Roughly 150 Years Ago

In 1861, John C. Hall, with about 15 other families, including some Terry Crawford folk who were to get mixed up with the Halls in the next generation, settled on land in what was called Adventure, Utah (later Rockville), along the Virgin River. There was nothing there but dirt, muddy water, and indians. Adventure was an appropriate moniker. Beyond the confines of this and the other small settlements in the area there are to this day only dirt and muddy water.
A history of Washington County, written for the 1996 state centennial (sometime between 1991 and 1996), indicates that the US census of 1880 showed approximately 40 percent of those listed in a local census of 1864 were still living in the county. By that time Saint George, actually one of the last cities to be set up in the area, had a large tabernacle and a temple, dedicated in 1877. It surprises me that they managed to stay alive those 15 or so years, let alone thrive. I am not sure I'd have been in that 40 percent.
About 40 years after the Halls arrived, Alf and his large family of mostly boys had helped create the 7.5 mile Hurricane Canal and the family moved onto the land watered by that ditch.Victor still lives in one of the houses. There are still Halls in Hurricane and the surrounding area, although possibly more in the cemeteries than elsewhere.
I suppose that I have always felt the crossing of the plains by my ancestors was relatively easy. One even remarked that it was an unremarkable trip. But when I visit southern Utah and think of what it entailed to make a go of things there, I am truly amazed. In spite of the conveniences of air conditioning and such, I would likely not choose to live there. But it is nice to visit (in the spring or fall).