We the People of Ivins
“We the people” of Ivins stand with gratitude for both past and present pioneers who have made Ivins one of the best places to live in Utah and the nation. Known for its beautiful red mountains, Ivins is a scenic, safe, and serene city offering a diverse mix of residential developments. The vision, industry and thrift of early settlers, as they tackled complex problems and projects, is inspiring. Their legacy has established the beautiful and thriving city we call home.
By the third generation of Swiss immigrants sent by Brigham Young in 1861, farmland along the river was becoming scarce. To expand farming opportunities required building an eight-mile canal and a storage pond/reservoir between 1909 and 1918.
In 1920 the St. George/Santa Clara Irrigation Company surveyed a townsite with one-acre lots where thirteen young, ambitious families built their homes including William & Matilda (Stucki) Gray, Edward & Lula (Stucki) Tobler, Leo & Tessie (Graf) Reber, Earnest & Jetta (Gubler) Reber, Samuel & Viola (Tobler) Gubler, Clement & Audra (Hafen) Gubler, Loren & Fern (Reber) Stucki, Rulon & Vera (Staheli) Stucki, Jacob & Jennie (Laub) Gubler, and Harmon Jr. & Myrtle (Laub) Gubler.
Early living conditions were challenging. The land was covered with sagebrush and ankle-deep sand. Some families lived in tents and chicken coops until they could complete their small adobe brick homes. They grew hay and grain and raised cows, chickens, and pigs to support themselves. The children attended school when they could, riding on horseback three miles away to Santa Clara.
In 1926, residents felt there were enough families in town that it was time to build their own chapel. When completed, it became their principal gathering place not only for the church but all community meetings and events.
The residents also decided to name the town Ivins in 1926, after Anthony W Ivins, who was a St. George City Mayor, State Legislator, and an Apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He had endeared himself to the people in this part of the state through his work with the Shivwits Band of Paiutes and to the town residents by donating the bell for their chapel.
Residents brought electricity to the town in 1930 by providing the poles and labor. Residents also constructed a pipeline across the lava beds between 1924 and 1938, bringing culinary water to Ivins. It was a luxury to have electricity, a flushing toilet and a bathtub that could be filled from the tap.
The town of Ivins was incorporated in 1935 and grew slowly until the early 1980s when Kayenta, a unique desert community focused on preserving the natural landscape with large lots and low-profile southwestern-style homes. Retirement communities were also developed, bringing a new image and interest to Ivins.
The renowned Tuacahn Amphitheatre was completed in 1995 attracting thousands of visitors to its theatrical productions and concerts. Ivins also became known for its resort spas including Red Mountain Spa and Movara Fitness Resort (formerly a “Biggest Loser Resort”).
The completion of Snow Canyon Parkway in 1998 provided a critical second convenient access to Ivins on the east side, and in that same year Ivins achieved “city” status with a landmark population of 5,000 residents.
Other notables built in Ivins include the Southern Utah Veterans Home, The Kayenta Center for the Arts, Rocky Vista University medical school, and Vista Charter School.
One of the newest projects in Ivins is the Black Desert Resort with choice accommodations and a world class golf course that hosts exclusive PGA and LPGA tournaments each year.
With a current population of approximately 10,000, the story of Ivins City is truly something to celebrate as “we the people” reflect on the successes of our city and nation.
The Way Myrtle Gubler Saw Ivins 100 Years Ago
“As you travel north and west of the Santa Clara Valley, you suddenly come upon a view that defies all nature to surpass. There is the snow-capped Pine Valley Mountain rising in the distance in its majesty of sapphire blue. Underneath, in a gradual slope, God has lavishly bestowed his colors of purple, black, gray, and red. Then comes an abrupt decline of red cliffs that tower for hundreds of feet in the air. The lights and shadows playing on its rugged surface bring out the colors more vividly. To the west and south, high mountains raise their towering peaks in the distance, and in the center of all this lies a flat open bench known as the Santa Clara Bench. To the north and nestled underneath these perpendicular cliffs, lies the town of Ivins.” (From Myrtle Gubler 1930’s in the book Under the Dixie Sun.)
