1886 Map of Kanab

About this map

Kanab and the high plateau country of Southern Utah are documented here during the late nineteenth-century period of Mormon pioneer expansion. The map captures a series of small, vital agricultural settlements established along water sources, including the historic communities of Orderville, Mt. Carmel, and Glendale situated in the upper Virgin River drainage. This survey, under the direction of J.W. Powell, illustrates the immense geological staircase of the region, clearly labeling the distinct Pink Cliffs, White Cliffs, and Vermilion Cliffs. These massive escarpments dictated the paths of early travel and commerce, such as the route between Panguitch and the southern frontier. Beyond the larger towns like Parowan, the map identifies smaller, localized sites such as Butlerville, Ranche, and Johnson, which provide essential geographic markers for genealogists tracing family locations before the modern highway era transformed the landscape.