Santa Clara, Utah

WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Santa Clara, Utah

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Jacob Hamblin and some other Indian missionaries came down the Santa Clara area in 1854 and established a fort in 1855. They were sent by the LDS President Brigham Young to teach and work with the native Paiute Indians. Slowly, families from Fort Harmony and San Bernardino settled the area. In 1861, a contingent of Swiss Mormons were sent down to establish a colony. They cultivated the land and it became the fruit and vegetable garden for Washington County.

LOCATION

TBD

HISTORY

In 1854 Santa Clara was started and was the headquarters of the “Indian Mission.” Jacob Hamblin was the leader of the group.

The "Cotton Mission and Settlement" period was one of expectation for the continued viability of Santa Clara and surrounding communities. After visiting the region in 1861, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'(LDS) President Brigham Young called several hundred families to settle in the area to assist with the production of cotton which was found to grow well in the warm region. A large percentage of these families were Swiss converts to the LDS Church who had recently emigrated to the state and had a knowledge of raising grapes, another plant found to grow well in the area, for the production of wine for the sacrament and for sale. The Swiss immigrants settled in the area which would become the present-day community of Santa Clara. Just weeks after the their arrival a long period of rain struck the region causing extensive flooding which destroyed the fort and original settlement. The earlier English speaking settlers then moved into the area occupied by Swiss immigrants which incited minor cultural clashes that took years to resolve. Cotton production, which was the impetus for settling the region, declined for various reasons in the following decades until it was almost nonexistent by the turn of the century. But the warm climate was found to be ideal for raising fruit, and fruit production became the main occupation of the residents of Santa Clara. In fact the raising and selling of fruit would remain Santa Clara's chief resource for more than the next half century.

The "Early Twentieth-Century Development" period saw little change from the previous period in Santa Clara. Fruit production was the chief occupation and source of income for the residents. The population grew but at a very slow pace. Because of its remoteness and climate, few people were attracted to Santa Clara as a place to live. But families expanded enough to require a larger replacement for the meeting house and the construction of a new school in the early part of the century. The fruit industry expanded greatly as means of transporting the produce improved. Trucks were purchased by some shippers to sell the fruit in out of state markets. Although the railroad never made it to the region, a major highway, the "Arrowhead Trail" was constructed right through Santa Clara in the 1920s. This brought many travelers to the area who bought fruit in the city at roadside stands. With the highway also came increased tourism which brought more business to the area, although mainly to St. George, the largest settlement in the region. Santa Clara thrived on the fruit industry until the lnterstate-15 project bypassed the area in the 1970s.

HISTORIC SITES

George & Bertha Graff Home
Hans George Hafen Home
Jacob Hamblin Home
Hug/Gubler Home
Lemuel & Mary Ann Leavitt Home
Frederick & Anna Maria Reber Home
Frederick Jr. & Mary W. Reber Home
Santa Clara Relief Society House

PHOTOS

REFERENCES

Santa Clara official website

Wikipedia article about Santa Clara

A history of Santa Clara

Joyce W. Whittaker, "History of Santa Clara, Utah: a Blossom in the Desert".
St. George: Santa Clara Historical Society, 2003.

Washington County Chapter, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, " Under Dixie Sun".
1950 with 1978 Supplement.
Pages 145-176, Supplement Pages 40-44.