Southern Utah Family History & Genealogy Group

SOUTHERN UTAH FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY GROUP
Washington County PAF User Group

St. George East Stake Building
449 South 300 East, St. George, UT
Saturday, May 21, 2011

GREETERS .................... Sandra Bryant and Helen Lenz WELCOME: .................... Fran Lightner at 10:00 am

OPENINGPRAYER: .............. Gatha Wilson

Welcome was extended to all members and visitors.


TEACHING MOMENT: ............ Genealogy Related

President Fran Lightner introduced Alta Thorpe, Chapter Regent of Color Country Chapter, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution. An organization that has dedicated themselves to historic preservation, promotion of eduction and encouragement of patriotic endeavor.

Fran Lightner then presented information relative to RootsMagic and backup information for the database.


PRESENTERS : ................ Don Snow
Douglas D. Alder has lived a Utah life, spending one-quarter century in Salt Lake City and another quarter century on the northern border in Logan, Utah as a professor of history at Utah State University. He then spent nearly a quarter century on the southern border in St. George. Dr. Alder received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Utah, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1966. He taught European History at Utah State University, and served as the 14th President of Dixie College. After his presidency, he remained teaching history full-time, and later serving as an adjunct professor. He and his wife, Elaine, have four grown children, 12 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

PRESENTATION: ................ Dr. Douglas D. Alder
The presentation was begun by asking all present where they were born ….. finding no St. George natives. Dr. Alder has been and is currently involved in researching, reviewing, and typing oral histories of Washington County residents and searching for their descendants.
When you think of Dixie you think of ARID. The early settlers brought with them the ability to create irrigation and implemented it in the early years, which included many different techniques.
As the Mormons came into the area they created “villages”, even though farming was the main industry. The people lived in the “village” creating communities and not on the farms. The families 'in town” lived on one acre lots, and on these lots the family planted gardens which provided all their food while the fathers worked on the farms raising cotton and then alfalfa.
Within the communities large fantastic building were built, which compared to buildings in the eastern states. The Tabernacle, the Courthouse, the Cotton Factory, the Temple and the Opera House.
Dr. Alder addressed and spoke of the water problem, the springs, the canals, and the damns.
He spoke of why the Temple was built here in St. George, noting that after the tabernacle was near finishing the skills and materials were already here, therefore, St. George Temple came to be before the Manti and Logan Temples.

What a great presentation we had today. Those who missed it, missed an outstanding history lesson about Washington County. Dr. Alder, with Karl Brooks, has written the book, “The History of Washington County: Isolation to Destination.”

CLOSING PRAYER: ........... Julie Hammons
RECORDING SECRETARY: ...... June Morton


Members Attending: 25 Visitors: 3 TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 28

PRIZES: Carla Tobler, Sandra Brant, Merrill Hymas

Many Thanks go out to the Board Members who came early and set-up the room for this presentation.