In 1875, silver ore was discovered in Utah's San Francisco Mountains. A town popped up near the discovery, and became known as Frisco. Soon a smelter was built, and it was necessary to build some beehive charcoal kilns for smelting the ore. Frisco became a rapidly growing town, that had a reputation for being a little rough around the edges. It had 23 saloons, and gunfights became commonplace. None the less, the town kept growing and soon hit 6,000 people. In 1885, the mine caved in, but luckily no one was killed. After this occurance, most everyone moved to other mining towns instead of staying to rebuild. Most of the businesses closed down and moved on. A few people stayed behind and dug new mine shafts. By 1913, the mine had made another 20 million dollars. But the mine soon dried up and by 1920 it was a ghost town.
There are many old buildings still here. The most impressive structures are the 5 beehive charcoal kilns. The old town is just right off the highway.
To get to Frisco, take exit #109 or #112 on I-15 to Beaver, Utah. From Beaver, take Highway 21 west for 20 miles. When you get to Highway 257, take a right and go north. Go north for 13 miles to Highway 21 (again). Turn left and head west. Go about 20 miles or so to the Frisco townsite. It is right off the highway to your left.
