Old Highway 91 renamed ‘Old Dixie Highway 91’ by Washington County Commission

ST. GEORGE — Old Highway 91, possibly best known as an alternative route to Interstate 15 into Arizona, was renamed on Tuesday by the Washington County Commission.

Washington County Commissioner Gil Almquist speaks to the Old Highway 91 name change, St. George, Utah, Jan. 18, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Washington County / CEC, St. George News

In a bid to keep the heritage of the “Dixie” name alive in Washington County, the commission renamed the segments of the old federal highway that still run through the county “Old Dixie Highway 91.”

The name change, which was proposed via a resolution and unanimously approved by the commission, was brought forth by Commissioner Gil Almquist.

“Some time ago, being kind of the history buff myself, and of course, we’ve all been talking about Dixie over the last couple of years, there are a couple of things related to the history of the area that I was intrigued by when somebody approached me and said, ‘What do they call that highway? Because the county’s been taking care of it,’” Almquist said prior to the vote renaming the roadway.

Before I-15 was built, the primary road through Washington County and south toward Las Vegas and California beyond that was U.S. Highway 91. North of the county, it ran through Beaver, then Nephi and then up to Salt Lake City and further north into Idaho and Montana.

A map showing the original route of U.S. Highway 91, date unspecified | Image courtesy of the Washington County Historical Society, St. George News

Almquist said the roadway had served as the primary northern and western route into Utah’s Dixie “since day one.”

What became the highway was once known as the Arrowhead Trail, according to the Washington County Historical Society, and was designated as U.S. Highway 91 in 1926. The highway was at its peak between 1947 and 1965.

The road was replaced by I-15 by the mid-1970s.

“Clear back in 1974 the federal highway system tried to give it to the state and the state didn’t want it and the county ended up with it,” Almquist said. “It’s still well-traveled and anytime somebody knows that something’s going on in the gorge and that highway (I-15) is shut, you’ve taken Old Highway 91 to still get to Vegas.”

People who maintain addresses with Old Highway 91 on them will not be required to change to the new name, Almquist said. However, future signage from the county for the roadway will be updated with the new name, he said.

Almquist then went on to read the resolution that proposed the name change:

Whereas Highway 91 became the major route into Southern Utah’s Dixie from the north and the west, and whereas portions of the highway still play a vital role in the transportation system of Southern Utah, now therefore let it be proclaimed by the county commissioners of Washington County, Utah, that to recognize and preserve the name Dixie, Old Highway 91 will now be referred to as Old Dixie Highway 91, and any portions of the highway still being used should be so designated through signs or plaques to commemorate a vital part of Dixie’s true history.

Part of the resolution also gave a brief overview of the Southern Utah’s history involving Latter-day Saint pioneers who were sent to the area to grow cotton, which played a factor in the region’s nickname.

“I think this is a phenomenal use of the name Dixie and a good way to maintain our Dixie heritage and I fully support this,” Commissioner Adam Snow said.

Commission Chair Victor Iverson agreed, saying an important way to support the region’s heritage was “by keeping the words and references to it.”

Old Highway 91 street sign in Ivins, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

The Dixie name, while a longstanding moniker used by Washington County residents in connection with the area’s history and heritage, has not been without controversy in recent years. Beyond the boundaries of the county and Utah, affiliations to the Confederacy, slavery, oppression and bigotry tend to be made. Many local residents have fought back against this association, often arguing the Utah’s Dixie is not associated with the Confederacy or slavery, but the area’s own unique history and is not offensive.

The negative association with the name outside of the state was a large part of the argument that led to Dixie State University recently getting its name changed to Utah Tech University.

Prior or the Utah Legislature voting late last year to approve the name change, which will begin to be seen around May, the Washington County Commission passed a resolution supporting the university’s original name, and sent it, along with a letter, to state lawmakers asking them not to approve the name change.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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