Colonization / History

The first attempt by Anglo-Americans to establish a permanent settlement was made on 7 June 1858. The story of Kanab's first two decades is one of a series of unsuccessful efforts at colonization, each discouraged by attacks from hostile Native American tribes who were clearly opposed to white settlement of the area. Originally, the area was considered suitable for cattle raising. But equally important was the extension of Mormon dominion into northern Arizona. (Utah History Encyclopedia) The little stone house featured on the right is the last of 3 and was the residence of one of the three wives of a previous owner. The old house by the lake It had been build on top of a spring in order to be able to reach for water in case of eventual Indian attacks during the 1800's Since then rot and decay took over the old dwelling.

1921 - Kanab, Utah, is a city celebrated for its breathtaking scenery, temperate climate, and sturdy settlers. A sort of oasis in the surrounding desert environment, Kanab's wide, tree-lined streets and substantial architecture create a favorable atmosphere. The word "Kanab" comes from a Paiute Indian word KHAN meaning "willow basket used to carry an infant on its mother's back.

Kanab: The beginning. Jacob Hamblin played a key role in negotiations with the Native Americans that eventually opened up the area to white occupation. LDS Church President Brigham Young appointed Hamblin president of the Santa Clara Indian Mission on 4 August 1857. Hamblin organized a series of expeditions to the Paiute, the Moquis, and the Navajo to negotiate terms of peacefully sharing the land. Nevertheless, through the 1860s raids and confrontations occurred regularly between the two groups. Initial attempts at settlement of Kanab included a fort built in 1864-65 (soon vacated), another in 1868, and a third attempt in 1870 by a colony of seventeen settlers who came to the area from Cottonwood, south of Salt Lake City. During the summer of 1870, the fort at Kanab was described as a bustling center of activity. It became the focal point for local pioneering, missionary work, and exploration, and was also a relief point, trading-post, and base of operations for the Geological Survey. President Young visited the fort in April 1870 to bless the land and set it apart for the gathering of the Saints. He made the decision to stock the country with cattle, sheep, and horses. Within months, the town site was surveyed and town lots were distributed among the local families. The next day the Mormons organized a ward; in September the group built a schoolhouse

The name of Cave Lakes Canyon (Discovery) January 25 1873, Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh, (1853-1935) from the Colorado River Expedition led by John Wesley Powell, came in this area to complete the discovery of this unknown region Dellenbaugh, a mapper /writer/ photograph for the John Wesley Powell expedition through southern Utah marked their passage in this area by engraving his name on the wall of one of the numerous caves with a lake they had discovered in this beautiful canyon south of Kanab, JK Killers made a picture of this cave that was printed (Page 349) in his 399 page book: " The Romance of the Colorado River".

Thirty two years after that great adventure, Dellenbaugh's book, published in 1902, with 200 pictures, records the courageous deeds of men in frail boats who faced the force of a great river and its raging rapids. Chapter seven, page 204 he describes " A trip from Kanab through unknown territory and the discovery of a Cave Lakes Canyon"- Edition by GP Putman's sons, New York & London, 1902. He named the picture : "A cave lake in a sandstone Cliff near Kanab, South Utah" When he was barely 17 years old, Fred Samuel.Dellenbaugh joined the daring expedition with Major Powell, that mapped and described the last great stretch of unknown land in the continental United States - the Grand Canyon and the area drained by the mighty Colorado. Thirty two years after that great adventure, Dellenbaugh's book, published in 1902, with 200 pictures, records the courageous deeds of men in frail boats who faced the force of a great river and its raging rapids. Chapter seven, page 204 he describes " A trip from Kanab through unknown territory and the discovery of a Cave Lakes Canyon".. Edition by GP Putman's sons, New York & London, 1902.

In his book "Canyon Voyage," Frederick Dellanbaugh, described Kanab "The village which had been started only a year or two was laid out in the characteristic Mormon style, with wide streets and regular lots, fenced by wattling willows between stakes. Irrigation ditches ran down each side of every street. The entire settlement had a thrifty air as is the case with the Mormons. Not a grog-shop or gambling saloon, or dance hall was to be seen; ordinarily the usual disgraceful accompaniments of the frontier town." (Utah History Encyclopedia) Powell's group wintered at Kanab, Utah, and busied themselves making a detailed topographic map of the area. Dellenbaugh's personal travels encompassed much of the area surrounding Kanab including the Kaibab Plateau, Hurricane Mesa, Markagunt Plateau overlooking Zion National Park, and the edge of the Grand Canyon near Toroweap Valley. Although the railroad never came as far south and east as Kanab, the Deseret Telegraph line came to town in 1871 and connected the area to the rest of the world.

A visitor to Kanab one year later described the struggles of the desert town: "The grasshoppers had taken part of the wheat that was growing. The crop was light at the best, having been planted with a lick and a promise and not watered until too late to have a satisfactory stand." Because of the difficulty in working the land, the locals decided to organize cooperatively for farming. The group farm was located south of the town and included 120 acres of corn, cane, and other food products. In 1881 President John Taylor of the LDS Church called James Guthiar and Ruben Broadbent to move to Kanab to build a grist mill in Kanab Canyon, three miles north of town. During the 1890's, Zadok K. Judd built a small grist mill on his own property to the east of Kanab. Later in 1915 a group of investors built a third major grist mill. Most Kanab residents today are LDS. Other churches include the Catholic Church of St. Christopher, Victory Baptist Church, United Church of Kanab, New Hope Bible Church, and a Jehovah's Witnesses Assembly Hall.

Movie Production - Kanab:"The Little Hollywood": Famous author Zane Grey wrote his first successful books here and this attracted a Tom Mix. film production crew at the beginning of the silent movies era in 1924. Tom Mix shoot "Deadwood Coach," with the Vermillion Cliffs as a backdrop. Meanwhile, blight had struck the grasslands making cattle unprofitable. The town of Kanab was dying. The Parry brothers who had helped make the film decided to market the town to Hollywood and shot photos by plane and on horseback of every conceivable shooting location. Cave Lakes Canyon was favored many times for shooting location .. Hollywood bit on the idea, and movie making became a huge boom for the town. Townspeople did everything from driving trucks to act in bit parts and made in a day what their other jobs paid in a week. This income allowed townspeople to pay grocery bills and taxes sometimes years past due. For the first time, every youngster was able to afford to go to school. "It's a little Hollywood all on its own," said director William Wellman, "Every beard and blonde is catalogued in a casting directory for the convenience of visiting movie makers." Another director commented, "Any place else, we have to start from scratch. Here we don't. The people, the stock, everything we need - all are trained and ready. Kanab became a hub of filmmaking activity during the golden era of Western films in the 1940's and 50's. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "How the West Was Won", "Mackenna's Gold", "The Outlaw Josie Wales", "The Apple Dumpling Gang" and many more Planet of the Apes. Kanab in the 70's " Planet of the apes" scenes were shot close to Cave Lakes Canyon entrance. Kanab has been the site of over 92 feature length films as well as several hundred TV shows. Besides the scenery which hasn't changed much since most of it is protected in the form of National and State Parks and Monuments, the Lone Ranger's perch still sits in Kanab Canyon and the Gunsmoke sets as well as other sets are still lovingly maintained by the people of Kanab. Locals hired as actors Lew Applegate, the town barber, doubled in brass as an actor. He was a natural! City Council Members worked as horse wranglers. Mayor Verne Lindquist chauffeured movie directors. The Sheriff George Swapp doubled on screen as a camp cook. Bishops from the Mormon church even suspended their duties to work as cowboys, stunt riders, or even Indians!

Some famous actors from films made here: John Wayne, Loretta Young, Henry Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck, Anthony Quinn, Maureeen O'Hara, Don Ameche, Linda Darnell, John Carradine, Russell Simpson, Chief Thundercloud, Burl Ives, Audie Murphy, Charlton Heston, Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn, Lloyd Bridges, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Shelley Winters, Telly Savalas, James Garner, Jack Nicholson, George Hamilton, George Peppard, James (Jimmy) Stewart, Raquel Welch, Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Burt Reynolds, Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Richard Burton, Dennis Weaver, Roy Rogers, Ronald Reagan, and many many more!

Films made in the Kanab, Utah area: