Kanab, Utah
Encyclopedia
Kanab is a city in and the county seat
of Kane County
, Utah
, United States
. The area was first settled in 1864 and the town was founded in 1870 when ten Mormon families moved into the area. The population was 3,564 at the 2000 census. Locals refer to Kanab as "Little Hollywood" due to its history as a filming location for western
movies and television series such as Daniel Boone
, Gunsmoke
, Windrunner: A Spirited Journey, Planet of the Apes
, El Dorado, The Outlaw Josey Wales
, The Lone Ranger
, and Stagecoach. Kanab is situated in the "Grand Circle" area, centrally located among Bryce Canyon National Park
, the Grand Canyon
(North Rim), Zion National Park
, and Lake Powell
. Other nearby attractions include Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
, the privately owned Moqui Cave
, and the largest animal sanctuary in the United States, Best Friends Animal Society
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 14.1 square miles (36.4 km²), of which, 14.0 square miles (36.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.28%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,564 people, 1,335 households, and 978 families residing in the city. The population density
was 254.2 people per square mile (98.2/km²). There were 1,492 housing units at an average density of 106.4 per square mile (41.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.77% White, 0.06% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races
, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.
There were 1,335 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.17.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,125, and the median income for a family was $40,778. Males had a median income of $31,741 versus $19,116 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,128. About 4.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
The text of Kanab's Natural Family Resolution is identical to a draft resolution created by the Sutherland Institute, a political think tank based in Utah that works towards public policy reform to reflect its notion of "traditional values". Echoing language from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Family: A Proclamation to the World
, the Sutherland Institute wrote the resolution and sent it to every city in Utah, hoping to see it adopted in as many places as possible. Kanab was the only city to do so.
, a snail species which was listed as an endangered species in 1992 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a species of conservation priority for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Kane County
Kane County, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,046 people, 2,237 households, and 1,628 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 3,767 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The area was first settled in 1864 and the town was founded in 1870 when ten Mormon families moved into the area. The population was 3,564 at the 2000 census. Locals refer to Kanab as "Little Hollywood" due to its history as a filming location for western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
movies and television series such as Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (TV series)
Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
, Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, Windrunner: A Spirited Journey, Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (1968 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison...
, El Dorado, The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Outlaw Josey Wales is a 1976 American revisionist Western film set during and after the end of the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood , with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldine Keams.The film was adapted by Sonia Chernus and Philip Kaufman...
, The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger (TV Series)
The Lone Ranger is an American western television series starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels as Tonto. The live-action series initially featured Gerald Mohr as the episode narrator...
, and Stagecoach. Kanab is situated in the "Grand Circle" area, centrally located among Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon which, despite its name, is not a canyon but a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau...
, the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
(North Rim), Zion National Park
Zion National Park
Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River...
, and Lake Powell
Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a huge reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona . It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing of water when full...
. Other nearby attractions include Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument contains 1.9 million acres of land in southern Utah, the United States. There are three main regions: the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante. President Bill Clinton designated the area as a U.S. National...
, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a state park of Utah, USA, located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, south and west of U.S. Highway 89 in southwestern Utah...
, the privately owned Moqui Cave
Moqui Cave
Moqui Cave is a sandstone erosion cave in southern Utah, United States.-Location:The cave lies along U.S. Route 89, about north of Kanab. It extends roughly into a Navajo Sandstone formation in the bottom of Three Lakes Canyon.-Etymology:...
, and the largest animal sanctuary in the United States, Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society, founded in its present form in 1984, is an American nonprofit 501 organization that is one of America’s best known animal welfare rescue groups. Best Friends works in outreach programs with shelters, other rescue groups and members nationwide to promote pet adoption,...
.
Geography
Kanab is located at 37°2′8"N 112°31′52"W (37.035510, -112.531112). The city is located on the western Colorado Plateau.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 14.1 square miles (36.4 km²), of which, 14.0 square miles (36.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.28%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,564 people, 1,335 households, and 978 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 254.2 people per square mile (98.2/km²). There were 1,492 housing units at an average density of 106.4 per square mile (41.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.77% White, 0.06% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.
There were 1,335 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.17.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,125, and the median income for a family was $40,778. Males had a median income of $31,741 versus $19,116 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,128. About 4.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Controversy
On January 10, 2006, the mayor and city council passed Resolution 1-1-06R, titled The Natural Family: A Vision for the City of Kanab, codifying the definition of a "natural family":- "We envision a local culture that upholds the marriage of a man to a woman, and a woman to a man, as ordained of God... We see our homes as open to a full quiverQuiverfullQuiverfull is a movement among some conservative evangelical Christian couples chiefly in the United States, but with some adherents in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and elsewhere. It promotes procreation, and sees children as a blessing from God, eschewing all forms of birth control,...
of children, the source of family continuity and social growth. We envision young women growing into wives, homemakers, and mothers; and we see young men growing into husbands, home-builders, and fathers."
The text of Kanab's Natural Family Resolution is identical to a draft resolution created by the Sutherland Institute, a political think tank based in Utah that works towards public policy reform to reflect its notion of "traditional values". Echoing language from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Family: A Proclamation to the World
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
"The Family: A Proclamation to the World" is a 1995 statement issued by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints —whose adherents are known as Mormons—which defined the official position of the church on family, gender roles, and human sexuality. First announced by church president Gordon B...
, the Sutherland Institute wrote the resolution and sent it to every city in Utah, hoping to see it adopted in as many places as possible. Kanab was the only city to do so.
Kanab Ambersnail
Three Lakes, a privately-owned wet meadow near Kanab, is one of only two natural habitats for the Kanab AmbersnailKanab ambersnail
The Kanab ambersnail, scientific name Oxyloma haydeni kanabensis or Oxyloma kanabense, is a critically endangered subspecies or species of small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Succineidae, the amber snails...
, a snail species which was listed as an endangered species in 1992 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a species of conservation priority for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Notable residents
- Jacob HamblinJacob HamblinJacob Vernon Hamblin was a Western pioneer, Mormon missionary, and diplomat to various Native American Tribes of the Southwest and Great Basin. During his life, he helped settle large areas of southern Utah and northern Arizona where he was seen as an honest broker between Mormon settlers and the...
- Levi StewartLevi StewartLevi Stewart was a Mormon pioneer and a founder of Kanab, Utah.-Early years:Stewart was born in West Edwardsville, Illinois in 1812. His parents divorced when he was 12, and he lived with his mother and brothers until adulthood.He married his cousin Melinda Howard in 1833, and moved to Vandalia,...
- William Thomas StewartWilliam Thomas StewartWilliam Thomas Stewart was mayor of Kanab, Utah, U.S. 1889-91, and a Representative to the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1887 & 1889....
- Kelly SweetKelly SweetKelly Sweet is an adult contemporary singer with classical and jazz styles currently living in Los Angeles, CA.-Biography:...
See also
- Buckskin GulchBuckskin GulchThe Buckskin Gulch, a canyon in southern Utah, is one of the main tributaries of the Paria River, which is itself a minor tributary of the Colorado River. It is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the southwest United States and may very well be the longest in the world...
- Coyote ButtesCoyote ButtesCoyote Buttes is a section of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness managed by the Bureau of Land Management , spanning extreme South Central Utah and North Central Arizona, just south of US 89 halfway between Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona....
- Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs WildernessParia Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs WildernessThe Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness is a wilderness area located in northern Arizona and southern Utah, USA, within the arid Colorado Plateau region. The wilderness is composed of broad plateaus, tall escarpments, and deep canyons....
- The WaveThe Wave, ArizonaThe Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in the United States of America near the Arizona and Utah border on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, on the Colorado Plateau...
- Wire Pass TrailheadWire Pass TrailheadWire Pass Trailhead is the gateway to some spectacular scenery and hiking, including The Wave and Buckskin Gulch. The trailhead is located in the beautiful and rugged Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area of southern Utah and northern Arizona about halfway between Kanab, Utah and Page,...
- Best Friends Animal SocietyBest Friends Animal SocietyBest Friends Animal Society, founded in its present form in 1984, is an American nonprofit 501 organization that is one of America’s best known animal welfare rescue groups. Best Friends works in outreach programs with shelters, other rescue groups and members nationwide to promote pet adoption,...