The One Utah Town That’s So Perfectly Western

It might be hard to imagine now, but Utah was once part of the Wild West. Prospectors, trappers and mountain men roamed our mountain ranges and hunted in our valleys. Living was certainly more rustic, without many of the city slicker amenities of the East Coast. While Utah certainly has many towns that represent the early days of the Utah territory, Park City just might be Utah's quintessential Western town. Set against a rugged, mountain wilderness, it has a long history of silver mining and prospecting.

Park City was founded in 1869. By 1872, the Ontario Mine was producing silver...and lots of it.

In 1892, the Silver King Mine was producing, and mining was booming. However, by the 1950s, Park City was nearly a ghost town.

Though the landscape is now dotted with condominiums, these hills once produced tons of silver.

The roughly $400 million of silver that came out of Park City mines created 23 millionaires.

Skiing saved Park City from certain death.

In 1963, Park City Ski Resort opened, bringing tourists (and their money) to the little town.

Today, Park City's Main Street is full of historic charm.

64 of the buildings in Park City are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each of the buildings in Old Town have a story to tell.

Some of the tiny, old prospector homes are still occupied today.

So many towns tear down their old buildings and replace them with glossy, modern ones. Park City strives to keep history alive - even while offering modern amenities to locals and tourists alike.

The Park City Museum and Territorial Jail offers artifacts of the town's mining, skiing and outlaw history.

This Territorial jail cell was built is 1885 - when local ruffians got too out of hand, they ended up here for the night.

Is there any liquor that evokes the feel of the Wild West more than whiskey?

Pop into the General Store to grab a bottle of your favorite.

Where else can you sit on a bench with a bear?

And of course, Park City is home to many moose. Both artistic...

...and real.

Thanks to strict building codes, even new buildings keep the Old West style that makes Park City so special.

Many of Utah's small towns still reflect our earliest history. Take a look at these picturesque small towns in Utah.