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The Old West Lives
You can get a taste of the Old West by attending one of the many rodeos held throughout the summer months. Some of the rodeos are PRCA sanctioned and the cowboys that participate often go on to national competitions.
If classic Western movies are your favorites, visit the Frontier Movie Town in Kanab or one of the other old western movie sets nearby. This area of southern Utah can be seen in many of the classic western films and television series including Maverick and How the West Was Won, and the not-so-western Greatest Story Ever Told.
A trip to a ghost town is an interesting way to spend an afternoon. The town of Grafton, once a pioneer settlement, was used in a scene from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Or you can explore the old mining towns of Silver Reef, north of St. George and Old Frisco, west of Beaver.
A Glimpse into the Past
A trip to Pipe Spring National Monument, southwest of Kanab on Hwy 389, will give you an accurate picture of what pioneer life was like over 100 years ago. North of Beaver, Cove Fort is well worth visiting. Restored to its 1867-77 period, the fort was a way station for travelers. It is located near the intersection of I-70 and I-15.
Well preserved historic buildings can be seen throughout Color Country and many communities have self-guided walking tours that take you past fine examples of pioneer architecture. In St. George, you can visit the St. George Mormon Temple and its new visitor center, tour Brigham Young's Winter Home and other historic buildings. The Jacob Hamblin Home in Santa Clara, the Heritage House in Kanab, and the Old Courthouse Museum in Beaver are well worth the stop. You will also find interesting buildings in Parowan, Panguitch, Washington, Cedar City and other Color Country communities.
Some of the major settlements that became today's cities
1851 Parowan (evil water) - First called Birch Springs, it was southern Utah's first settlement.
1851 Cedar City - Named by the settlers for the "cedar" (juniper) trees. Pioneers established the first iron refinery west of the Mississippi.
1856 Beaver - Named for the Beaver dams that were along the river.
1861 St. George - Named after George A. Smith, early pioneer leader. Called Utah's Dixie for the mild climate. Cotton was grown and a textile mill was used during the Civil War.
1864 Panguitch (big fish) - Originally called Fairview. It was abandoned during the Blackhawk War and was later resettled.
1874 Kanab (willows) - Fort Kanab was built in 1864 and abandoned in 1866 due to Indian attacks. Mormon missionaries reoccupied it and founded the present town in 1870.
1875 Escalante - Named after Father Escalante and the Escalante River. Initially called Potato Valley for the wild potatoes that grew there.
1889 Boulder - Settled by cattlemen, it was the last frontier in Utah. Still received mail by mule in 1942.
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