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The Utah-Arizona twin towns that hid America’s last polygamous stronghold


Hildale and Colorado City, Aka Short Creek

Short Creek began as a small ranching settlement in 1913 in the remote Arizona Strip. This area sits north of the Grand Canyon, isolated from the rest of Arizona.

Breakaway Mormons moved there in the 1930s after splitting from the main Mormon church. They built twin towns that cross the Utah-Arizona border – Hildale in Utah and Colorado City in Arizona.

These towns stayed unknown to most Americans until government raids and court cases revealed their closed society. The communities ran outside normal American law until the federal government stepped in during 2008.

Mormon Fundamentalists Seek Isolated Haven

In 1935, a group called the Council of Friends sent followers to Short Creek to build what they called “a branch of the Kingdom of God.” These religious believers had been kicked out of the mainstream Mormon church.

John Barlow, an early leader, picked Short Creek because it was far from cities and hard to reach. The location made it perfect for practicing plural marriage away from government eyes.

These believers rejected the Mormon church’s 1890 ban on polygamy. Their desire to keep multiple wives led them to this desert refuge where the state line made law enforcement difficult.

The United Effort Plan Establishes Communal Living

The group created the United Effort Plan Trust in 1942 to control their community’s property. This legal entity owned almost all land and homes in both towns.

Members gave their property to this trust, giving up personal ownership. This system came from early Mormon ideas about sharing all possessions as a community.

By 2005, the trust held about $110 million in assets. This arrangement tied residents to the community while church leaders decided who lived where and under what rules.

The Infamous 1953 Short Creek Raid

Arizona Governor John Pyle launched the biggest anti-polygamy raid in American history on July 26, 1953. He sent over 100 officers and National Guard troops into Short Creek before sunrise.

Police arrested 36 men and took 86 women and 263 children into state custody. The state moved these families to Phoenix and kept many children from their mothers for up to two years.

The raid tried to end what Pyle called “the foulest conspiracy” of child marriages. He claimed the community was in “rebellion” against the state to justify using military-style force.

Public Backlash Strengthens the Community

Newspapers across America showed photos of crying children being taken from their mothers during the raid. These images turned public opinion against the government instead of the polygamists.

News outlets called the raid “un-American” and portrayed the group as victims of religious persecution. This unexpected sympathy made the community more determined to continue their way of life.

Governor Pyle lost his next election, later blaming the raid for ending his career. This failure made other officials afraid to take strong action against the community for decades.

Towns Incorporate to Maintain Independence

Leaders renamed Short Creek as Colorado City in 1960 to distance themselves from the raid’s bad publicity. This name change helped them create a fresh image away from their controversial past.

Hildale became an official town on the Utah side in 1963, then a city in 1990. These legal steps allowed them to form their own local governments, police forces, and utility companies.

While appearing to be normal towns on paper, both places stayed fully controlled by church leaders.

Warren Jeffs Consolidates Power

Warren Jeffs took control of the church after his father died in 2002 and quickly made life much stricter. His father had led the group for decades with less extreme rules.

In 2004, Jeffs kicked out about 20 important men, including Colorado City’s mayor. He took their wives and children and gave them to other men who were loyal to him.

Men who fell from favor faced instant banishment. Since all housing belonged to the church trust, these men had to leave homes they built themselves, often with nothing but the clothes they wore.

State Takes Control of the UEP Trust

Utah seized the United Effort Plan Trust in 2005 after Warren Jeffs refused to defend against lawsuits. Officials feared people might lose their homes through court judgments.

The trust held about $100 million in assets, including most buildings in both towns. This bold move directly challenged the economic foundation of the whole community.

A court-appointed manager began overseeing all church property to protect residents from unfair evictions. This marked the first successful government interference in the community’s internal business.

Non-FLDS Residents Face Discrimination

The Cooke family moved to Short Creek in 2008 after buying property from the state-controlled trust. As outsiders, town officials denied them water, sewer, and electricity despite these services being available.

Town workers, police, and utility employees – almost all loyal church members – discriminated against anyone not following Warren Jeffs. This made life nearly impossible for outsiders or former members.

The local police force served as church enforcers, harassing non-members while ignoring crimes by church leaders. Officers refused calls from former members and blocked outside police investigations.

Federal Government Intervenes

The Justice Department sued both towns in June 2012. This federal action targeted how the towns discriminated against non-church residents.

Federal prosecutors showed evidence that the local governments broke civil rights laws through housing discrimination and unfair policing. This was the first time federal authorities combined housing and police misconduct charges in one case.

Federal Lawsuit Changes Local Control

A federal jury ruled against both towns in 2016, finding they violated civil rights laws. The verdict confirmed local officials had used government power to enforce religious rules.

The court ordered the shutdown of the local police force and placed town operations under federal watch. This effectively ended the church’s control over local law enforcement.

The Cooke family received $5.2 million for religious discrimination. Arizona’s Attorney General declared the verdict gave him tools to “eradicate discrimination in two polygamous towns.”

Visiting The Town of Short Creek

You’ll find these twin towns along Highway 389 on the Utah-Arizona border, about 45 miles east of St. George, Utah. The Vermilion Cliffs Museum in Colorado City offers exhibits about the area’s polygamist history and the 1953 Short Creek Raid.

Read More on WhenInYourState.com:

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  • A Legendary Apache Chief’s Secret Mountain Fortress Is Hidden in This Arizona Forest

The post The Utah-Arizona twin towns that hid America’s last polygamous stronghold appeared first on When In Your State.



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