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The small town of Panguitch, Utah, is a short drive west of Bryce Canyon National Park.
Introduction to Panguitch
Panguitch was settled in March 1864 by a group of Mormon pioneers led by Jens Nielson (1821-1906). Winter arrived early that year, with frost killing most of the crops they planted. Seven men ventured out on an emergency mission in search of food from nearby communities, but heavy snow caused them to abandon their wagons and continue on foot. According to tradition, they laid quilts on the snow to keep from sinking too deeply. When they returned from Parowan with enough grain to feed everyone in Panguitch, they were greeted as heroes. Their rescue effort is known as the “Quilt Walk”, and is still celebrated during the town’s annual festival.
In May 1865, due to the outbreak of the Black Hawk War, the LDS Church instructed the settlers to abandon Panguitch. Brigham Young (1801-1877) decided to resettle, sending another group in 1871. This time, they built a fort where all families lived until they could build houses and replant the crops. In addition to farming, they harvested wood from local forests and produced leather and bricks.
The town was incorporated on June 10, 1899. The name is derived from a Southern Paiute word for “big fish”. A social hall was built in 1900, but it burned down in 1920. It was replaced with a new building that still stands today.
A dark chapter in its history deals with the Panguitch Indian School, which was operated by the federal government from 1904 to 1909. Paiute children, some as young as six, were forcefully taken from their tribes to live at the school.
Since the establishment of Bryce Canyon National Park, the town has opened to tourism. There are plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreational activities in the area as well as several events throughout the year.
Main Street
Panguitch has a tiny but attractive Wild West style downtown, but unfortunately a lot of buildings were empty or boarded up during our visit. The downtown consists of a block of Main Street, and there were a couple of restaurants in town.
The Legend of Butch Cassidy
When we visited, in an alley next to Cowboy Collectibles (permanently closed). Photos of outlaws including Butch Cassidy (1866-1908) were on the opposite wall. According to local legend, Cassidy showed up in Panguitch nearly 30 years after he had reportedly been killed in Bolivia. The legendary outlaw grew up north of the town near Circleville.
On the opposite wall, there were a few pieces of kitsch, including two skeletons riding on a wagon.
