Ghost Town:
Hebron was located a few miles up Shoal Creek from where Enterprise now stands. It was situated in a small valley at the junction of the south and west forks of the creek in the northwest part of the county at an altitude of 5475 ft.
Hebron was settled about 1865 by several families who were sent there to produce cattle and to engage in dairying. Their was limited water and land in the little settlement so there was little inducement for the children of the first settlers to remain there.
At one time there were about a dozen families living there, and they had some fine brick buildings. There was one main street running east and west. Shoal Creek is formed by numerous mountain springs so they had good water into town - a lot of towns in the county had a hard time obtaining good water.
Hebron was first settled by John and Charles Pulsipher. These brothers had charge of the St. George stock, they found the location when looking for better herd grounds. This area had good water and plenty of food, they decided it would be a good place for the animals. They named Shoal Creek. The men later located their families there and others moved there, too. There was a band of Paiute Indians camped near the site and the settlers entered into an agreement with them. The Indians were willing to have the settlers live near them. The men and their families arrived at Shoal Creek in April 1862, they built homes that fall.
On May 6, 1866 at a conference held at St. George, the Hebron ward was formed. It included those living in the mountain districts of Pine Valley, Pinto, Mountain Meadows, and Shoal Creek. Later in 1866 some small settlements had to be vacated because of Indian troubles and the people of Shoal Creek built a fort on the present site of Hebron. In 1868, President Erastus Snow visited them and had them survey a townsite which they called Hebron. Soon after the land was laid out, most of the people moved onto their lots. Dudley Leavitt presided at Hebron until November 1869, when the people were organized into a ward, with George H. Crosby as Bishop. Thomas S. Terry succeeded him in 1877, then he was succeeded by Zera B. Terry. In 1894 George A. Holt succeeded Bp. Terry. Bishop Holt served until most of the people left Hebron and moved down to the edge of the desert where they helped found Enterprise. In 1905 the two towns were organized into the Enterprise ward.
The earthquake that struck the area on November 17, 1902 really hit hard at Hebron, all the brick and rock buildings were badly damaged. There was also a drought in the area and discouragement had set in. Water was scarce, it had to be hauled in barrels on stick sleds, sage and rabbitbrush were taking over their gardens, floods had cut washes through their limited land, and then their homes were damaged by the earthquake. Church officials recommended that the people of Hebron sell out, so most sold their water stock to the Enterprise Reservoir and Canal Company and moved into Enterprise. And Hebron became a ghost town. A deep wash now runs through the main street of what was once the town of Hebron. -CBA
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HEBRON
CEMETERY
HEBRON
PIONEER INDEX
Related links:
Early picture of Enterprise dam.
Hebron on ghosttowns.com - includes pictures of the cemetery
Hebron Ghost Town - on St.George Online
James Samuel Page Bowler - on Paul Price's site which also includes Alger and Pulsipher
Martha Ann Pulsipher - at www.barnum.org
Mary Ann Brown Pulsipher - this johnpratt.com site includes link to her husband Zera Pulsipher
Kate Bowler Pulsipher - this foremothers site includes another history of Mary Brown Pulsipher
www.algerclan.org - This site contains histories of several pioneers of Hebron. You must register to use the site but it is free. Histories include: Malinda Hunt, William Wesley Hall, Zera Pulsipher, Amos Hunt, John Pulsipher, Mary Brown, and Iona Almira Pulsipher.
Individual Accounts for 1902 Pine Valley Earthquake includes an account of the Enterprise/Hebron area.
Following is an article published in the Friday, May 16, 1997 SUN (Southern Utah News) published online by Redrock:
"HEBRON - DESCENDANTS OF HEBRON SETTLERS MAY FIND THEIR ANCESTOR'S FINAL RESTING PLACE IMPROVED. ENTERPRISE BOY SCOUTS PLACED THE LAST 28 OF 40 GRAVEMARKERS SATURDAY, ENDING A 10-YEAR PROJECT TO RESTORE THE HEBRON CEMETERY. PHIL TYLER, A DESCENDANT OF HEBRON PIONEERS, STARTED CLEANING THE AREA IN THE MID 1980'S, AFTER FINDING IT LOST AMONG WEEDS AND SAGEBRUSH. THE CEMETERY, AND TOWN, WAS ABANDONED IN 1902 AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE."
Note to all:
If you have histories of the Hebron pioneers (on a website or that you would
like to have published on the web),
other genealogy help for this town, or know of related links please let me
know.
--Cindy Alldredge
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Copyright © 2006 by Cynthia B. Alldredge