Kanab City Museum hosts successful “Through Our Eyes” event, as long-time residents of Kanab share stories of Kanab “back when”

The commission chambers of the Kane County Courthouse building were full almost to capacity on the night of Monday, April 14, as locals and guests gathered for the Kanab City Museum’s “Back When: Kanab Through Our Eyes” historical storytelling event. The evening included a presentation sharing some of Kanab’s general history, followed by the highlighted event: a Q&A and storytelling session from some of Kanab’s elders who witnessed that history in person.

(L-R) Steve Heaton, Joyce Rhodes and Sherran Bunting at Kanab City Museum’s “Back When: Kanab Through Our Eyes” historical storytelling event. Photos courtesy of Kanab Museum.

Steve Heaton, Joyce Rhodes and Sherran Bunting, all of whom have lived in Kanab for most of their lives, were the evening’s keynote speakers, having witnessed and participated in the last seventy-plus years of Kanab’s history. Heaton succinctly summed up his youth in Kanab: “It was a fun time, growing up in Kanab; if I had to do it again, I’d probably do it the same way.” Rhodes echoed the sentiment, “I was raised in Kanab, my mother is from Alton and my Father was raised on the Macdonald ranch south of Alton; my roots run deep, and like Steve, if I had to do it all again, I’d do it pretty much the same way … but I might do it a bit better.”

The speakers told stories of their childhood, mentioning free time spent in Kanab Creek - upon hearing Bunting and Rhodes pronouncing the word with a short I, “crick,” one audience attendee proclaimed, “and she’s pronouncing it properly!” - dancing, 4-H and homemade root beer and ice cream for the Fourth of July. They also spoke on cultural topics, like how art, journalism and current event perspectives have shifted as our small community grew and began to further interact with the world.

The keynote speakers spoke on history like interschool rivalry, including the brief experiment in the fifties attempting to combine Kanab and Valley high schools, the development of local public lands like parks and the long history of southern Utah’s interactions with business and industry.

The evening was characterized by frequent laughter and more than good-natured outburst from the audience. Event organizers and Kanab City Museum Director Emily Bentley commented, “The event was everything I had hoped it would be. It was funny, charming and full of great stories. You know that saying ‘you can’t make new old friends?’ The way the participants all interacted with each other, you could tell not only are they old friends, but they made you feel like one too.”

Audio for the event is available from the Kanab City Museum, or by scanning the QR code below.