Population of Southern Utah

Abstract

IN planning their western exodus leaders of Church of Latter Day Saints outlined State of Deseret-a vast area that comprised present and Nevada, most of Arizona, half of Colorado, and parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, California, and New Mexico. As this little known region was thought available for colonization-and dominance-by Church, it became imperative to ascertain its character and potential resources. The Latter Day Saints reached shores of Great'Salt Lake in summer of 1847 and within a few months began a geographic study of their chosen homeland. They gave first attention to narrow belt of flat country along west base of Wasatch Range and Pavant, Tushar, and Markagunt Plateaus, where practical routes of traverse had been marked out by trappers, traders, and exploring parties, and where Indians were few. Superficial observation had shown that adjacent parts of were either alkaline deserts or rough lands of and canyons, occupied by vigorous, generally hostile Utes. The decision to give priority to examination of the lands along mountains was fortunate. Preliminary scouting revealed areas of fertile, easily tilled land, which could be irrigated at small costoases in a region of bare rock and dry sand-and, as exploration progressed during decade 1850-1860, more than 50 oases in a belt two to 10 miles wide and extending nearly across were found to be suitable for settlement. In southwestern oases at mouths of canyoned streams that reach back into Markagunt Plateau attracted pioneers to Paragonah, Parowan, Summit, Cedar City, Fort Hamilton, Kanarra, Pintura, Toquerville, and La Verkin, and farther north many similar sites were occupied; in fact, this belt of oases has proved to be most prosperous part of Utah. Within it reside about 80 per cent of population of state, and more than 40 per cent of population in entire intermountain region. It is interesting to note that because Oasis of Utah was first settled colonization of progressed from west to east and thus differs from most pioneering activities in neighboring regions. In southern villages at base of Hurricane Cliff were founded in 1850-1860, then in turn those in Parunuweap, Kanab, Johnson, Sevier, Paria, and Escalante Valleys (1864-1878), and in San Juan country (1880-1890). Unlike most other parts of United States, where pioneers individually selected home sites widely scattered on prairies, in mountains, along streams, and in woodlands, was systematically colonized as self-sufficient villages and history of state is concerned chiefly with growth of original settlements. Practically entire population of counties considered in this survey-San Juan, Kane, Garfield, eastern Iron, and eastern Washington-has always been restricted to villages which are surrounded by large areas of uninhabited land. The farmer lives on a town lot, which constitutes his garden and orchard, and