Place · United States
The history of Saint George
Assembled from 2 dug tiles · 27 sourced records · 1828–now · last reviewed 2 October 2026
Saint George, Utah, founded in 1861 as the Mormon cotton mission's base, holds ground that runs from an 1860 burial field to a 1990 shopping mall. Its roads, graves and storefronts have each been rebuilt in turn, while what they carry has stayed harder to erase.
These are the individual spots Strata has dug in Saint George — not a guide to the town, but a record of what happened on particular ground.
Digs in Saint George
A mall that buried its own anchorsA shopping center opened here in 1990 and has spent thirty-five years replacing itself, piece by piece.
1828–2004 The historian who broke a church's silence
A pioneer burial ground founded in 1860 holds the woman who told the truth about Mountain Meadows. Utah Tech University
1860–now
Saint George in layers
died 1898
John Lyman Smith, a Utah politician who died in 1898, is buried in Saint George City Cemetery. Wikidata
since 1860
A short walk from here, the Saint George City Cemetery has been burying residents since 1860, making it the oldest continuously used ground in the area. FamilySearch
since 1860
The Saint George City Cemetery, resting place of several notable locals, has held burials since 1860. FamilySearch
1861
St. George was founded as a settlement in 1861 and became the county seat of Washington County. Wikidata
1863
Middleton, a village between Washington and St. George, was settled in 1863. FamilySearch
1873
The Brigham Young Winter Home and Office, built in 1873 for the Latter-day Saint leader, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikidata
dedicated 1877
The St. George Utah Temple, dedicated in 1877 and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands roughly a kilometer from here. Wikidata
1877
The St. George Utah Temple, one of the first Latter-day Saint temples completed in the American West, was dedicated in 1877 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikidata
died 1898
John Lyman Smith, an Utah politician who died in 1898, lies in the same cemetery near here. Wikidata
died 1989
Juanita Brooks, the American historian known for writing honestly about the Mountain Meadows Massacre, is buried in Saint George City Cemetery a short way north. Wikidata
founded 1911
Utah Tech University, founded in 1911 as a Latter-day Saint academy, stands less than 300 meters from here. Wikipedia
died 1993
Rose Bascom, an American trick rider who died in 1993, is buried in Saint George City Cemetery. Wikidata
1926-1973
East Saint George Boulevard carried US 91 from 1926 until the route was rerouted away from it in 1973. OpenHistoricalMap
1926-1974
Red Cliffs Drive carried US Route 91 from 1926 until 1974, when the designation moved elsewhere. OpenHistoricalMap
1936 and 1953
John Taylor Woodbury, an educator who died in 1936, and his son John Taylor Woodbury Jr., also an educator, who died in 1953, both lie in the cemetery close by. Wikidata
1936-2001
St. George Elementary School, built in 1936 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was torn down in 2001. Wikidata
1962-1969
Utah State Route 67 passed within about 90 meters of here between 1962 and 1969, before the road network was renumbered and it vanished from the map. Wikidata
since 1964
Utah State Route 34, a state highway, has run close by here since 1964. Wikidata
1969-1991
After Route 67 was decommissioned, the same road near here carried the designation Utah State Route 281 from 1969 until 1991. Wikidata
built 1985
Greater Zion Stadium, the university's athletic stadium, was built in 1985 about 700 meters from here. Wikidata
opened 1986
Burns Arena, the indoor sports arena at the university, opened in 1986 a short distance to the south. Wikidata
died 1989
Juanita Brooks, the historian who wrote the first honest account of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, is buried in the Saint George City Cemetery a short walk away. Wikidata
1990
Red Cliffs Mall, a shopping center a short walk away, opened its doors in 1990. Wikidata
died 1993
Rose Bascom, an American trick rider who died in 1993, is buried in the cemetery a short walk from here. Wikidata
Questions about Saint George
What is Saint George known for historically?
It is known as the seat of the Mormon cotton mission, founded in 1861, and for the St. George Utah Temple, dedicated in 1877 a kilometer from the city cemetery. The city cemetery itself, laid out in 1860, holds Juanita Brooks, the historian who in 1950 published the first honest account of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, naming the men who gave the orders.
Who is buried in the Saint George City Cemetery?
The cemetery, in use since 1860, holds historian Juanita Brooks (died 1989), Utah politician John Lyman Smith (died 1898), trick rider Rose Bascom (died 1993), and educators of the Woodbury family buried there in 1936 and 1953.
What happened to Red Cliffs Mall in Saint George?
Red Cliffs Mall opened in 1990 at the Interstate 15 interchange on Red Cliffs Drive as the only indoor mall between Las Vegas and Utah's Wasatch Front. None of its original three anchors — Walmart, ZCMI and JCPenney — remains; each space has since been rebuilt, re-tenanted or torn down, most recently by H&M, AL's Sporting Goods and a donut shop called Not Enough Nelsons.
Why is Juanita Brooks significant to Saint George's history?
She published in 1950 the first honest account of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, naming the men who gave the orders despite the cost to her standing in her own church. She is buried in the Saint George City Cemetery, founded in 1860.
What roads once ran through this part of Saint George?
Red Cliffs Drive once carried US 91 from 1926 to 1974, and a state highway ran through the same stretch from 1962 to 1969 before becoming Route 281 until 1991. Utah State Route 34 has run past the area since 1964.