Frisco, Utah: A Southern Utah Ghost Town

Frisco is now a ghost town in southern Utah, but during its 1885 peak had a population of over 6,000 people, sustained by nearby mining activity. (Location on our Ghost Towns map)

The San Francisco Mining District was established as zinc, copper and precious metals were discovered in 1875. By 1879, Frisco was established, and the Utah Southern Railroad had built an extension from Milford, UT, to serve the town. By 1885, over $60,000,000 in minerals had been transported from around the town.

Image: Beehive Coke Ovens, Utah State Historical Society

However, Friday the 13th would not be kind to the town in February, 1885. The Horn Silver Mine, one of the local mines in the area, completely collapsed. Further mining in the area began to decline in production and profit.

Never fully recovering, Frisco's population quickly dwindled to about 500 by the turn of the century, and less than 100 by 1920. It was completely abandoned in 1929. Nonetheless, the Frisco Branch of the USRR, which became part of the Union Pacific, served nearby mines until 1943, when it too was abandoned.

Location: Frisco, UT, USA

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