1886 Map of Kanab

About this map

Kanab and the high southern plateaus of Utah are documented here in this late nineteenth-century reconnaissance, conducted under the direction of J.W. Powell. The map reveals a frontier landscape defined by dramatic geological transitions, from the White Cliffs and Vermilion Cliffs in the south to the massive Paunsaugunt Plateau and Markagunt Plateau further north. Early Mormon settlements such as Orderville, Glendale, and Mt Carmel are shown clustered along the upper reaches of the Virgin River and Kanab Creek, illustrating the era's reliance on canyon bottoms for irrigation and travel.