Washington Location

Southern Utah was originally called “Dixie” because of the task that pioneers from the Salt Lake Valley had before them in the late 1800s: grow cotton and provide the textile industry the parched Utah desert needed to become prosperous. Washington City was founded with a cotton mill constructed right in the heart of the community. Although the development of cotton production in Dixie did not succeed as well as pioneers originally hoped, Washington City and Washington County soon became a high-traffic area for many different industries. Tourists from all across the country would flock to Washington and St. George to visit the beautiful desert trails. Iron mining in Iron County would make its way west to California through Washington City. In turn, Washington City grew orchards of peach, pecan, and pistachio trees that would feed the entire state.