Santa Clara (Washington County) is on Santa Clara Creek four miles northwest of St. George. Jacob Hamblin, an early Mormon scout and church authority, helped establish an Indian mission on the site in 1854. In 1856 a fort was built. The settlement was destroyed by floodwaters in 1862, then rebuilt on higher ground. The river was named by early travelers on the Old Spanish Trail that followed the river. It refers to the exceptionally good weather in this region. (John W. Van Cott)