HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY

The first settlers of Beaver County came from Parowan in April 1856. They built log cabins along the Beaver River and began cultivation in the same area. The first town, Beaver City, was laid out in the spring of 1858. It and the river were named for the many beaver dams found there. Beaver County was created in 1886 by an act of the legislature of the Territory of Utah.

In 1852, lead was discovered at the Lincoln Mine in Beaver County. 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.

An exciting chapter in United States history began with 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 Mine that gave impetus to one of the biggest “rushes” in 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.

Because of the mining industry, the telegraph was brought to Frisco and the railroad to Southern Utah. The first settlers in what is now Milford took up homesteads in 1880. The town’s name is derived from the crossing of the Beaver River by freighters to and from the mines to the west. The term “mill ford” was shortened to the present name.

The history of Beaver County is filled with the names of illustrious people. Philo T. Farnsworth, who pioneered television research, was born in Beaver County. Senator Abe Murdock, a former Beaver City resident, is the only U.S. legislator ever elected from Southern Utah. Butch Cassidy was born in Beaver but moved to Circleville while still young.

Until recent times, the three main sources of income for the county have been agriculture, mining and the railroad. The county’s agriculture includes high-quality grazing land, a variety of crops that are either consumed locally or transported to other areas, and a sizable dairy industry. More recently, Circle Four Farms (Smithfield) has brought to Beaver County a modern swine-producing operation.

The mineral wealth of the county was of worldwide renown at its peak in the 1880s. Though conducted now at a more modest level, mining is experiencing a resurgence.

Trade and services are increasing in importance along with the development of tourism opportunities. The need for outdoor recreation experiences for today’s fast-paced families is readily met in Beaver County.