School Spirit and the Sugarloaf
The Sugarloaf in the Community
The Sugarloaf, also known as “Dixie Rock” is an iconic part of the St. George landscape. The rocks and caves on the hill are featured prominently in historic folklore, events, and photographs. A humorous article in The Cactus in 1868 referred to the “Sugar Loaf Cave” as the abode of a “Dixie Monster” with the head of a “beautiful young lady...but shaped like an ostrich; its legs and feet are like those of a donkey, and its tail has the appearance of a spotted serpent, about 35 feet in length.”[1] In the moonlight it would leap on top of the Sugarloaf and cry “bitterly, like a child in trouble.”[2] Later, more serious folklore claimed that the St. George Narrows (also known as “the Crack”) were haunted by ghosts who “were likley [sic] to push the rocks together and crush unfortunates who might be squeezing their way through the chasm.”[3]
The red rocks around the Sugarloaf have been extensively used as a spot for gatherings and recreation for generations. Elizabeth Kane wrote about taking her sons exploring on the Sugarloaf and around the red rocks in 1872.[4] In 1909, community members improved access to the top of the Sugarloaf by creating steps and building a bridge over the crevasse.[5] The area was also used for various organizations, such as Boy Scouts and “Bee Hive Girls” (a Latter-day Saint organization for young girls) who would tell stories and jokes, play games, and sing songs.[6] In 1920, community members sought to expand access to the Sugarloaf area and turn it into a place for tourism and community events.[7] They constructed a road and stated that the “natural amphitheatre [sic] immediately southeast of the Sugarloaf where open air concerts, operas, band recitals, theaters, etc. could be given a splendid view of the surrounding country...it will be a great objective for tourists when made easily assesible [sic] besides being a place for the pleasure of the local people.”[8] Upon completion of the road, the formal dedication of the St. George Sugarloaf Amphitheater was attended by hundreds, many of whom came by automobile.[9]
School Spirit
The Sugarloaf was an important representation of local school spirit. In 1913, only two years after the founding of St. George Stake Academy (later Dixie High School and Utah Tech University), students branded the Sugarloaf with “DIXIE” in large white letters.[10] Originally, class years were written on the Sugarloaf, and local legend asserts that class rivalry over painting the school years led to replacing years with the word “Dixie” as an act of compromise.[11] Whether compromise or not, class rivalry and painting school years on the Sugarloaf continued at least as late as 1919.[12] The first yearbook, 1913, featured students standing on the painted Sugarloaf.[13] Later, the yearbook remarked, “the most important student-body day, a day that we will ever remember, is the one when the boys painted ’Dixie’ on the Sugar Loaf, where it will remain to speak of our work till time is no more.”[14] The Washington County News reports that students painted “Dixie” on the Sugar Loaf during a school holiday on Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, 1913.[15]
The Sugarloaf continued to be an important location for the schools and community. Ellen Bonadurer attended Dixie College in the early 1970s. She remembers life in St. George at a time without many activities in the city. College events, like games and dances, were popular throughout the community, not just with students. Outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping, fishing, rappelling, and swimming were also important recreational activities, and the Sugarloaf was a popular spot for outdoor adventures. She recalls campfires in the cave with students and church groups where people would share local legends. She also remembers going through the “Crack;” the first students through would rush up to the top and drop pebbles on those still making their way through.[16]
After the high school and college split in 1963, Dixie High School continued to maintain the “Dixie” on the Sugarloaf, and it was considered an honor to be picked to help paint the sign.[17] According to Irene Hacker, who painted the “E” in 1970, being involved in school activities provided opportunities to put one’s name in a hat from which seniors were drawn and given the privilege to rappel down and paint. Irene remembered college girls using the Sugarloaf as a tanning spot.[18] Students also frequented an eatery on St. George Boulevard named the Sugar Loaf Cafe, in honor of the local landmark.[19]
The Sugarloaf Today
The area around the Sugarloaf is known as Pioneer Park today. The Sugarloaf, itself, is often referred to as “Dixie Rock” and is easily accessible along the Red Hills Parkway. The city has added parking, campfires, and picnic areas.[20] It is still a popular location as an easy outdoor excursion for both tourists and locals. It features spots for hiking, climbing, rappelling, outdoor exploration, and stunning views of St. George. The park is next to the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. A partnership between the City of St. George, Washington County Water Conservancy District, and the Virgin River Program created the Red Hills Desert Garden immediately east of Pioneer Park that adds new activities and educational opportunities to the area.[21] Additionally, there are plans to develop the area further with an interpretive trail to explain St. George’s history and the local use of the term Dixie.[22]
Citations
[1] "The Dixie Monster," The Cactus (St. George, UT), September 19, 1868, Microfilm, Utah Tech University Special Collections.
[2] "The Dixie Monster," The Cactus.
[3] A. K. Hafen, Dixie Folklore and Pioneer Memories (St. George, Utah: A.K. Hafen, 1961), 13.
[4] Elizabeth W. Kane, A Gentile Account of Life in Utah's Dixie, 1872-73: Elizabeth Kane's St. George Journal (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Tanner Trust Fund, 1995), 7-8.
[5] "Local and General News," Washington County News (St. George, UT), November 25, 1909, 8, Utah Digital Newspapers, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6tt652g/21868460.
[6] Washington County News (St. George, UT), January 27, 1916, 1, Utah Digital Newspapers, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s62n6gd4/21893127.;
Washington County News (St. George, UT), August 19, 1920, 2, Utah Digitial Newspapers, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6cv5xxq/21915872.
[7] "Will Build a Road to Sugarloaf Saturday," Washington County News (St. George, UT). April 15, 1920, 1, Utah Digital Newspapers, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6zs49pb/21913834.
[8] "Will Build a Road to Sugarloaf Saturday," 1.
[9] "Dedicatory Program Sugarloaf Amphitheater," Washington County News (St. George, UT), May 6, 1920, 1, Utah Digital Newspapers, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6km0s2d/21914177.
[10] "Local and General News," Washington County News (St. George, UT), February 13, 1913, 8, Utah Digital Newspapers, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6cr77kp.
[11] Matthew Bentley, "Remembrances of the First D-Day (From the Journal of Matthew Bentley)," "Dixie Days," In Daily Spectrum Washington County Edition (St. George, UT), April 20, 1983, 1-2, 8, Washington County Library Special Collections.
*Bentley’s account, though informative and quoted in local newspapers and University histories was recorded decades later and the original document is untraceable.
[12] E. M. Hall and Paul Thurston, "The Following Excuse was Handed In," The Dixie Owl (St. George, UT), February 20, 1919, 3, Utah Digital Newspapers, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6m675nd.;
"The Juniors," The Dixie Owl (St. George, UT), February 20, 1919, 8, Utah Digital Newspapers, https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6m675nd.
[13] The Student Body of St. George Stake Academy, The Dixie (Salt Lake City: Arrow Press, 1913), digital page 4, Utah Tech University Library Digital Collections, https://digital.library.utahtech.edu/items/show/781#?c=&m=&s=&cv=.
[14] The Student Body of St. George Stake Academy, The Dixie, digital page 12.
[15] "Local and General News," Washington County News, February 13, 1913, 8.
[16] Ellen Bonadurer, Personal Interview, St. George, UT, February 21, 2024.
[17] Brian Passey, "Call 'Dixie Rock' By its Real Name," The Spectrum (St. George, UT), November 7, 2015, https://www.thespectrum.com/story/life/2015/11/06/some-might-call-dixie-rock-but-s-sugarloaf/75252246/.
[18] Passey, "Call 'Dixie Rock' By its Real Name.”;
The Confederate Staff, Dixie College Confederate 1985 (Provo, UT: Community Press, 1985), 22, Utah Tech University Library Digital Collections, https://digital.library.utahtech.edu/items/show/1406#?c=&m=&s=&cv=.
[19] Confederate (St George, UT: Dixie College, 1967), 169, Utah Tech University Library Digital Collections, https://digital.library.utahtech.edu/files/original/30c9ed9d64e9598c75eee7268a66a1fa.pdf.
[20] "Pioneer Park," City of St. George, accessed February 21, 2024, https://www.sgcity.org/pioneerpark/.
[21] "About Us," Red Hills Desert Garden, accessed February 21, 2024, https://redhillsdesertgarden.com/about-us/.
[22] Alysha Lundgren, ”'The Views are Just Phenomenal': New Pioneer Park Trail Would Connect the Past to the Present," St. George News (St. George, UT), July 29, 2022, https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2022/07/29/agl-the-views-are-just-phenomenal-new-pioneer-park-trail-would-connect-past-to-the-present/.;
Mark Eddington, "Kevin Costner to Build Film Studio in Southern Utah, St. George Mayor Announces During Address," The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City), February 14, 2024, https://www.sltrib.co/news/2024/02/14/kevin-costner-build-film-studio/.
Images
The Dixie 1913 (St. George, UT: St. George Stake Academy), digital page 4, Utah Tech University Special Collections and Archives, https://digital.library.utahtech.edu/items/show/781#?c=&m=&s=&cv=.
Dixie 65 (St. George, UT: Dixie Junior College), digital page 22, Utah Tech University Special Collections and Archives, https://digital.library.utahtech.edu/items/show/1116#?c=&m=&s=&cv=.
"The Dixie" 1914 (St. George, UT: St. George Stake Academy), digital page 54, Utah Tech University Special Collections and Archives, https://digital.library.utahtech.edu/items/show/782#?c=&m=&s=&cv=.
"Dixie Sugarloaf," Dixie State University Photography, July 16, 2019, https://photos.utahtech.edu/Active-Life/1920/Pioneer-Park/i-H8W85Jw/A.
Confederate 1981 (St. George, UT: Dixie College), 5, Utah Tech University Special Collections and Archives, https://digital.library.utahtech.edu/items/show/1402#?c=&m=&s=&cv=.
"Sugar Loaf Cafe," Confederate 71 (St. George, UT: Dixie Junior College), 222, Utah Tech University Special Collections and Archives, https://digital.library.utahtech.edu/items/show/1392#?c=&m=&s=&cv=.