Southern Utah's largest town was founded in 1861 by more than 300 Mormon families from the Salt Lake City area, who received the call to go south and start the Cotton Mission, of which St. George became the center. The settlers overcame great difficulties to farm and build the city in this remote wilderness. Brigham Young chose the city's name to honor George A. Smith, who had served as head of the southern (Iron) Mission during the 1850s. (The title "Saint" means simply that he was a Mormon, a Latter-Day Saint.) The red rock area around the town has served as the setting for many movies, including: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and the opening scene of Romancing the Stone.

St. George Temple (400 East & 200 South) Visible for miles, the gleaming white temple was built in 1871. Dedication on April 6, 1977 brought great joy to church members because, for the first time, they had a sacred house of worship in the West. The St. George Temple is the oldest Mormon temple in the world that's still in use. It's constructed of stuccoed stone in a castellated Gothic Revival style; a cupola with a weather vane caps the structure. Sacred ceremonies take place inside, so no tours are offered.

Brigham Young Winter Home (on 200 North between Main and 100 West) Late in life, Brigham Young sought relief from rheumatism and other aches and pains by spending winters in Dixie's mild climate. This also gave him an opportunity to supervise more closely the affairs of the church here, especially construction of the temple. A telegraph line connected Brigham Young's house with Salt Lake City. He moved here late in 1873 and returned each winter until his death in 1877.

Jacob Hambil Home (Located in Santa Clara, NW of St. George) No one did more to extend the Mormon's southern settlements and keep peace with the Indians than Jacob Hamblin. He came west in 1850 with 4 children (his first wife refused to come) and settled in the Tooele area with wife number 2. At Brigham Young's request, Hamblin moved to the south in 1856 and helped built the Santa Clara Fort. He built the present sandstone house after floods washed away the fort in 1862. Almost always on the move serving on missions, Hamblin had little time for home life. He moved to Kanab in 1870, then south to Arizona and New Mexico. Even so, he had 4 wives (never more than 2 at a time) and managed to father 24 children.