Virgin Valley Heritage Museum

06/20/2026

Wishing all the Dads a wonderful and blessed day .

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

Here is Throwback Thursday

Last month we looked at how Mother’s Day became a nationally celebrated holiday in the United States of America. But what about Father’s Day? When and how did it make its appearance on the American landscape?

The roots of Father’s Day were surprisingly tied to tragedy. On December 6, 1907, the Monongah Mining Disaster struck West Virginia. It killed 362 men, most of whom were fathers. In July 1908, a local church held a special service to honor these men, marking the very first community event dedicated to fathers.

The Father's Day holiday we know today, however, was championed by Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington. Raised by a Civil War veteran after her mother died, she campaigned tirelessly, leading to Washington State's first statewide observance of Father's Day on June 19, 1910.

Early on, men scoffed at the idea of a Father's Day celebration. To them, receiving flowers and gifts was just another commercial gimmick that will end up "domesticating manliness."

It took decades for the holiday to gain traction. President Calvin Coolidge urged states to observe it in 1924, and President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father's Day in 1966. Finally, in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed it into law as a permanent national holiday.

The pioneers in the Virgin Valley did not celebrate the holiday in the traditional modern sense because it was not around until 1972. The early settlers in Mesquite and the Virgin Valley honored their fathers intense struggle to survive with communal feasts, musical programs in the local church, and by sharing the heavy agricultural burdens.

Let's look at the stories of some of those fathers who gave their all to settle this valley for their families.

06/11/2026

This is Throwback Thursday.

We have not had our "Name the Un-Named Photos" recently. So just for some fun, let's go back in time and see if anyone can recognize some of these folks in the folllowing photos.

06/05/2026

Here is Throwback Thursday.

Ever wonder about the history behind Whitney Pocket and the nearby Luke Whitney Petroglyph Site?

The Landscape
Located roughly 30 miles south of Mesquite, Whitney Pocket sits at an elevation of about 4,300 feet. This higher elevation provides a much cooler retreat during the scorching summer months. The surrounding canyon walls are also home to hundreds of intricate petroglyphs (ancient rock carvings) left behind by the Moapa Band of Paiutes and earlier indigenous groups.

The Settlers
In the mid-1800s, James Montgomery Whitmore conducted heavy claim staking in the southern Utah, Arizona Strip and Nevada area often staking the claims in his sons' names. After James M. Whitmore’s death in 1866, James' wife and sons retained the rights to the claims.

In 1890, a barter (exchanging one of the properties for cattle) was made between Brigham Whitmore and John Herbert Nay. This desert oasis included vital water rights and was named Nay’s Ranch thereafter. Bert Nay saw an opportunity to build a remote homestead that could support agriculture and provide an escape from the harsh desert climate.

In 1910, pioneer George "Luke" Whitney and his family purchased the land, developing it into a welcoming outpost for travelers and early tourists. This desert oasis changed hands from the Whitmores to the Nays, then to the Whitneys, back to the Nays, only to return again into the hands of the Whitneys including another Whitmore.

Join me for a journey into the past 100 years transforming this harsh rocky hideaway into a lush desert retreat as it passed from one family to another and then back again.

05/29/2026

Here is Throwback Thursday.

Emily Abbott Bunker was a resilient pioneer who survived the harsh realities of the westward migration. Born in Dansville, New York, on September 19, 1827, to Stephen Joseph Abbott and Abigail Smith, Emily was the eldest of nine children.

In February 1846, she married Edward Bunker Sr. in Nauvoo, Illinois. Shortly after, the young couple was forced to flee during the Mormon Exodus.

After relocating across the Midwest and Edward's service in the Mormon Battalion, the couple arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 1, 1850. They initially settled in Ogden, Utah, where Edward served on the city and Stake councils until he was sent abroad on a mission to England (1852–1856).

In 1862, they were called to settle in Southern Utah, again relocating their family, this time to Santa Clara. The 12 years in Santa Clara were the longest period of stability for Emily and her children. After more than a decade in Santa Clara, Edward requested and received approval to establish a new settlement under the United Order communal system south of Santa Clara.

Leaving the stability of Santa Clara, Emily again accompanied her husband to help settle Bunkerville, facing yet another rigorous frontier move. After establishing Bunkerville, Emily and Edward moved once again in May 1901 to settle the Mormon colony of Colonia Morelos in Sonora, Mexico. Tragically, Edward passed away just months later on November 17, 1901.

After Edwards's death, Emily stayed in Morelos Mexico for a few years while she applied for a widow's pension for Edward's service in the Mormon Battalion. She then moved back to the Nevada and Utah area visiting adult children and their families. She passed away on February 8th 1913 in Panguitch Utah at the age of 76.

05/21/2026

Here is Throwback Thursday

Virgin Valley High School's Class of 2026 Graduation Parade will roll down Mesquite Boulevard on May 22nd, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The community is warmly invited to line the streets, cheer on the graduating seniors, and celebrate this exciting milestone together.

In the meantime, take a stroll down memory lane and enjoy a look back at past celebrations.

05/16/2026

REMINDER

Discover the journey of water in our valley—from the challenges early settlers faced with the Virgin River, to how we protect our culinary sources today.

Join us for a special presentation featuring Aaron Bunker, Water Resource Manager at the Virgin Valley Water District, who will discuss modern water preservation and answer questions regarding the irrigation of Mesquite's surrounding golf courses.

05/15/2026

Here is Throwback Thursday.

Imagine being one of those very first settlers that arrived in the Virgin River Valley in 1877 and looking around at the vastness of the high desert valley on a cold day in January. There were no trees except the Mesquite bushes growing along the river bank hinting of a riparian oasis, contrasting sharply with the sandstone cliff walls, the mesas, and the steep virgin river gorge.

Emily Abbott Bunker's first reaction was likely, "here we go again!" Her twelve somewhat peaceful years in Santa Clara, Utah, were a rare break from a grueling life filled with constant pioneering hardships, frequent relocations, and repeated separations from her husband, Edward, since their marriage in 1846, followed by the Mormon Exodus from 1846-1847.

Or, could it have simply been a "Thank God, there is water!" because without water, survival would not be possible. There are many inferences of the taste and quality of the water from the Virgin River in the early days. It was muddy water filled with silt that had a rancid taste. Often, it was referred to as the "Virgin Bloat."

Here are some of the challenges faced by the settlers to find good culinary water and how it was brought into the homes. Also, we will look at what we are doing today to preserve and protect the source and quality of our culinary water. Additionally, we will look at today's water source for keeping the 8-9 golf courses in and around Mesquite looking lush and green.