Cedar City: A Story of Growth

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Recording oral history is essential to capturing the story of any place. But the story of Cedar City is an ever changing, dynamic tale that captivates and teaches. Even within the last twenty years, there has been significant growth in this town, including housing developments, a growing student population at Southern Utah University, and the daily comings and goings of those who have lived here for the better part of half a century. This is a growth that will continue as time goes on. “Who lives here?” is one of the most important questions to ask oneself in order to understand the city as a whole. Individuals live their lives in such a way that captures the essence of being and creates the legacies that we see throughout our beloved town. After sitting down with lifelong resident Todd Thorley, the interview gave me insight into Cedar City’s past and the hopes for its future. This interview helps see Cedar City as it was 40 years ago and is a valuable addition to the collection of local history, particularly with regards to Southern Utah University and how it has grown.

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    My goal for this project evolved as the process went on. I had originally anticipated doing 20 or so interviews but the project became much more involved than originally planned. Due to facing a debilitating depression during the summer of 2017, I had to take some time to regroup and find the wherewithal to get the project done. This, coupled with the extensive IRB exemption process made it so that I made the decision to focus on one, high quality interview and deliverable instead of a broader range of source material. I am now certified to conduct human subject research, and I had not anticipated this certification.

    I contacted Todd Thorley, the subject of the interview, and he was gracious enough to meet with me on a Sunday afternoon. The interview went very well and he was very willing to open up. The interview definitely was high quality because I had never thought about the significance of Mr. Thorley’s family in the story of the university. We talked for an hour and it was informative. I then spent a day working on an accurate transcription of the interview.