Butch Cassidy's Birth Place

Posted On
Apr 08, 2010
Category
Southern Utah

Traveling south on I-15, just a few miles past the junction of I-70 is the lovely, laid-back town of Beaver.  If you're on that route, you are now officially in southern Utah.



 

Settled in 1856, Beaver has several claims to fame.  One is Beaver's water, a mixture of spring and well, holds the top honor for taste, clarity and smell as determined by National Rural Water Nationwide Taste Test held in Washington, D.C.  A billboard off the Interstate states, "Beaver, the best tasting water in the country!"  Undisputed, to our knowledge.

 

Another distinction is that Beaver is the birthplace for two distinguished (or, perhaps notorious) individuals, Philo Farnsworth in August of 1906 and Robert Leroy Parker, April 13,1866.

 

Who, you say?  Well, Farnsworth, when just a young man in his early twenties, invented television.  He is quoted as stating about his invention, "There's nothing on it worthwhile and we're not going to watch it in this household and I don't want it in your intellectual diet!"  Hmmm.

 

But who's this Parker fella, you ask?  None other than the infamous western outlaw bandit Butch Cassidy, the "Robin Hood of the West!"

 

Each July Beaver celebrates the folk hero's (that's Cassidy, not Farnsworth) birthday with a raucous weekend festival.  July 2-3 this year the town will host its 10th annual Butch Cassidy Days at the Beaver city park.  The free festival has all kinds of fun happenings for the entire family – a senior social, the Pioneer Car Show and, for those so inclined, a Buck Wild Mechanical Bull.  Yee Ha!

 

There's locally made crafts on display, a mountain man camp and an event we doubt even Cassidy would ever partake in – a pie eating contest.

 

Live entertainment is provided by two popular Utah bands, the country/rock Holcomb Brothers and the wild and wooly Muddy Boots, a contemporary country/classic rock band founded upon the principle that it is possible for everyone, regardless of age or musical preference, whether they are drinking or sober, to have a good time.

 

Come to Beaver in July to honor Butch in a big way!

 

www.BeaverCountyTravel.com

 


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Festivals, Butch Cassidy

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