A marvelous mix of history and scenery, St. George News author releases 2nd compilation book

St. George News "Day Series" author Reuben Wadsworth and his wife in Zion National Park, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Reuben Wadsworth, St. George News

HURRICANE St. George News “Days Series” author Reuben Wadsworth has just released a second compilation book of historical feature stories, this time about interesting places in Southern Utah outside of Washington County, as well as spots in northern Arizona and southern Nevada.

“Red Rock Recollections, Volume II: Fun Historic Stops in Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Southern Nevada” book cover image. | Image courtesy of Reuben Wadsworth, St. George News

A mix of history and scenery, “Red Rock Recollections, Volume II: Fun Historic Stops in Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Southern Nevada” offers brief vignettes about the stories behind places of historical and scenic importance in this region of the Southwest.

It explains how places such as Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument were put on the map, as well as background on the life and boyhood home of the most famous outlaw to hail from the region: Butch Cassidy. From Jacob Lake, a long-time family owned lodge famous for its cookies, to the prolific Parowan Gap petroglyph panel to the former lawless mining camp of Eldorado Canyon, this volume is an essential companion for those exploring this breathtaking corner of the country.

While many of the locations detailed in the book are already “on the map” because of their astounding scenery, they still have a fascinating history equal to their stunning beauty. The fun of American West history is on display at many of the spots described at length. 

A middle school English teacher and Dixie State University adjunct history instructor, Wadsworth is a native of Hurricane with strong Southern Utah roots. His maternal grandmother was the first baby born in LaVerkin. His paternal grandfather owned the only movie theater in Hurricane and also served as mayor. His father is one of the three surviving Hurricane Canal “ditch riders.”

Wadsworth holds a Master’s degree in history from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he wrote his thesis on the history of Zion National Park’s shuttle system. 

Print and ebook editions of “Red Rock Recollections, Volume II” are available on Amazon. Volume I, which details “Fascinating Stories of Utah’s Dixie” is also available on Amazon

The book will also be available for purchase at the McQuarrie Memorial Museum (St. George’s Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum) and Frontier Homestead State Park Museum, among other locations. 

Those who enjoy the history of the area and would like to receive regular historical tidbits, links to Wadsworth’s regular Days Series stories and other historical information about the area can “like” his author Facebook page.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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