History of Beaver County

Overview

First Settlers

First settlers in Beaver County came from Parowan in April, 1856. They built log cabins along Beaver River and began cultivation in the same area. The first town was laid out in the spring of 1858, and, with the river, was named for the many beaver dams found there.

Area Discoveries

In 1852 lead was discovered at the Lincoln Mine. Recovery furnaces were built in 1858, and the town of Minersville was founded nearby in 1859. An attempt was made to produce bullets from the Lincoln Mine ore, but there was an element in the lead that made it too hard. The element turned out to be the silver that later made Beaver County famous.

Horn Silver Mine

An exciting chapter in United States history was the 1875 discovery of the Horn Silver Mine in the San Francisco Mountains of western Beaver County. Mining districts had been opened as early as 1871, but it was the Horn Silver that gave impetus to one of the biggest "rushes" of history. There were numerous roaring mining camps in the San Francisco district, but Frisco (peak population of over 6,000) was the wildest in the West. Mines in the county were heavy producers of: gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and some tungsten.

Read More of Beaver's History

Take a more in-depth look at Beaver County's history.