History:
Springdale, Utah lies at the southwest
entrance of Zion
National Park and within an hour's
drive of the borders of both Nevada and
Arizona. The town was first settled by
Mormon pioneers, in the autumn of 1862,
who were establishing a "Cotton Mission"
under the direction of the Mormon Prophet
Brigham Young. According to local legend,
Springdale got its name from the wife
of one of the earliest settlers, Albert
Petty. When Mrs. Petty saw that the spot
for their new home was close to several
springs, she named the site "Springdale."
As roads and automobiles improved, visitors
began arriving around 1917 to stay at
the Wylie Way Camp, one of the first tourist
businesses in the Zion Canyon area. In
1909 the Mukuntuweap National Monument
was established and later renamed Zion
National Park in 1918. As the popularity
of Zion increased, Springdale became a
tourism oriented community. The completion
of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and Tunnel
in 1930 further facilitated travel to
the area, and now roughly three million
visitors come annually though Springdale,
Utah to visit Zion National Park.
Springdale is now a modern, safe, clean,
and vibrant vacation destination community
with hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts,
fine dining, excellent gift shops and
art galleries. Outfitters provide opportunities
for horseback riding, mountain biking,
canyoneering (rappelling and climbing
in slot canyons), river tubing and many
more enjoyable outdoor activities. The
views of the park are excellent from anywhere
in the town of Springdale. The town boast
three excellent entertainment venues:
The O.C. Tanner Amphitheater - site of
many outdoor concerts, The Bumbleberry
Theater - host to many theatrical styled
musical presentations, and the Zion Canyon
Giant Screen Theatre offering IMAX films
on Zion National Park and other films
of current interest.
Additional History:
Like other towns in southwestern Utah,
Springdale has both an Indian and pioneer
heritage. Archeological evidence suggests
that the area was continually populated
as early as 500 A.D. and up until about
1200 A.D. when the Anasazi Indians left
the area. However, the first European
expedition through the area, led by Franciscan
priest Silvestre Velez de Escalante, in
1776 encountered Paiute Indians. These
Indians relied upon the nearby Virgin
River to support their existence.
The hearty group of early European settlers
endured a rustic existence until the turn
of the twentieth century when improved
roads and the introduction of cars brought
tourists to the area. However, the early
settlers placed importance on education
and they set up a school shortly after
they arrived. The school taught the basic
subjects of reading, spelling, writing,
and arithmetic. Since the children were
mainly focused on helping their families
with farm duties, school attendance was
typically infrequent as children in the
same family took turns going to school.
Originally, life was also rough as many
of the houses were made of wood and covered
in mud, many tools were handmade, and
surrounding Indians continually threatened
the settlers.
Until the late 1800s, Springdale was
a satellite community of Rockville, a
larger town nearby. Residents traveled
to Rockville for shopping, services, and
church. It was not until about 1885 when
Springdale got its own school and church,
and the first post office was built here
in 1897.
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