St. George, Utah

St. George, Utah was first settled by Mormon pioneers in late 1861. Located in southwest Utah the town is on the northern edge of the Mojave Desert and enjoys a warmer climate and longer growing season than the rest of Utah. Because the civil war had cut off many supplies from the east including cotton and other warm-weather crops a new source of these things was needed for the Utah pioneers. A settlement already established in Washington City five miles east of the St. George Valley had proved that cotton was a viable crop for the area. During LDS Conference in October 1861 one hundred families were called to leave their established homes in northern Utah, take their possessions, journey south, and settle St. George as a cotton mission. Most answered the call although they weren't able to sell their homes for much because so many were for sale at the same time. A few other families volunteered and came also.

The early settlement had many difficulties but the settlers persevered. Floods, disease, extreme heat, hunger, drought, poverty, and many other difficulties plagued the pioneers but most stayed. A beautiful temple and tabernacle were built in the midst of these other afflictions.

The hardy pioneers of St. George didn't ask to come but they answered the pioneering call and were willing to endure much so we can now enjoy living in this wonderful place. They would be surprised at their town today, according to the U.S. Census the population of St. George in the year 2000 was 49,663. -CBA

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St. George Cemetery Index from
"Cemetery Indexes for Washington County, Utah (1852-1996)" by Wesley W. Craig
Surnames beginning with:
A Ba-Bl Bo-By Ca-Ci Cl-Cu D E F G Ha He-Hy I J K L Ma-Mc Me-My N O P
Q R Sa-Sl Sn-Sy T U V Wa-Wh Wi-Wz X Y Z

Roberta Barnum and Wesley W. Craig's Pioneers to Dixie Index (1852-1870)
St. George Pioneers: A-E Surnames
St. George Pioneers: F-L Surnames
St. George Pioneers: M-R Surnames
St. George Pioneers: S-Z Surnames

Related links:

Note to all:

If you have histories of the 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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