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Show Introduction A BIT LIKE HEAVEN X he people of Garfield County are fiercely attached to their communities and the scenic land which surrounds them. Lifelong county resident Marilyn Jackson admits it is not quite heaven, but believes it comes close: How do you describe heaven? Does it have blue skies with beautiful mountains? Are there streams and lakes with tall pines and wild flowers on the countryside? Are there valleys where lush grass grows and winter snows glisten in the sunlight? Is it picturesque with every hue of the rainbow, and has four distinct seasons? Are the climate and soil just right for growing? Are there minerals and natural resources abundant? Is it free from earthquakes, tornados, war, crime and turmoil? Are there friendly neighbors and [a] good standard of living?1 Settling the rugged canyons and high valleys of the county was a monumental task for the hardiest of pioneers. Beginning with the men and women who first settled Panguitch in 1864, each generation overcame obstacles and hardships to provide for themselves and their ix INTRODUCTION posterity a better and more prosperous life. Today, eight towns dot the varied landscape of Garfield County. Panguitch, the county seat, is the largest, with 1,444 residents in 1990, and is the gateway to one of the nation's most scenic wonders-Bryce Canyon National Park. Tropic, with 374 inhabitants, sits at the foot of Bryce Canyon and provides warm hospitality to those who venture east beyond the park into the vast beauty of what is called "Color Country." South of Tropic is Cannonville (population 131) on the edge of Kane County's Kodachrome Basin with its sculpted red rock. Henrieville (population 163) is three miles east of Tropic on Utah's scenic byway, Highway 143, that leads from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef National Park, the southern part of which is also in Garfield County. Farther east are the towns of Boulder and Escalante, with populations of 126 and 818, respectively. Located in the heart of Garfield County, these two towns sit in the Escalante Basin, at the edge of mountains with the same names as the two towns. Boasting a heritage of five and six generations of Mormon immigrant ancestry, both communities have evolved into oases for the modern-day traveler. The water from the eastern slopes of surrounding mountains drains into the Colorado River and Lake Powell, traveling through the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Sitting on the north and south ends of the county are Hatch (population 103) and Antimony, the county's smallest town, with 83 people. Garfield County has a history of mining, logging, ranching, and farming-producing cattle, sheep, timber, fruits, and vegetables. Because of the distance to larger population centers, manufactured goods and services have always been more costly in the county than in more densely populated areas. Some families whose ancestors had homesteaded their land relinquished it in the hope that obtaining grazing permits would be more economical than maintenance costs of owning the land. After World War II, growth generally was limited to what the area's natural resources could sustain, and many people-especially the young-left to find work in factories and industrialized cities. Once independent and self-sufficient, families struggled with increasing restrictions on surrounding public lands because their economy was based on natural resources. Controls on the lands that have traditionally provided these resources created INTRODUCTION XI problems for many residents. Today the county has new life, however, and anticipates the continued expansion of tourism, which is now the county's largest industry. An estimated 90 percent of those who visit the county are drawn there by Bryce Canyon National Park. Many return to see Garfield's other scenic sights, hike in its canyons, fish in its streams, hunt in its mountains, raft through the Colorado River's Cataract Canyon, explore the county's history, and marvel at its ancient Anasazi and Fremont rock art and archaeological sites. Those who live in Garfield County, whether they be oldtimers or newcomers, feel a sense of place among its red rocks and mountains. They value the land and its history-their history. It is the hope of the authors that their efforts in researching and writing this book will do justice to both people and place. This history is intended to supplement the several fine town and county histories that have been published in the past. It is hoped that it will augment those works by providing in one volume an overview of Garfield County's history that is as accurate as possible and accessible to the general Utah population and the schools of the state. Readers should not expect to find detailed family or town histories here, but, rather, selected examples and accounts of some of those who helped build the county. Both authors have roots that go deep in Garfield County history. Vivian L. Talbot's father was born in Panguitch. One of her greatgrandfathers was William Orton, an early county settler. Her husband was also born in Panguitch; his family was part of Panguitch's first and second settlement. Linda King Newell's grandfather George Davies and his first wife, who are buried in Escalante, raised ten children on Boulder and Escalante mountains. He later had the first U.S. mail contract between Junction and Escalante. Her grandmother Emma Carson Morrill Davies lived at the Blue Springs fish hatchery with her family early in the twentieth century. Several aunts and uncles made their homes in the county, and Linda grew up with fond memories of summer visits to Escalante to see Woolsey cousins. As a college student, she worked three summers at Bryce Canyon Lodge. Over the years, both authors have maintained a keen interest in Garfield County and its people. This book could not have come to fruition had it not been for xii INTRODUCTION people from each town who gave us access to photographs, family histories, town histories, and other historical materials. They include Fay Jepsen of Boulder, June Shakespear of Tropic, Dorothy Leavett of Cannonville, Marilyn Jackson of Escalante, Beth Allred of Hatch, Dorothy Houston of Panguitch, Teora Willis and Jeanie Chynoweth of Henrieville, and Nancy Twitchell of Tropic. We thank each one for collecting, writing, and sharing so much information. We also thank Karl C. Sandberg for sharing his history of Widtsoe. Garfield County Commissioner, Louise Liston, has been especially helpful and patient, as has Camille Moore and others who work in the county commissioners' offices, especially Donna Guida. We appreciate the encouragement, help, and gentle prodding Kent Powell of the Utah State Historical Society has given us from the beginning. He and Craig Fuller started us out on firm ground by providing us with a list of historical sources that held information relevant to this project. We thank Richard A. Firmage for his fine editing of the manuscript. Finally, we thank our husbands, Jack Newell and Grant Talbot, who have accompanied us on many research trips to Garfield County, offered suggestions on the manuscript, and, in Grant's case, researched many historical details we were able to include. We also appreciate their love and support throughout the entire project. ENDNOTE 1. Marilyn Jackson, "The Unraveling of a 'Shurtz Tale': An Epoch of Escalante Excitement," 1994, unpublished manuscript in possession of authors. uo 9 o |
