Heritage and History: Exploring Native and Settler History in a Town Known for Celebrations

Parowan Gap

17 miles north of Cedar City; In Parowan, turn west off Main Street onto 400 North, which becomes Gap Road. Continue for 11 miles through farmlands.

These rock panels are one of the most visible examples of the area’s Native American cultural heritage, including the ancestors of the Southern Paiutes and Hopi people, who passed through and lived in the area.

As you approach the Gap, it will be obvious how the site earned its name. There are two distinctive features: The natural Wind Gap, where an ancient river sliced through here and cut a 600-foot notch through the hills and out to the desert land beyond. Secondly, there is an extensive display of Native American rock imagery along the canyon walls — and dinosaur tracks just a short hike to the east (Read: How to Visit Rock Imagery Sites Like an Archaeologist). Rock writing can be seen from a self-guided walking trail, built and maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, with up-close viewing opportunities and explanatory signs along the way, so you’re invited to consider your own interpretations. 

The Parowan Gap, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers an excellent way to see rock imagery as well as etchings from early explorers and settlers, without a long hike. (For another view of the site, read: Cycling the Parowan Gap Loop.) One distinctive astronomical feature is the way the setting sun shines through the Gap on June 21, the summer solstice. Most likely, many of the area’s early travelers and residents recognized the Gap’s significance, and some of the imagery on the rocks served as a calendaring system and a natural observatory.

When you go: If you’re planning a trip for the summer Solstice, expect to join others who picnic, celebrate, and photograph the sunset in this unique location.

Historic Parowan and the Old Rock Church

59 S. 100 West, Parowan

Summer hours: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., through Labor Day

Parowan, something of a hidden treasure, was the first settlement in Southern Utah, established in 1851 by the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Old Rock Church, now a museum, offers displays of photographs, stories and memorabilia. Interior walls are covered with portraits of town founders, and their expressions reveal the work of everyday life. Tour guides will let you know that hundreds of the descendants of these hard-working settlers are still rooted in the area today.

Cedar City Veterans Park

200 N. 200 East, Cedar City

Maintained by the local Rotary Club, this park includes five individual memorial gardens honoring all branches of the military from World War I, World War II and the Korean War, as well as the Vietnam and Afghanistan conflicts.

The park offers serene settings memorializing each of the generations who fought. Features include a walking trail along Coal Creek to reflect and honor those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Each memorial lists the names of local members of the military from this area.

Frontier Homestead State Park Museum

635 N. Main St., Cedar City

Everything in one place — that’s a good way to conceptualize how people lived in the 1800s. The Frontier Homestead State Park Museum displays a large collection of tools, farm equipment, mining artifacts and architecture from the area’s early days. As you tour the museum, displays of everyday life from another era are a learning experience and a trip back in time. It may take visitors a better part of a day or several days to reach Cedar City, but the displays of stage coaches and prairie schooners makes viewers realize it took months for early settlers to cover the same distance.

Visitors can discover local history through demonstrations and exhibits, which include examples of farming and mining heritage. Throughout the year, the museum offers a variety of exhibits, such as gold panning, sheep shearing, pioneer laundry, spinning and weaving. Check the museum’s website for scheduled demonstrations. (Read: A Confluence of Pioneer and Native American Heritage in Southwestern Utah)

In mid-November, the state park celebrates the town’s birthday by hosting Iron Mission Days, featuring living history demonstrations presented by volunteers in period clothing. Among other demonstrations, sheep-shearing is a highlight, and worth planning ahead to see. After all, sheep ranching has been an area tradition for generations, and is still visible throughout the county.

When you go: Check the website for hours and events schedules: stateparks.utah.gov; also note the park is closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Cedar City Livestock and Heritage Festival and Sheep Parade

Main Street and Cross Hollows Event Center, 11 N. Cross Hollows, Cedar City

Evidence of the area’s thriving sheep ranching industry can be seen around town — you’ll note that cowboy culture is alive and well in Iron County. Visitors can watch the seasonal movement of sheep from the valley floor in the spring, up to the cool mountain pastures during the hot summer months as the livestock are moved to “follow the feed.” 

When autumn arrives, the cycle continues, as around 1,000 sheep are herded down from Cedar Mountain and paraded on Main Street during the Livestock and Heritage Festival. Locals commonly refer to this event as the Sheep Parade, which also features horses, wagons, antique tractors and bagpipe bands. The Sheep Parade is one of the most popular fall events in town, so mark your calendar.

When you go: The parade takes place at 10 a.m. on Saturday (usually the last Saturday in October) on Main Street. After the parade, festivities such as antique tractor and horse pull, cowboy poetry and music and Dutch oven cooking contest will take place at Cross Hollows Event Center. Free admission. More information available at cedarlivestockfest.com.

Old Iron Town

From Cedar City, take Utah State Route 56 west for about 20 miles; turn left onto Old Iron Town Road, ruins will be about three miles southwest on the left-hand side.

Mining for iron in the area dates back to 1868 at Old Iron Town, about 25 miles west of Cedar City. The mine was abandoned in 1876, when it was no longer cost effective to operate. Today, visitors can take a self-guided trail that winds through ruins of a bye-gone era, including an intact charcoal kiln, and the foundations of the schoolhouse, foundry and blacksmith shop.

Interestingly, the area has once again started to produce iron, as modern mining techniques make the process more efficient. The workings of the Utah Iron mining company are visible from the highway, but the mine isn’t open to the public.

Frehner Museum of Natural History

162 S. 200 West, Cedar City

The Frehner Museum of Natural History is one of Southern Utah University’s hidden gems, a gift from alumni Garth and Jerry Frehner. The museum is dedicated to researching and collecting natural science, while “providing interactive exhibits that illuminate humanities interconnection with the natural world,” according to the founders. Collections display archaeological artifacts, invertebrates, fossils, minerals, shells and a magnificent collection of taxidermy. The computer learning center offers a popular display for kids of all ages, bringing them closer to the world of nature.

When you go: Call ahead to make reservations for a free tour.

Pioneer Day

Utah’s unique state holiday on July 24 is a great time to visit Cedar City. Visitors should know this celebration marks the day pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entered the Salt Lake valley in 1847. They were led by Brigham Young, who declared “this is the right place, drive on.” That entry launched the settlement in what was then Mexican territory, and some 50 years later in 1896, it would become the state of Utah. Cedar City celebrates the holiday with parades, fireworks, costumed actors and outdoor concerts, mostly held at the Southern Utah University football stadium throughout the day and well into the night.