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Because the St. George area is located between the Rocky Mountains and the desert southwest, it features the distinct landscapes of both. It has forested mountain ranges and high plateaus, along with rugged and starkly beautiful red rock desert.
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Thursday, October 30, 2008

From a historic cotton mill factory to a nursery and landscaping business




Star Nursery, today

One of St. George’s neighboring towns is Washington City. Washington, named after our first president of the U.S., was established by the pioneers around the late 1850’s, before the now bustling town of St. George came into existence, which the pioneers also established. Washington was settled mainly at that time to grow cotton. Because of the war soon to break out between the North and South states, it was evident that obtaining cotton from the southern states was going to halt.

The climate and weather conditions were perfect in Washington City and trial cotton crops were planted, proving that cotton could grow and mature there and cloth made from it. By 1870 the Cotton Factory was fully completed with three floors, enabling the cloth to be produced there rather than having the lint baled and sent away to others to produce cloth. This offered a ready market for the cotton grown.

The factory never was a real money maker but it helped keep the pioneers in the area and provided them with work and an income, which they could not get anywhere else. It also supplied them with the cloth they needed to make their clothes.

Once the railroad came through and the Civil War ended, the pioneers were able to obtain goods from the east, and the need to raise cotton decreased. The Factory was closed in 1910 and basically stood empty for around 75 years.

The Civilian Conservation Corps used the factory grounds for their campground in the 1930’s and in 1985 the old cotton factory property was saved from demolition and was renovated and used for a community social hall and the Washington Cotton Factory was then listed on the national register as a Utah Historic Site.

In 1998, the old factory building and grounds was resold and the lower floor of the building and most of the grounds were converted into a nursery and landscaping business called Star Nursery, which prospers today.

Click on the following link to see photos and read more:
http://www.millpictures.com/mills/details.cfm?millid=886

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Gratitude for our wonderful weather !


I just got back from visiting up in colder northern Utah for a week, and gosh I am sure appreciative for the mild weather we have here in St. George this time of year and also into the winter months. I can’t handle the colder temperatures.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Do you want to take a ride over St. George in a hot air balloon?



This might be a fun, scenic ride but I don’t care to find out, thank you. But you might be interested.

For information on how to take these balloon rides over St. George, go clear to the bottom of this home page for a photo and a link to where to go to find out.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

St. George Art Museum..."The Art of Zion National Park"


Show available:
August, 25 2008 through January, 24 2009

Zion National Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2009. To mark this historic event, the St. George Art Museum will host the most comprehensive exhibit of Zion ever mounted, a landmark three-part exhibition display August 25, 2008-January 24, 2009.

Click on the following link to learn more about the exhibit:

http://sgcity.org/artmuseum/exhibititem.php?id=77

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

The St. George Marathon


The 32nd annual St George Marathon is underway and set to be largest race in its history.

This 2008 marathon cap was set higher than ever before at 7000 runners.

The Marathon experience starts Friday morning October 3, at the NordicTrack Health and Fitness EXPO held at the Dixie Convention Center from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The EXPO will consist of nearly 70 vendors, Runner Packet distribution, marathon information, and multiple prize giveaways. Also there will be various clinics being held throughout the day including a first timer’s clinic, a Clif Bar Pace Team clinic and a special guest speaker Rod Dixon. An all-you-can-eat pasta dinner will be served from 4:00-8:00 for all paying customers.

The race itself will begin with bus loading at 4:00 a.m. The last bus will leave at 5:30 a.m. Hand cycle and wheelchair participants will start their journey at exactly 6:40 with runners following closely behind when the gun goes off at 6:45.

Come share with the St George City in this historic event, when 7000 runners from 49 states and 10 foreign countries take part in a run of a lifetime.

Click on the following link to visit the St. George Marathon website:

http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com/events/press.php