People
Behind every building and every mine were the people who made Silver Reef a living town. Miners, merchants, families, immigrants, entrepreneurs, and everyday workers all contributed to its character. This section introduces the individuals and communities who shaped the town’s culture, built its institutions, and left stories that still echo through the ruins today.
Learn more about the faces that made up this historical town called Silver Reef by browsing through the articles below.
Articles About People
A Unique Union of Religions
Although the area surrounding Silver Reef was predominantly Mormon, the miners who arrived during the boom years came from many different religious backgrounds. Most were not from Utah. Many, such as the skilled Cornish miners, were immigrants from England and […]
Cemeteries
Between Silver Reef, Leeds and Harrisburg, there were a total of five cemeteries, four of which that can still be visited today. Mostly Mormons were buried in the Leeds cemetery located on the southwest side of town. Most people associated […]
John Kemple
Many stories circulate about who first discovered silver in Silver Reef, but the one figure consistently documented as finding silver ore was John Kemple. In 1866, Kemple rode into the Leeds–Harrisburg area during a prospecting journey from Montana. Though he […]
William Tecumseh Barbee
Besides John Kemple, the next most significant person responsible for developing Silver Reef into the boom town it became, was William Tecumseh Barbee. With the help (funding) of his partners, Barbee would develop two mining areas in Silver Reef: Tecumseh […]