Iron County pays tribute to its heritage

It's evident, from just looking at a map, that iron and Iron County are very closely linked, not only in name but deed.

Within the boundaries there is Old Irontown, Iron Mission, Iron Springs and even an Iron Mountain.

History reads that pioneers settled the area in 1851, and upon their arrival they built a foundry to produce iron, thus the name that now identifies not only the heritage center but also the county and many things within the boundaries.

But there's more.

WHAT YOU KNOW:

There's quite a gap between the early settlers and Shakespeare, but there is a bridge, the Shakespearean Festival, that has brought the two together. Visitors can, and often do,

come to Cedar City to enjoy one of the plays put on at Southern Utah University and, while in town, visit the Iron Mission State Park, which has chronicled early life in the region, including the iron foundry.

Now in its fifth decade, the festival draws about 150,000 visitors to theater seating to see one of the productions. Along with Shakespeare's collection of tragedies, histories and comedies, the troupe also puts on a range of other musicals and plays during the five-month theatrical season.

Not far from campus is the Iron Mission State Park, which is really not a park. There are no swings, baseball fields or lakes. No tent sites, barbecue pits or a need for reservations.

There is a building, very close to the city center, a field of old wagons with broken wheels and rusted parts, three one-room cabins built more than a century ago and holding lots of history — volume upon volume. And it is the history, along with the cabins, wagons and stories of the old iron foundry that brought pioneers into the area.

The museum itself was suggested in 1957 and opened in 1973. One of the main elements in the museum is Gronway Parry's horse-drawn wagon collection, many of which have been used in old western movies.

Up the mountainside and a little northeast of town is the Brian Head Resort, noted not only for its skiing, but also for its summer activities, most notably mountain biking.

The resort is located at the base of Brian Head Peak — elevation 11,307 feet — and offers some of the best skiing in the state.