Mayor’s Message

Utah’s Garden City

Published Apr 7, 2022

Washington City was founded in May of 1857. Brigham Young sent groups of families originally from southern states like Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi to settle near the banks of the Virgin River as part of “The Cotton Mission”. As these early settlers soon found out, growing cotton in the desert was a daunting task. While success in terms of cotton production was meager, their legacy of resiliency, hospitality, and optimism in this arid land fondly referred to as “Dixie” since then lives on still today. Our annual celebration of Cotton Days is a tribute to them and to the rich heritage they planted. Over the years, residents have also planted and successfully grown various fruits and vegetables such as grapes, peaches, beets, radishes and onions. Hard work and the constant flow of clean water from local natural springs contributed greatly to their success. Because of this, Washington has commonly been called “Utah’s Garden City”, which is our Cotton Days theme this year. Whether you’ve been here for generations or just a few days, you‘re welcome to join in the fun. Of course these events don’t happen without community involvement and support, which we greatly appreciate. If you would like to roll up your sleeves and help, please visit WashingtonCity.org/volunteer.

-Kress Staheli

Mayor

kress@washingtoncity.org