Harrisburg Residents (2) Markers (DUP & SUP)

Harrisburg was a town built of the rocks it stood on. Moses Harris led settlers to the Virgin River country in 1859, and after a flood in 1862 pushed them upstream, they found ground so thick with stone that they built everything from it: houses, barns, and miles of fences run up from the rocks they cleared to plant. At its height around 1868 some two hundred people lived here, many working the mines and mills at nearby Silver Reef. Then the floods kept coming, and by 1892 all but six families had gone.

What the plaque says

In 1859, after helping settle San Bernardino California, Moses Harris moved his family to Utah and settled on the Virgin River near Quail Creek. In 1862 a flood forced the settlers further up Quail Creek to the Cottonwood Creek Fork. Due to the many large rocks in the area the settlers built their homes and barns of stone. Rocks gathered while clearing their land for planting were used to establish property lines, leaving several miles of stone fences. By 1864 there were sixteen families totaling 128 people living here. In 1868 the population was about 200 people. Many worked at the Silver Reef mines and mills. By 1892 repeated flooding had driven away all but six families. Dedicated by Matt Warner Chapter 1900 and Billy Holcomb Chapter 1069 E Clampus Vitus March 21, 1999 (6004)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Hurricane Canal Trail — 6.4 mi
  The hand-dug canal that built Hurricane, now a walking trail blasted into the Virgin River gorge
• Snow Canyon State Park — 14 mi
  Red and white sandstone cliffs with ancient lava flows
• St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm — 14 mi
  Real dinosaur footprints preserved in ancient sandstone
• Grafton Ghost Town — 18 mi
  A photogenic ghost town used in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

More markers nearby

• Monument to Harrisburg Pioneers — steps away
• Harrisburg Historic Pioneer Cemetery — steps away
• Leeds CCC Camp — 2.3 mi
• Wells Fargo & Company Express Building — 3.5 mi