Place · United States
The history of Hurricane
Assembled from 4 dug tiles · 43 sourced records · 1858–now · last reviewed 3 October 2026
Hurricane, Utah, was founded in 1896 after settlers finished a canal carrying water through solid lava rock to the Virgin River valley. From that farming settlement grew a city, its cemetery, schools and bridge, and later the subdivisions and commercial lots recorded here.
These are the individual spots Strata has dug in Hurricane — not a guide to the town, but a record of what happened on particular ground.
Digs in Hurricane
A newer house on the edge of HurricaneYou're standing on a residential lot in a subdivision called Point Break, on the outskirts of Hurricane, Utah.
1896–now Open ground above the Virgin River
You're standing on a small parcel of county land near the Virgin River, just outside Hurricane, Utah. LaVerkin
1893–now Commercial lot, Hurricane
You're standing on a half-acre commercial parcel on State Street in Hurricane, Utah.
1896–1994 Open farmland near Hurricane, Utah
You're standing on an 18-acre agricultural parcel outside Hurricane, Utah, near the Toquerville and La Verkin cemeteries. LaVerkin
1858–now
Hurricane in layers
until 1896
An earlier Hurricane post office in the area closed in 1896, the same year the town itself was formally established nearby. FamilySearch
The Samuel and Elizabeth Isom House, a historic home about 1.8 miles away, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikidata
The Hurricane Library-City Hall building, about 1.9 miles away, is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikidata
At Hurricane High School, a few miles off, someone tore down the American flag, shredded it, and ran up an ISIS flag in its place. KUTV
In Hurricane, a driver ran a red light and hit two women who were legally crossing the street, then fled the scene. KUTV
About a kilometer from here stands the Hurricane Library-City Hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikidata / National Register of Historic Places
The Samuel and Elizabeth Isom House, a historic residence roughly 850 meters away, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikidata / National Register of Historic Places
A kilometer east, the Emanuel and Ursella Stanworth House is another National Register-listed pioneer house in Hurricane. Wikidata / National Register of Historic Places
About 1.7 kilometers away runs the Hurricane Canal, a National Register-listed irrigation project that settlers blasted and dug through basalt to water the valley starting in the 1890s. Wikidata / National Register of Historic Places
Roughly 3 kilometers away, the Hurricane-LaVerkin Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikidata / National Register of Historic Places
Built to carry traffic across the Virgin River gorge between the two towns, this steel bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikipedia
This historic municipal building in Hurricane carries federal heritage protection. Wikidata / NRHP
1858-1882
Toquerville was first incorporated as a city in Kane County in 1858, before the county line shifted and it became part of Washington County in 1882. FamilySearch
1859
The Toquerville Cemetery, the oldest dated ground anywhere near this spot, was established in 1859, just over half a kilometer away. FamilySearch
1890s onward
Mormon settlers carved this canal by hand along the cliffs starting in the 1890s to irrigate the dry bench above the Virgin River, and it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikipedia
1894
The settlement a short walk from here became an incorporated city in Washington County. FamilySearch
1896
The town a few streets from you traces its start to 1896, when settlers finally finished a canal that let them farm this stretch of desert along the Virgin River. Wikidata
1896
FamilySearch's gazetteer lists Hurricane as a city from 1896, the same year the town's canal project succeeded and people began settling here permanently. FamilySearch
1896
Downstream, the town of Hurricane was organized as a city, taking its name from the fault and canyon wind that shaped the region. FamilySearch
1897
La Verkin was laid out and settled starting in 1897, two years before the Gubler family's own hard crossing of the Virgin River. OpenHistoricalMap
LaVerkin, January 1899
The Gubler family, the first settlers to reach LaVerkin, lost a baby when they had to cross the flooded Virgin River near the hot springs in January 1899. History of LaVerkin by Victor Hall
1906
The town's burial ground was established a couple of kilometers from here. FamilySearch
1908
A couple miles off, Hurricane City Cemetery has held the town's dead since 1908, just over a decade after the town itself was settled. FamilySearch
1908
A short walk north, the Bradshaw House-Hotel dates to 1908 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikidata / National Register of Historic Places
Questions about Hurricane
What is Hurricane known for historically?
Hurricane is known for the Hurricane Canal, engineered by hand through solid lava rock beginning in the 1890s to bring water to the desert and make the town's founding in 1896 possible. It is also known for several nationally registered buildings, including the Isom House, the Stanworth House, the Bradshaw House-Hotel, and the old Hurricane Library-City Hall.
When was Hurricane founded?
Hurricane was founded in 1896, incorporating as a city in Washington County that same year, after settlers completed the canal that allowed farming along the Virgin River.
What happened at Hurricane City Cemetery?
Hurricane City Cemetery has held burials since 1908, the same year the Hurricane-LaVerkin Bridge began carrying traffic across the gorge nearby.
What development has happened on the edges of Hurricane more recently?
Newer building has continued alongside the old: a house went up in 2021 in the Point Break subdivision on what was open desert, a commercial lot on West State Street was platted and built in 1994 near Hurricane High School, and an agricultural parcel near the La Verkin and Toquerville boundary carries a farm structure built in 2014 while remaining zoned for agriculture.
What is near Hurricane in La Verkin and Toquerville?
Close to Hurricane lie La Verkin, incorporated as a city in 1894 and platted in 1897, and Toquerville, whose cemetery dates to 1859 from its time as its own city between 1858 and 1882. A county-listed parcel of open ground sits between Hurricane and La Verkin near the historic bridge and cemetery.
When did Hurricane High School open?
Hurricane High School opened in 1924, and stands near both the Hurricane City Cemetery and the commercial lot recorded on West State Street.