Show A centennial story I 1 of southern utah lets guard what Is left by W it earl rhinhart district conservationist CHAPTER V the iron county mission carowan parowan after the latter day saints reached the salt lake valley in july 1847 scouting parties were immediately sent to nearby areas captain jefferson hunt one of the first men to lead a party to the south traversed the area between the great salt lake and the little salt lake near paragonah Para gonah later in 1849 a reconnaissance survey was made southward to the virgin river by parley P pratt parley pratt piatt pi att recommended that the little salt lake valley be colonized As a result of this recommendation in january 1851 the iron county mission men 30 women and IS 18 children reached center creek the site chosen for the settlement thus began the settlement of louisa which is now named barov carowan parowan an this became the first settlement south of provo which was miles away j practically upon arrival they began clearing and plowing land for crops digging irrigation ditches e s and bringing in timber from the mountains for protection I 1 against possible indian raids they constructed a log house large enough to accommodate all of the settlement within a few years this structure was replaced by a fort 56 rods square surrounded by earth and timber walls 12 feet high thus was destined to be the hub of administrative coin commercial and ecclesiastical activities for a large atea before the settlement was organized 1 it was granted a city charter the sa same me as salt lake city ogden provo and manti aland it was made county seat of iron county which was then a strip of land miles wide extending from the rocky mountains to the sierra nevada mountains in 1851 and 1852 new outlying villages began to spring up cedar city paragonah Para gonah fort John johnson and fort harmony reports began coming comi ng in on potential farm areas grazing districts and town sites at ash creek virgin and sevier valleys the citizens of parowan carowan were the ones who took the leading part in founding of santa clara in 1854 beaver and miners ville vill 1856 washington 1857 to qu que erville rille virgin city and pioche nevada 1858 st george 1861 62 panaca and panguitch 1864 bluff 1880 and snowflake arizona and bighorn wyoming for almost 40 years parowan carowan Pa rowan the mother of the south was the largest city in southern utah and adjacent parts of nevada arizona and colorado today parowan carowan is exceeded in population by cedar city st george and panguitch there have been eleven changes I 1 in in the boundaries of iron county today parowan carowan still remains remains a prosperous town of attractive homes for farmers on adjoining lands and for stockmen stoc kmen who are using the vast range area on the mountains of the dixie national forest to be continued |