WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
IVINS, UTAH
LOCATION
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37° 10' 6.00" North Latitude, 113° 40' 46.50" West Longitude
37.1683° North Latitude, 113.6796° West Longitude 3,084 feet (940 meters) MSL For a street map, click here City Offices 55 N. Main Street Ivins UT 84738 (435)628-0606 |
HISTORY
Ivins City was settled between 1922 and 1926 by settlers descended from Swiss immigrants. The early settlers were sent to the "Santa Clara Bench", as the town was then called, to farm using water brought via a canal from the Santa Clara River. Culinary water was obtained from a spring then known as the Snow Canyon Spring, located in Snow Canyon State Park and now known as Johnson Arch Spring.Families supported themselves through the raising of agricultural crops and some grazed cattle on the Pine Valley Mountain and in the Pinto areas.
The first survey of the original town site completed in the 1920's was called the Santa Clara Bench Survey.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints subscribed for a considerable amount of land and water stock, when the project of building a canal on the Santa Clara bench was started. The Church paid in cash, which was so very important in purchasing the needed materials such as cement, flume materials, and other expenses. Apostle Anthony W. Ivins was the investigating authority sent down from Salt Lake City by the General Authorities, and his report was very favorable to the Church Officials.
After the town was settled and the chapel built, it was dedicated in November 1926 by President Anthony W. Ivins. At that time he was second counselor to President Heber J. Grant. A meeting was held with President Ivins being the principle speaker.
It was decided that this town should have a name other than Santa Clara Bench. Several names were submitted by the new settlers, however, the name chosen was sent in by Edward H. Snow, President of the St. George Stake. He suggested the new settlement be named after President Anthony W. Ivins, who had endeared himself to the people in this part of the country through his missionary work with the Indians. A short time after this, President Ivins met with the people and when they asked him if he objected to the town being named Ivins, he said, "No, as long as they spell it Ivins, instead of Ivens." At that time he contributed one hundred dollars in cash toward a new chapel and promised to send them a bell. This he did, and the bell still hangs in the belfry of the old church.
In recent years, Ivins has grown into a booming modern city with paved roads, expensive homes, churches, and other buildings.
Mayors:
TBD
Chris Hart (1/1/2010 - Present)
PHOTOS
TBDREFERENCES
Ivins official websiteIvins Historical Society
A history of Ivins
A history of Ivins
Wikipedia article about Ivins
"History of the Town of Ivins"
by Myrtle L. Gubler
" Under Dixie Sun"
Book by the Washington County Chapter, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
1950 with 1978 Supplement
Pages 431-435, Supplement Pages 17-18
"History of The Santa Clara Bench - Ivins - Our Home Beneath the Red Mountain"
Book by Emma Hafen Fife
Privately Printed, 2010