Inside Cover: Washington County is Utah's region of lowest altitude (2,500 feet). The aridity, warm winters, and semitropical crops have made it appeal to residents from the Anasazi Indians to those of the present. This book traces the history of the county from ancient times to the coming of Mormon settlers in the 1850s. It includes the founding of St. George in 1861, chronicling the determination of the early settlers as they fought the heat and drought. The subsequent century-long isolation of the area is examined as well as the more recent boom times in which Utah's Dixie has been radically transformed as a destination recreation spot and residence for ever-increasing numbers of retirees and others. The challenges this unparalleled development has brought about are also examined - particularly the challenge of managing the growth while preserving the beauty of the surprisingly fragile land.