Every rural person and place has a story. Change is part of that story.
“Rural Utah at a Crossroads” is part of the Smithsonian traveling exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America, which explores the changing meaning of rural life and identity. Utah Humanities is touring Crossroads to eight rural communities across Utah in 2024. As part of the tour, Utah Humanities and Utah Public Radio are partnering with exhibition hosts to interview local residents about change in their communities.
This interview took place at the Washington County Library in partnership with the Silver Reef Museum in Leeds, Utah.
David Hinton: I love the history of Southern Utah.
I'm currently on the Hurricane City Historical Commission. I have been a member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers for the last 25 years. I've served as the president of that organization three times, and the National SUP has had me serve as an area vice president for eight years. I was the Director of the Family Search Center in Hurricane for five years. I currently work at the Family History Center, plus I work at the Red Cliffs Temple. I've worked in the St. George Temple for seven years. I taught school for 25 years. I taught third grade. I taught music for two years, second grade one year, and third grade all the rest.
I love Hurricane more than I've ever loved Hurricane because I know its history. I know the people because I've read their histories. I know the people who built this community, I know what they went through. When I say I know what they went through, I don't know it experientially, because you have to live it. My family was the first family in Hurricane. What I didn't know all growing up — and I think my mom and dad just felt that it was obvious — I was related to almost everybody in town, and I was calling all of the older ladies Aunt and all of the older men Uncles and I loved that. It felt comfortable to be there, and then I found out later in life that they really were.
The faster the population grows, the faster you lose connection with people. It is harder to connect because people are coming in so fast, and there's just no way. I used to know everybody in town, and now, because I was a teacher, many know who I am, but I don't know a lot of the new people who come into town. There's not a whole bunch of people alive today, older than me, in Hurricane that have lived there as long as I have. Having that history is everything to me, and so I'm glad I'm on the Historical Committee.
Somebody came and asked one of the pioneers that built the canal to Hurricane. He said, "How did you do that?" He said, "Well, you know how many people Brigham Young sent down here to do this?" "Yeah." He says, "You know how many people left because they couldn't deal with it?" "Yes." "Well, the people that were left are the people that had the fortitude and the courage and the dedication the determination to stick with it, no matter how hard it was." They're the reason it's here.
“Rural Utah at a Crossroads” is a collaboration between Utah Public Radio, Utah Humanities, and the community hosts of Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition made possible in the Beehive State by Utah Humanities.
Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.
