Zion Canyon: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Zion National Park, National Park Service
Shapins Associates, Contractor. 2011. Zion Canyon: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Zion National Park, National Park Service. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 850485. NPS Intermountain Regional Office. Intermountain Regional Office/CLI Database
The proposed Zion Canyon Historic District is located in the heart of southwestern Utah’s Zion National Park. This landscape encompasses a large portion of Zion Canyon, which is the setting for the primary tourist facilities and many natural attractions in the park. From the Pine Creek residential area, the inventory unit follows the floor of the canyon northward all the way to end of the Riverside Walk (also known as Gateway to the Narrows). The boundary also encompasses certain features on the canyon rim, including Observation Point, the Cable Mountain Draw Works, and a portion of the West Rim Trail along Refrigerator Canyon. The period of significance for the canyon is 1862 to 1942. This span of time begins with the pioneer Mormon settlement of the canyon and continues through the area’s development for tourism by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Utah Parks Company, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad. The landscape provides evidence of broad historic patterns and distinctive construction styles, and its particular significance is associated with areas of conservation, architecture and landscape architecture, Pioneer Mormon settlement, and transportation. Mormon pioneers began locating to the upper Zion Canyon when Joseph Black discovered suitable farming terrain on the canyon floor in 1862. With the aid of irrigation systems, they led a subsistence lifestyle by raising corn, tobacco, fruit orchards, and livestock. The difficulties presented by the canyon environment resulted in the departure of the initial settlers; nevertheless, nearby Mormon settlers continued to rely on the canyon for farming and grazing, and the canyon landscape continues to bear evidence of these patterns of life. The early development of park and tourist facilities was the result of a partnership between the federal government, the Union Pacific Railroad, and the state of Utah. Basic accommodations and associated water systems were soon expanded and improved, corresponding with the evolution of transportation. Many important park facilities were designed during the Great Depression and constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), representing a significant period of park development and conservation efforts during the 1930s Era of Public Works. The Zion Canyon cultural landscape remains strongly representative of this era. Many cultural resources of the canyon landscape are associated with these significant historical periods. They include irrigation ditches related to Mormon settlement; the Cable Mountain Draw Works that delivered timber from the canyon rims to its floor; and the buildings, roads, and trails constructed in the NPS Rustic Style. Although park facilities were built over the course of many years, they remain united by design principles, use of native materials, and high-quality workmanship that characterizes the Rustic style. Though these resources have endured some changes since the period of significance, the overall landscape maintains a high degree of historical integrity. As of 2005, the condition of the Zion Canyon cultural landscape is good. As a whole, the landscape resources of the Zion Canyon Historic District continue to reflect pioneer Mormon settlement, regional development of the National Park Service, and the Era of Public Works. These landscape elements also exemplify the values and character of the NPS Rustic Style.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Shapins Associates, Contractor
- Date of Issue
- 2011-09-06
- Publisher
- NPS Intermountain Regional Office
- Units
- IMR , ZION
- Keywords
- Agriculture, Archeology, Architecture, Cable Mountain Draw Works, CCC, Civilian Conservation Corps, Concessions, Conservation of Natural resources, Designed Landscape, Exploration-Settlement, Farming Communities, Floor of the Valley Road, Gateway to the Narrows, Great Depression, Irrigation System, Isaac Behunin, Joseph Black, Landscape architecture, Mormon, Mukuntuweap National Monument, Observation Point, Origin and Development of the National Park Service, Pine Creek Residential Area, Pioneer Mormon Settlement, Planned Roads Highways and Freeways, Protection of Natural and Cultural Resources, Recreation, Refrigerator Canyon, Rustic Arcitecture, Rustic style, Small-Scale Commercial Agriculture, Southwestern Farmers, Subsistence Agriculture, telephone line, The 1930s: Era of Public Works, Thomas Vint, Tourism, Tourist Bus, Trace Road, Transportation, Transportation by Land and Air, Union Pacific Railroad, Utah, Utah Parks Company, Virgin River, Washington County, West Rim Trail, Wylie Permanent Camping Company, Zion Canyon Historic District