Frisco, Utah

Frisco is a ghost towncite web
url=http://www.legendsofamerica.com/UT-Frisco.html
title=Frisco, Utah - Ghost town with a ten year high
accessdate=2007-08-26
year=2005
month=April
publisher=legendsofamerica.com] in Beaver County, Utah, USA.cite web
url=http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/f/FRISCO.html
title=Frisco
accessdate=2007-08-26
last=Notarianni
first=Philip F.
work=Utah history encyclopedia
publisher=University of Utah] It was an active mining camp from 1879 to 1929.

History

Frisco developed as the post office and commercial center for the San Francisco Mining District, and was the terminus of the Utah Southern Railroad extension from Milford. The Horn Silver mine was discovered in 1875, and had produced $20 267 078 worth of ore by 1910. By 1885 over $60 000 000 worth of zinc, copper, lead, silver, and gold had been transported from Frisco from the many mines in the area.

With 23 saloons, Frisco was known as the wildest town in the Great Basin. Killings were common, and drinking water had to freighted in. The population reached 6000 in the early 1880s.cite book | last = Carr | first = Stephen L. | title = The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns | edition = 3rd edition | origyear = 1972 | origmonth = June | year = 1986 | publisher = Western Epics | location = Salt Lake City | pages = pp.110–111 | isbn = 0-914740-30-X]

Frisco's fortunes changed suddenly on February 13 1885, when the Horn Silver Mine caved in completely. It was an unconventional mine, an open pit convert|900|ft deep braced with timbers, and could have collapsed at any time.cite book | last = Thompson | first = George A. | title = Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures | year = 1982 | month = November | publisher = Dream Garden Press | location = Salt Lake City, Utah | isbn = 0-942688-01-5 | pages = pp.128–129]

In 1905 a Latter Day Saint ward was organized, but in 1911 with the closing of many of the mines, so many church members had left that the ward was discontinued. [cite book
last=Jenson
first=Andrew
title=Encyclopedic History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
year=1941
publisher=Deseret news Press
location=Salt Lake City
pages=p. 270]

Geography

Elevation 6500 feet.cite web
url=http://home.utah.edu/~joseph/geography/UAlmanac/Almanac_DH.html
title=Utah Almanac D-H
accessdate=2007-08-26
last=Buchanan
first=Joseph F.
date=1996-06-06
work=Utah Almanac] coord|38|27|23|N|113|15|29|W|

Demographics

The peak population was nearly 6 000.

References

External links

* [http://www.tetch.com/pix/frisco/ Photos by James Hammond]
* [http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ut/frisco.html History by Bob Bezzant and photos by Bob Bezzant and Dolores Steele]