WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Washington County, Utah

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The Washington County Historical Society (WCHS) is a non-profit organization incorporated on April 25, 1982. It was formed to promote and perpetuate the history of Washington County, Utah. WCHS operates as an “umbrella organization” to encourage and assist all interested Washington County communities with the organization of their city historical societies and to encourage them to promote historical preservation in their communities. Current constituents include:

• Enterprise
• Grafton Heritage
• Gunlock
• Hurricane
• Ivins Historical Society
• La Verkin
• Leeds / Silver Reef
• New Harmony Heritage
• Rockville
• Santa Clara Historical Society
• Springdale
• St. George
• Toquerville Historical Society
• Virgin
• Washington City Historical Society
• Daughters of Utah Pioneers
• Fort Harmony Historical Society
• Old Spanish Trail Association
• Sons of Utah Pioneers
• Southern Utah Cultural Center
• St. George Chamber of Commerce
• Utah Heritage Foundation
• Vision Dixie

The WCHS Governing Board is comprised of officers, directors, and representatives of each of these constituent historical societies all working together to preserve, protect, and restore the history of Washington County. The Board meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month between September and May to plan WCHS activities and to share information on the activities taking place in the individual constituent societies.

The Washington County Historical Society has been involved in many activities and projects since it was organized. One of its projects was to produce an audio tour tape/CD, a “Traveling History of Washington County, Utah.” These tapes or CD’s are still available and can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce, 97 East St. George Boulevard.

The Society maintains this website as a way of making our history readily available to anyone with internet access. It provides a place to record information about the County's people, places, organizations, and activities and includes links to other such information elsewhere on the web. The site is constantly evolving and should get better over time. If you have information that should be included or corrections to anything here, please contact us. Old photographs and stories are particularly solicited.

In 2005, the Washington County Historical Society adopted a program to make $1,000 grants available to those communities who had representatives serving on the County Historical Society Board. To date, five of these grants have been made to support worthy preservation projects.

Another program, adopted in 2006, was to award “Certificates of Commendation” to individuals or groups in Washington County who had been instrumental in a significant historical restoration. Awards are made each month at the WCHS general membership meetings and are publicized in local newspapers.

Funds for Washington County Historical Society activities and projects are raised by memberships and donations from the community.