The Silver Reef area was first inhabited by Anasazi Native Americans between about 200 AD and 1300 AD.
The Anasazi were nomads who followed the migration of the animals they hunted, typically deer, mountain sheep, elk, and jackrabbits.
They were also farmers and gardeners, growing corn, wheat, rye, and barley.
Many were potters, and pottery can be found in abandoned villages.
The Anasazi usually constructed temporary dwellings out of sticks and leaves, often using bark for the roofs.
Occasionally they built more permanent dwellings out of rocks, usually along the side of a mountain, often large enough to accommodate several families.
Storage pits were often placed behind the rock dwellings.
Settlements were typically small, as food was scarce.
A group of Virgin Anasazi lived in what is now the Red Cliffs Anasazi Site in Red Cliffs Recreation Area.

Silver was discovered in the area in the 1860s.
One commonly accepted story is that a prospector named John Kemple came to the area in 1866 from Montana.
While staying at the home of Orson B. Adams in the settlement of Harrisburg, Kemple decided to do some prospecting, and soon located a vein of silver a few hundred yards southwest of the  home.
He did not find enough ore to interest him, so he left for Nevada.
Five years later, Kemple returned to the Silver Reef area, staked a few mining claims, and organized them under the Union Mining District.
The Union Mining District was abandoned, but in 1874, Kemple returned with a group of miners, reorganized the claims under the Harrisburg Mining District, and began developing a mine.
Kemple later became discouraged with his claims and sold them.

According to a less accepted story, a man known as "Metalliferous" Murphy, an assayer from Pioche, Nevada, was brought a piece of a grindstone made of sandstone from the Silver Reef area by miners in Pioche.
After performing tests on the sample, Murphy stated that it contained over $200 of silver per ton.
After some investigation, Murphy discovered that the samples had come from the area that was to become Silver Reef.
There is no record of Murphy ever staking a claim, but he did allegedly attract the attention of miners.

Geologists and other miners refused at first to believe the news that silver had been found in sandstone.
When brought an actual sample from the area, the Smithsonian Institution called it an "interesting fake".
In 1875, news of the silver discovery reached the Walker brothers, well-known bankers from Salt Lake City.
They hired William T. Barbee, who had previously staked mining claims in Ophir, to stake claims on their behalf.
He staked 21 claims and published an article on the claims in The Salt Lake Tribune.
In the article, Barbee mentioned that the area had "an abundance of rich silver mines".
This set off a silver rush, and by late 1875, Barbee had established a town called Bonanza City.
Several businessmen then came into the area, inflating property values.
Many miners and businessmen looking for inexpensive land set up a tent city north of Bonanza City and called it "Rockpile".
When the mines in nearby Pioche were closed in November 1875, many of the miners and business owners who had worked there came into the area of "Rockpile" in what is known as the "Pioche Silver Stampede", and the name of the settlement was changed to Silver Reef.
As construction of the St. George LDS Temple ended in mid-1877, labor opportunities for the workers became available in Silver Reef.
Pine Valley Mills and Mount Trumbull in the Arizona Strip supplied most of the lumber used to construct the buildings.
During its first year, Silver Reef did not have a smelter; as a result, the silver ore mined in Silver Reef was taken to Pioche and Salt Lake City for smelting.

Immediately following the initial silver rush, a town site was platted and the town was built.
The first permanent business building established in Silver Reef was a store at the intersection of the roads from the Buckeye, White, and East reefs.
By 1878, the town's business district consisted of a hotel, boarding houses, nine stor
The Silver Reef area was first inhabited by Anasazi Native Americans between about 200 AD and 1300 AD. The Anasazi were nomads who followed the migration of the animals they hunted, typically deer, mountain sheep, elk, and jackrabbits. They were also farmers and gardeners, growing corn, wheat, rye, and barley. Many were potters, and pottery can be found in abandoned villages. The Anasazi usually constructed temporary dwellings out of sticks and leaves, often using bark for the roofs. Occasionally they built more permanent dwellings out of rocks, usually along the side of a mountain, often large enough to accommodate several families. Storage pits were often placed behind the rock dwellings. Settlements were typically small, as food was scarce. A group of Virgin Anasazi lived in what is now the Red Cliffs Anasazi Site in Red Cliffs Recreation Area.
Silver was discovered in the area in the 1860s. One commonly accepted story is that a prospector named John Kemple came to the area in 1866 from Montana. While staying at the home of Orson B. Adams in the settlement of Harrisburg, Kemple decided to do some prospecting, and soon located a vein of silver a few hundred yards southwest of the  home. He did not find enough ore to interest him, so he left for Nevada. Five years later, Kemple returned to the Silver Reef area, staked a few mining claims, and organized them under the Union Mining District. The Union Mining District was abandoned, but in 1874, Kemple returned with a group of miners, reorganized the claims under the Harrisburg Mining District, and began developing a mine. Kemple later became discouraged with his claims and sold them.
According to a less accepted story, a man known as "Metalliferous" Murphy, an assayer from Pioche, Nevada, was brought a piece of a grindstone made of sandstone from the Silver Reef area by miners in Pioche. After performing tests on the sample, Murphy stated that it contained over $200 of silver per ton. After some investigation, Murphy discovered that the samples had come from the area that was to become Silver Reef. There is no record of Murphy ever staking a claim, but he did allegedly attract the attention of miners.
Geologists and other miners refused at first to believe the news that silver had been found in sandstone. When brought an actual sample from the area, the Smithsonian Institution called it an "interesting fake". In 1875, news of the silver discovery reached the Walker brothers, well-known bankers from Salt Lake City. They hired William T. Barbee, who had previously staked mining claims in Ophir, to stake claims on their behalf. He staked 21 claims and published an article on the claims in The Salt Lake Tribune. In the article, Barbee mentioned that the area had "an abundance of rich silver mines". This set off a silver rush, and by late 1875, Barbee had established a town called Bonanza City. Several businessmen then came into the area, inflating property values. Many miners and businessmen looking for inexpensive land set up a tent city north of Bonanza City and called it "Rockpile". When the mines in nearby Pioche were closed in November 1875, many of the miners and business owners who had worked there came into the area of "Rockpile" in what is known as the "Pioche Silver Stampede", and the name of the settlement was changed to Silver Reef. As construction of the St. George LDS Temple ended in mid-1877, labor opportunities for the workers became available in Silver Reef. Pine Valley Mills and Mount Trumbull in the Arizona Strip supplied most of the lumber used to construct the buildings. During its first year, Silver Reef did not have a smelter; as a result, the silver ore mined in Silver Reef was taken to Pioche and Salt Lake City for smelting.
Immediately following the initial silver rush, a town site was platted and the town was built. The first permanent business building established in Silver Reef was a store at the intersection of the roads from the Buckeye, White, and East reefs. By 1878, the town's business district consisted of a hotel, boarding houses, nine stor
Silver Reef, Utah