Many facets of Moab have changed over the course of the town’s history: from the streets to the culture to the favorite pastimes of the people who call this place home. While countless restaurants, bars, and other venues have come and gone over the years, many generations of Moabites have appreciated the opportunity to gather for dancing, socializing, or sharing a drink.
Photographs and stories from the Moab Museum’s collection include images of dance halls, saloons, and community gathering spaces. This selection, from the late 1800s and early 1900s, offers a sampling, though the Museum’s collection contains a photographic treasure trove of parties and venues spanning many different chapters of Moab’s past.
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Two riders pause outside of Green’s Dance Hall, once the location of dancing and parties in Moab. Charlie Green was an early cowboy working around the Abajo Mountains who later settled in the Moab area. In the late 1800s, private homes in town were typically too small to accommodate many people dancing, so Green had this dance hall built. In 1893 when the county was looking for a courthouse location, Green offered this property to them, though the county ultimately chose a different site. [Moab Museum Collection, 1890] The LDS Church built Star Hall in 1906. Made of stone quarried from Goose Island (about 1 mile up Utah 128 along the Colorado River), it was built as a recreation hall. The building housed dances, parties, funerals, weddings, and movie screenings. In 1925, it was sold to the school district where it was used as a gymnasium, classroom and wood shop. It was remodeled in the 1960s for use as a theatre and auditorium. [Moab Museum Collection, 1906] Members of the Moab Women’s Literary Club dressed up to attend a dance. For a full century, the Club was a crucial force in the town’s development: they were responsible for the creation of the library, the Museum, and many other Moab fixtures. They also held events, including lectures, presentations, and social gatherings. Here, several women pose in their dancing outfits. [Moab Museum Collection, undated]
The Moab Museum is dedicated to sharing stories of the natural and human history of the Moab area. To explore more of Moab’s stories and artifacts, find out about upcoming programs, and become a Member, visit www.moabmuseum.org.
