People Used To Flock To This Tiny Utah Town To Mine Silver In Sandstone
By Courtnie Erickson|Published February 06, 2023
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Courtnie Erickson
Author
From Southern Utah to the Panhandle in Idaho, Courtnie Erickson has lived in what she believes are the best (and the most beautiful!) areas in the country. She graduated with a journalism degree from Utah State University and has more than 15 years of professional writing experience. You’ll likely see her with a Dr. Pepper in her hand and a pair of running shoes on her feet. Courtnie is a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState.
There are small towns all around Utah with a unique history but one that is often forgotten is the history of Silver Reef. In the late 1800s, people flocked to this mining town to strike it rich. Unfortunately, however, this wealth didn’t last long and today, Silver Reef is a ghost town with a few attractions that are certainly worth checking out.
Silver Reef is unique in many ways. This is one of the few towns in Utah that didn’t peak due to pioneer settlers. Rather, it was mining.
In 1866, silver was discovered in southern Utah in an area that would be known as Silver Reef. This discovery was unique because the silver was found in sandstone, which is a geological rarity.
In 1870, the prospector and some of his friends formed the Harrisburg Mining District and began operations to mine silver. A few years later, a small camp, known as Silver Reef, was established in the area due to the numerous silver strikes.
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Eventually, Silver Reef grew and reached its peak in the 1880s. This small town became home to stores, hotels, a bank, a Catholic church, and a Wells Fargo office building. The mining district at the time consisted of 37 mines and five stamp mills.
Unfortunately, tensions began to grow in the town. Labor disputes occurred between wage laborers and mine owners. Shootouts and gambling were just two of the issues many residents dealt with often. A fire also broke out in the town, destroying prominent buildings along Main Street. Eventually, with all that was going on in the community, people began to move away and the population of Silver Reef began to dwindle.
Today, not much is left of Silver Reef but there are a few prominent buildings that make this town worth visiting including the Cosmopolitan Building, Equipment Yard, and the old jail.
You can also take a Mine Exhibit Tour if you want to get a glimpse of what life was like for the miners so many years ago. You will not enter a real mine, but this exhibit is designed to feel like a mine with tight and dark spaces.
Just make sure you stop at the original Wells Fargo building. This historic building is now a fascinating museum filled with artifacts from Silver Reef’s history.
During your visit to this area, spend some time along the Main Street Interpretive Trail or the West and Center Streets Interpretive Trail. Information about these trails is located at the museum or on the Silver Reef website.
Have you ever been to Silver Reef? What did you think of this ghost town in Utah? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. You can also learn more about Silver Reef, including its buildings and museum, on the Silver Reef website.
Do you enjoy checking out ghost towns in Utah? If so, make sure you plan a visit to Widtsoe, a ghost town in Garfield County.
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