Historic St. George, situated in the southwest corner of Utah, is a pretty interesting little place.

It was settled in 1861 when Brigham Young of the Church of the Latter Day Saints (the Mormans) called 309 families to grow cotton in St. George’s warm climate, in part to facilitate self-sufficiency for his community but also to aid the Union’s Civil War efforts.  Many of the families came from cotton country in the east, and had the requisite agricultural expertise.  They referred to the area as Utah’s Dixie, and the nickname stuck. 

Cotton farming continued for about fifty years, but once the railroad made its way through St. George, people found they could purchase cotton more cheaply than they could produce it.  Today, St. George’s main industry is tourism, its location to Zion and Bryce National Parks drawing many thousands of tourists each year.

The city’s historical buildings reflect two influences: a southern-based, gracious architecture, and a more wild-West-type construction.

In categories all their own …..

St. George boasts a tabernacle (and several other facilities) where weekly meetings and other non-ceremonial events occur, and the magnificent St. George Temple where weddings and funerals and so on for Church members occur.

Construction of the St. George Temple was completed by 1871, the first LDS temple west of the Mississippi River to be operational. (I have added a photo below from Wikipedia to the right as I was not able to access an overlook to take a similar picture.  It shows just how much the temple dominates the landscape of the city.)

St. George appears to be quite a cultural centre.  There are dozens of small art galleries and signs for dance schools and theatrical productions. Dixie State University has both dance and drama programs.  I noticed an advertisement for a student production of Don’t Dress for Dinner, a show Gateway Theatre in Richmond is putting on next season!  Street art is everywhere in the historic center and adds whimsy to the more formal setting.

Though St. George is in a desert, lawns are beautifully manicured and green, flowers – particularly roses – bloom in gardens and on boulevards and boxes along sidewalks.  Pride of place is not lacking in St. George.

St. George is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States.  Retirees seek it out for its warm weather, affordable housing and twelve local golf courses that can be played year round.  Wikipedia reports:  “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, [St. George] had the distinction in the late 2000s of having the fastest white population growth in the nation.”

My Road Scholar program started this evening with a dinner and an orientation.  There are 16 participants who will share a group leader (organizer), a bus driver and two professional photographers, all dedicated to making our trip enjoyable and worthwhile.  I LOVE these programs for their educational content.  Sometimes we learn from experts like our professional photographers, and sometimes we learn experientially.

Here, for example, I am learning about the benefits of 30 SPF sun screen.

Til tomorrow!