Utah's "Dixie" Birthplace

Of the pioneers who came to Utah from the Southern States in the 1800s, a group was asked to go on to Southern Utah and grow cotton, a commodity needed in the face of the Civil War. Life was hard, food was scarce, and more babies and children died than lived as flood after flood destroyed their crops. Stories of individual pioneers. Over 200 photos. Statistical Info, maps, surveys, stories about people, folklore, medicines, food, superstitions, script used for money, etc. Sponsored by The Washington City Historical Society. Thousands of families left their homes to come to Northern Utah, almost a desert land. Among these stalwart pioneers came a group from the South, before the bitter fighting of the Civil War. These pioneers left a South that was fertile, lush, and green, where huge plantations grew bounteous crops. On March 3, 1857, Samuel N. Adair and ten other Southern families were asked by Brigham Young to go to Southern Utah-reportedly a more fertile land-to grow cotton, a much needed commodity. Less than a month later, Robert D. Covington and another group of twenty-eight Southern families left to join the first group. The day following their arrival on May 7, 1857, the two groups met together under the direction of President Haight of Cedar City and organized themselves to function as a group. They formed a city, which they named-Washington City. Immediately they started digging ditches and canals, then the greater effort of building dams-to provide water to irrigate their crops. These Southerners decided to name their land -Dixie-and later it was called Utah's Dixie. Life was hard and food was scarce. More babies and children died than lived. These stout-hearted pioneersfound the natural environment of Southern Utah unforgiving of their efforts to harness the river. Successive floods drowned out their hard fought efforts to produce crops. Eventually the railroad connected the United States from coast to coast and cotton became available. Thus the cotton effort in Southern Utah was brought to a close. The valiant efforts of these Southerners have never been forgotten and their legendary spirit remains with us today. Harold P. Cahoon, born in Salt Lake City, attended the University of Utah and gained a B.S degree in Ceramics. Receiving the Edward Orton Fellowship at the University of Washington, he graduated with a M.S. degree in Ceramic Engineering with a minor in Mineralogy. In 1955 he received a Ph.D. in Ceramics and a minor in Mineralogy from the University of Utah. He rose to president and CEO of Interstate Brick Company, and was also president of Entrada Corporation, Wasatch Chemical Company, Fox Clay Company, and Interstate Land Company. Priscilla Johnson Cahoon was born in Mesa, Arizona, and graduated from Lincoln High School in Orem, Utah. She is the mother of five children, twenty-five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. She was the president of junior and senior high school PTA organizations, president of Sugarhouse Rotary Arms, president of Neighborhood Garden Club, president of Salt Lake Literary Art Guild, Five-year Service Award volunteer at the Primary Children's Hospital, Member of the Preservation Commission of Washington City, and president of the Washington City Historical Society.