Harrisburg, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harrisburg
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The Orson Adams home in Harrisburg
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 Harrisburg
Location in Utah
Harrisburg
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Washington |
| Founded | 1859 |
| Abandoned | 1895 |
| Named for | Moses Harris |
| Elevation | 2,995 ft (913 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1437583 |
Harrisburg is a ghost town in Washington County, Utah, United States. A ghost town is a place where people used to live, but now it's mostly empty. Harrisburg was started in 1859. It was first called Harrisville. But a big flood from the Virgin River in 1862 made people move. They moved to higher ground near Quail Creek. After that, the town's name changed to Harrisburg.
By 1868, about 200 people lived there. But over the next few years, more floods, attacks by Native American groups, and a huge grasshopper problem made people leave. They moved to nearby towns like Leeds and Silver Reef. By 1895, Harrisburg was completely empty.
Today, new homes are built where Harrisburg used to be. This area is called Harrisburg Estates. You can still see old parts of the town, like the historic cemetery and some sandstone houses. This neighborhood is now part of Hurricane.
Contents
History of Harrisburg
Founding and Early Days
In 1859, a man named Moses Harris moved to this area. He had helped start a Mormon settlement near San Bernardino before. Moses Harris started a new town where Quail Creek met the Virgin River. Several families came to live in this new town, which was named Harrisville.
In 1862, the Virgin River flooded Harrisville. The flood was so bad that everyone had to move. They moved to a higher spot further up Quail Creek. After they moved, they changed the town's name to Harrisburg, named after Moses Harris.
Many of the buildings in Harrisburg were made of stone. There were lots of rocks in the area, so it was easy to build with them. Even the fences around homes were made of stone. The town's school was different. It was made of cedar posts stuck into the ground. The roof was made of cedar logs and bark, held together with soil. By 1864, 128 people lived in Harrisburg.
Growth and Challenges
Between 1875 and 1888, Harrisburg grew because of a nearby mining town called Silver Reef. Silver Reef needed food and other farm goods. Harrisburg farmers sold their crops to Silver Reef, which helped them earn money.
By 1868, Harrisburg's population reached 200 people. But soon, the town faced many problems. In 1869, a huge swarm of grasshoppers destroyed crops. Also, a group of Navajo raiders attacked the area. These events made some people decide to leave Harrisburg. A long period of dry weather, called a drought, also caused many residents to move away. Most of the people who left went to live in nearby towns like Leeds and Silver Reef. By 1892, only six families were left in Harrisburg. By 1895, everyone had left, and Harrisburg became a ghost town.
Harrisburg Today
New Development
In the 2010s, the area where Harrisburg once stood became a new neighborhood. It's called "Harrisburg Estates." This new development has homes, and nearby there are parks for RVs and mobile homes.
Historic Buildings and Sites
Even though new homes are there, you can still see many old stone houses and foundations from historic Harrisburg. One of the most famous remaining buildings is the Orson Adams House.
The Orson Adams House was built in 1864. It's a two-room stone building. Orson B. Adams lived there with his wife, two sons, and two granddaughters. A man named John Kemple also stayed in the Orson Adams House. He was on his way to Nevada to look for silver. John Kemple is known for finding the silver in the area that later became the rich mining town of Silver Reef.
After Orson Adams passed away, the house was sold many times. In 1910, William Emett bought it. He and his family lived in the Orson Adams House until William Emett died in 1945. In 2001, the Bureau of Land Management took ownership of the Orson Adams House. They worked to fix it up and restore it to its original look.
