Cedar City - Utah

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Cedar City, Utah

A bronze monument stands on Center Street in Cedar City, a tribute to a hero of American history. It depicts a horse plowing through snow drifts at the energetic urging of two men behind him riding in a wheeled cart. The statue is visible from the campus of Southern Utah State College which owes its existence to his apparent determination and hard work. His name was Old Sorrel.

Although Cedar City is now beautiful, well-run, and a popular tourist destination, in the late nineteenth century, this was not the case. It was an unknown compared to larger centres in the state but, nevertheless, it was chosen as the location for the Southern Utah State College, probably due to the fact that it had no pool hall or saloon. Classes were held in a social hall but then the state's Attorney General proposed moving the facility to a more-deserving location in a different city with a proper set of college buildings. By the time this threat was made, winter had set in and there was no more timber available. A group of men went into the mountain to bring back supplies of wood.

The expedition would have been a failure without Old Sorrel, who, time after time, plunged into the chest high drifts and back out again with the precious loads. The college was built on time and Old Sorrel's contribution was remembered in local history. The student body at the university commemorates him in their ongoing tradition. In order to become a true Thunderbirdthe name of the sports teamsone must kiss his or her true love near Old Sorrel's statue at midnight under a full moon. The pet cemetery in Cedar City also bears his name.

The university employs the largest group of people, with tourism, agriculture, and mining also contributing to the economic success of Cedar City. The field office of the Sulphur Springs Herd Management Area is there. This is one of many such offices in Utah which enable herds of wild horses of Spanish ancestry to roam free and protected. Such protection programs function with the help of the Bureau of Land Management.

Utah Shakespeare Festival
Frontier Homestead State Park Museum
Heritage Center
Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery
five national parks: Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Canyon, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Pipe Springs National Monument
Great American Stampede
Neil Simon Festival
Paiute Restoration Gathering and Pow Wow
Brian Head Ski Resort
Utah Summer Games