Kane County history

Settlers didn’t start to return seriously until 1870, and when they did they tried to make Kanab a beautiful and prosperous community.

In March 1874 Brigham Young encouraged the formation of a United Order at Orderville.

Kanab town board, 1912-14, with "Mary W. Howard," mayor, in center. (Mary's real last name was Chamberlain, but she used another name to protect her polygamous husband, Mr.

The population reached 125,327 by 1930, and continued to grow slightly even during the Great Depression.

Indeed, she made enough to buy five lots in the 1500 block of Hoyt Avenue, a 1936 five-window Ford coupe and a used 21-foot travel trailer, all of which she and Bob immediately put to use as their first home in Aurora.

Although they would later characterize their early relationship as “not romantic,” Louise and Bob married a year later (1942) in Salt Lake City and returned to Aurora, where they raised a large family and become bedrock citizens of the fledgling Mormon community in Aurora.

First home in Aurora – trailer on vacant property 1945.

During the construction of Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Arizona, which began in 1956, Kanab's population doubled and the economy boomed.

Family portrait 1963 (Ginger was away at BYU).

On March 5, 1968, after yet another day of unsuccessfully looking for work, Bob went to Maudsley’s store, found Louise and said, “There’s no work out there.