The Purple Sage Inn
Built in 1884 for Kanab pioneer William Derby Johnson, Jr. and his family, the Purple Sage Inn is one of Kanab’s most distinctive historic homes. Originally constructed in two stages—a two-story front section followed by a one-story addition that became the main entrance—the house reflects a simplified “pioneer Italianate” style. It carries the form of fashionable Italianate homes of the era but without the elaborate brackets and trim common to wealthier builders.
The story of the house is tied closely to the practice of plural marriage. Johnson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, had four wives and eventually fled to Mexico when federal laws cracked down on polygamy. Two wives went with him, one stayed behind and passed away, and another was pressured to testify against him but refused. She later rejoined him in Mexico, where Johnson lived until his death in 1923.
Ownership of the home changed hands many times. George Naegle bought it in 1889, then Alfred Young, who sold it to Thomas Cole in 1901. Under Cole’s ownership, the home became a hotel and welcomed notable guests, including author Zane Grey, who penned many of his nearly 90 books during stays in the West.
In 1920, George Hicks purchased the house, and it later passed to his relative Silas Hicks, a World War I veteran who worked with film crews during Kanab’s Hollywood years. Silas lived here until the 1980s. The Brown family acquired the property in 1989 and restored it as the Purple Sage Inn, now a bed & breakfast that continues to welcome visitors to Kanab.For more information visit: Purple Sage Inn - Purple Sage Inn Bed & Breakfast
Built in 1884 for Kanab pioneer William Derby Johnson, Jr. and his family, the Purple Sage Inn is one of Kanab’s most distinctive historic homes. Originally constructed in two stages—a two-story front section followed by a one-story addition that became the main entrance—the house reflects a simplified “pioneer Italianate” style. It carries the form of fashionable Italianate homes of the era but without the elaborate brackets and trim common to wealthier builders.
The story of the house is tied closely to the practice of plural marriage. Johnson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, had four wives and eventually fled to Mexico when federal laws cracked down on polygamy. Two wives went with him, one stayed behind and passed away, and another was pressured to testify against him but refused. She later rejoined him in Mexico, where Johnson lived until his death in 1923.
Ownership of the home changed hands many times. George Naegle bought it in 1889, then Alfred Young, who sold it to Thomas Cole in 1901. Under Cole’s ownership, the home became a hotel and welcomed notable guests, including author Zane Grey, who penned many of his nearly 90 books during stays in the West.
In 1920, George Hicks purchased the house, and it later passed to his relative Silas Hicks, a World War I veteran who worked with film crews during Kanab’s Hollywood years. Silas lived here until the 1980s. The Brown family acquired the property in 1989 and restored it as the Purple Sage Inn, now a bed & breakfast that continues to welcome visitors to Kanab.For more information visit: Purple Sage Inn - Purple Sage Inn Bed & Breakfast