Silver Reef, Washington County, Utah Genealogy

Quick History


Silver Reef is a class 6 mining ghost town, in Washington County established after a Nevada prospector discovered a silver vein in sandstone. In 1871 claims were staked and by 1876 miners flocked in from failing mines in Pioche, Nevada. The town was named Bonanza City and businesses rushed to the area. Finding property values at a premium, miners settle just north of the city and named their camp Rockpile. Eventually the name of the area was changed to Silver Reef. Silver Reef City was incorporated in 1878. Chinese came to work the mines with the completion of the rail road, also Cornish, Irish came in from Pioche, Nevada. Two thousand people occupied the area by 1879. The city was centered around a mile long strip that served as Main Street. There were 37 mining companies at Silver Reef. Among the many businesses was a Wells Fargo office, that is now restored and offers an outstanding museum. In 1879 a fire destroyed many of the buildings, which the residents promptly rebuilt. Mines began to close in 1884, with that many of the inhabitants of Silver Reef moved. The final mine closed in 1891. Three factors contributed to Silver Reef's demise, first, the world silver market plummeted, second, the mines filled with water faster than it could be pumped out, third, lowered miners wages. Most of the buildings had been moved to Leeds by 1901, and in 1908 a fire finished off almost all that was left. Areas of Silver Reef have recently been restored and homes now dot the area. Silver Reef is the only known place in the world that silver has been found in sandstone.


 * Silver Reef, Utah map and history, Washington County Historical Society
 * A History of the Establishment of Silver Reef, Utah at Greater Zion
 * Silver Reef, Utah at Western Mining History

Location

 * Coordinates: 37°15′10″N 113°22′04″W

Maps

 * 1895 Map of Washington County
 * Map of Silver Reef

Neighboring Communities
Leeds | Hurricane | Toquerville

Time Line

 * 1866: Silver found by John Kemple
 * 1874: Claims staked
 * 1875: News of the silver spreads and town develops
 * 1878-1882: Town's population peaks to 2,000
 * 1879 Fire destroys most of town, is rebuilt
 * 1884: Decline in world silver market slows production
 * 1898-1950: The mines were closed, reopened and closed again
 * 1901: Most of the residents have left
 * 1908: Fire finished off most remaining structures
 * Recent: Part of town restored, new homes constructed

Biographies

 * Memorial to those who lost their lives in coal mines in Utah in the 19th & 20th centuries Lists name, date of accident, and mine.

Cemeteries



 * Chinese Cemetery

After the mining declined at Silver Reef, many of the Chinamen's graves were left unattended and the treasures placed at the graves as was the custom were taken by local Indians. A Chinaman, Sam Gee, came from San Francisco, had all of the Chinese dead dug up and their remains placed in chests of tea and shipped to their ancestors homeland. This was felt to insure their future with their ancestors spirits.


 * Protestant Pioneer Cemetery


 * Protestant Pioneer Cemetery
 * Utahgravestones.org
 * Findagrave.com


 * Catholic Pioneer Cemetery


 * Catholilc Pioneer Cemetery
 * Catholic Pioneer Cemetery
 * Findagrave.com

Check cemeteries in neighboring communities.

Church Records

 * St. Johns Catholic Church

Historical Newspapers

 * Library of Congress Union Paper Washington County
 * The Silver Reef miner (Silver Reef, Utah) Newspaper
 * Washington County News 1908 - 1923

Societies, Museums and Libraries

 * Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP), Washington County, Utah Washington County DUP Companies and Camps 145 East 100 North St. George, UT 84770 Phone: (435)628-7274
 * Silver Reef Museum 1903 Wells Fargo Road Silver Reef, UT 84746 Phone:(435)879-2254
 * The Western Mining and Railroad Museum 294 South Main Helper, Utah 84526 Phone: (435) 472-3009
 * Washington County Historical Society Post Office Box 404 St. George, UT 84771
 * Zion Natural History Association Springdale, UT 84767 Phone:(435)772-3265, (800)635-3959

Birth
Many of the miners that arrived at Silver Reef came Pioche Nevada. Births published in the Pioche Newspapers could be pared with those Silver Reef Residents.


 * Birth Records from Pioche

Marriages

 * Marriage information may be located at the Western States Marriage Database searchable by bride or groom.

Death

 * Utah Department of Archives 1903 to 50 years ago Choices of search types - name, date of death (year, month, day, or any combination) and county. Images of actual death certificates.
 * Utah Death Certificates 1904 - 1956 -A free internet access to the 1904-1956 death certificates can be viewed on the Family Search Historical Records. Utah requires a death certificate before a burial is completed. A death certificate may contain information as to the name of the deceased, date of death, and place of death, as well as ;the age, birth date, parents, gender, marital status, spouse and place of residence. For information on death prior to 1904 you can search the Utah State Burial Index.

Suggested Reading

 * Anglo perceptions of the Chinese in America : a study of The Silver Reef miner, 1879-1882
 * ''Connecting the West : historic railroad stops and stage stations of Elko County, Nevada
 * Saga of three towns : Harrisburg, Leeds, Silver Reef
 * Silver, sinners and saints, a history of Old Silver Reef, Utah
 * Silver Reef Project: Creation of a Historic Ethnography for a 19th Century American Mining Town on the Western Frontier
 * Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures
 * The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns.
 * Toquerville : oasis in the desert ; a history of Toquerville and the area

Websites

 * Geology of Silver Reef
 * Silver Reef Ghost Town
 * Silver Reef Mining
 * List of Mines in Washington County
 * Silver Mining in the Beehive State
 * Utah Ghost Towns
 * Utah Mining
 * Utah Coal Mining