St. George has grown from a small agricultural community to the largest city in southern Utah and a popular tourist getaway destination. Its first inhabitants were the Virgin River Anasazi, which lived in the area from approximately 200 B.C. to 1200 A.D. The Pauites arrived around the same time the Anasazi left, hunting deer, rabbits and other animals and growing crops such as corn, wheat and melon along the riverbeds.

In 1776, members of the Dominguez-Esclante Party were the first European-Americans to visit the area. Fur trappers and government survey parties followed, but no permanent residents settled in the area until the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established an Indian Mission in 1854. Church leaders called 309 families to establish the “Cotton Mission” in October 1861. In an effort to become more self-sufficient, LDS Church President Brigham Young felt it necessary to grow cotton. Many of the families assigned to settle the area hailed from the South and had the skills to grow cotton. To pay homage to their former home, the settlers called the area “Utah’s Dixie.”

Mormon apostle George A. Smith is St. George’s namesake. Even though he did not personally participate in the town’s settlement, he did select many of its original settlers. The community’s first years were difficult for its settlers due to scorching summer heat, flooding and lack of culinary water. Early residents established a cotton factory that produced on and off for nearly 50 years, but overall, cotton production proved an unsuccessful venture and did not contribute significantly to region’s economy.

St. George became Washington County’s seat in 1863, the same year construction began on the St. George Tabernacle, completed in 1875. In 1871, work began on the St. George Temple. It was the first LDS temple completed west of the Mississippi River, in 1877. The two structures still stand today as monuments to pioneer determination and ingenuity. In 1911, the city established the Dixie Academy, which became a two-year college in Utah’s higher education system in 1933. Today the college boasts a student body of approximately 5,200 and contributes greatly to the city’s economy and cultural scene.

Today St. George is the eighth-largest city in Utah. Its metropolitan area is home to nearly 140,000 residents. It consistently ranks as one of the fastest growing areas in the nation for the last two decades. It has become a popular retirement and second-home destination due to its favorable climate and close proximity to incredible scenic and recreation areas, including Zion National Park, Lake Powell (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area) and Grand Canyon National Park.
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