St. George dominates Utah's Dixie | The Salt Lake Tribune

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Name • St. George

Location • Southwestern Utah

History • St. George is named after Mormon apostle George A. Smith, known as the Potato Saint because he urged settlers to eat raw potatoes to prevent scurvy. According to www.Utahsdixie.com, Mormon leaders sent 309 families to St. George in 1861 to grow cotton. St. George became the Washington County seat in 1863. Its Mormon temple, dedicated in 1877, is the longest continuously operated LDS temple in the world. Dixie Academy, established in 1911, was precursor to today's Dixie State University.

Today • The city is one of the fastest growing in the United States and is Utah's eighth-largest city with a population of 120,000. Its warm winter weather draws golfers and sports teams from all over the West. St. George offers visitors 39 parks, 30 trails, four public golf courses and a beautiful town square with water features. Events such as the St. George Marathon and Ironman competitions draw hundreds of competitors. The Dixie Center hosts numerous conventions. The adjacent Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum is also a popular attraction. Mormon history buffs can enjoy touring the St. George Tabernacle, temple visitor center and Brigham Young Winter Home.

Tom Wharton