Beaver County (Utah)

The County of Beaver was created in 1886 by an act of the Legislature of the Territory of Utah. 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. 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. Mines in the county were heavy producers of: gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and some tungsten.