The Kanab All Women Town Council (AWTC) 1912-14 encountered difficulty in efforts to enforce the stray livestock ordinance. Minutes kept by the Council reflect the problem and read like a soap opera. On January 3, 1912, John Adams was appointed and sustained as Town Marshall. The minutes do not keep up on all the changes, though something apparently happened with Adams, and a man named Dobson was appointed to replace him. This appointment was short-lived as well, since the minutes of the March 20, 1912, meeting indicate that it was decided to ask I. O. Brown to act as marshal due to the resignation of Dobson. I. O. Brown refused the appointment, so H. E. Riggs was appointed in his stead at the March 27, 1912, meeting. Riggs lasted less than two months when the Council requested his resignation, because Riggs stated he did not support the Council.
Then A. L. McAllister replaced Edwin M. Ford. It was not recorded when Ford was appointed. With the appointment of McAllister, the frequent changes seemed to slow somewhat although it is entirely possible that the women simply got tired of recording all the frequent changes. Sometime during the next year, at least one more change occurred as the minutes reflect that on December 19, 1913, Marshall Alex Adams was asked to resign.
The Council then asked William Crosby to serve for the rest of the month. Though Crosby only needed to finish the term - a short two-week stint - he would not accept the job. Persistent, the Council then asked A. S. McAllister to accept the job. Having at least seven marshals - and many others who refused to serve during the two-year term is unmatched in other Utah towns. Though they certainly had supporters, the AWTC struggled to find marshals to enforce their laws.
And now you know the rest of the story!
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