The Beaver Woolen Mills

In 1870, Beaver built the first woolen mill in southern Utah — a substantial three-story building, sixty by a hundred and twenty feet, filled with machinery hauled all the way from New England by rail and wagon. The men who ran it, John Ashworth among them, had learned the wool trade in England and brought that skill west. For half a century the mill was an engine of the local economy, turning the region's wool into cloth and drawing prosperity to the town. Fire destroyed it in 1920.

What the plaque says

On this site in 1870, in a three story building, 60 x 120 feet, the first Woolen Mills in Southern Utah operated. Machinery was brought here from New England by railroad and wagon. John Ashworth and others schooled in England in the art of wool manufacturing formed the corporation. For many years this mill was the main factor in the growth and prosperity of Beaver and surrounding territory. It was destroyed by fire in 1920.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Beaver — 0.4 mi
  A charming main street town with surprisingly good food
• Butch Cassidy Boyhood Home — 22 mi
  The restored Circleville cabin where the West's most famous outlaw spent his teens
• Cove Fort — 22 mi
  A beautifully restored 1867 pioneer fort at the crossroads of two interstates
• Fremont Indian State Park — 26 mi
  The largest known Fremont Indian village ever discovered

More markers nearby

• Fort Cameron — 0.4 mi
• Relief Society Hall — 0.5 mi
• Beaver Opera House — 0.5 mi
• Beaver County Courthouse — 0.5 mi