The building cost $800,000
and was dedicated on 6 April 1877. Other important area buildings
from the pioneer era include the historic courthouse (1870) and the
social hall and opera house (1875).
Silk was produced in the area as early as 1874 but did not add
to the material prosperity of the city. Nevertheless, the mulberry
trees, which were planted to feed the worms, have continued to
provide shade to the city's residents. Other early pioneer
endeavors included producing molasses, dried fruit, and wine.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of St.
George, the Dixie Academy Building was constructed in 1911. The
academy was operated by the LDS Church until 1933, at which time it
became a two-year college within the state higher education system.
In the 1960s the new Dixie College campus was opened in the
southeast corner of the city. Today enrollment at the college is
approximately 2,500 students; however, the college reaches most of
the community with its programs and activities.
Since the 1960s, St. George has continued to grow as a
retirement location and as a haven for "snowbirds" seeking to
escape from the colder winters in the rest of the state. Tourism
and recreation have become primary industries for St. George. The
population of the city has grown at a rapid pace during the last
quarter of the twentieth century. In 1950 the population stood at
4,562; it nudged up to 5,130 in 1960, moved up to 7,097 in 1970,
climbed to 13,300 in 1980, and exploded to 28,500 in 1990.
While most of the residents are members of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, other denominations in St. George
include the Catholic Church, Dixie Assembly of God, Community
Baptist Church, Christian Science Church, Episcopal Church,
Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church, New Covenant Christian
Center, St. George Christian Fellowship, and First Church of
Religious Science.