Utah’s Most Photogenic Ghost Town Has Rich Mormon History That Few People Know

Grafton Ghost Town

Grafton Ghost Town sits 3.5 miles from Highway 9 through Rockville, on the south bank of the Virgin River. Before Hollywood fell in love with the place, Mormons tried to turn it into a home.

Here’s what happened during that time, and what Grafton has become since then.

The Cotton Mission Beginnings

Brigham Young wanted Mormon settlers to fill the Utah Territory after 1847. He sent families to southern Utah in 1859 to grow cotton in what he called “Utah’s Dixie” because of its warm climate.

Nathan Tenney led five families to establish Wheeler. The cotton mission became crucial during the 1861 Civil War when cotton grew scarce nationwide.

By 1864, the settlement had grown to 28 families with 168 people. Seven other cotton towns started nearby: Virgin, Adventure, Rockville, Duncan’s Retreat, Shunesburg, Northup, and Springdale. Only Virgin, Rockville, and Springdale survived permanently.

The Virgin River Destroys Wheeler

On January 8, 1862, the Virgin River burst its banks during weeks of catastrophic flooding. This Great Flood of 1862 wrecked communities from Oregon to Mexico, completely destroying Wheeler.

The determined settlers rebuilt a mile upstream, renaming their town New Grafton after Grafton, Massachusetts. They constructed a post office, church, and combination school and meeting hall.

Despite the Virgin River’s constant threats, Grafton reached 28 families by 1864.

Settlers Battle Mud and Isolation

Each Grafton family farmed about an acre, switching from cotton to food crops. Unlike other settlements, Grafton farmers cleared mud-filled irrigation ditches weekly instead of monthly because of heavy silt.

Settlers planted peach, apricot, and apple orchards. Some trees still produce fruit today, more than 150 years later.

Despite hardships, residents enjoyed swimming, horseback riding, picnics, holidays, and Sunday worship.

Three Berrys Die Fighting for Their Lives

Robert and Joseph Berry were the youngest of nine children whose family joined the Mormon Church in Tennessee in 1843. On April 2, 1866, Robert Berry, his wife Isabella Hales Berry, and brother Joseph were killed by Native Americans near Short Creek.

Evidence suggests they fought hard—one dead Native American was found nearby. They had been traveling with a wagon full of supplies during the Black Hawk War violence.

Their bodies were brought to Grafton for burial since it was the county seat. Their grave, enclosed by a wooden fence, remains the cemetery’s most prominent memorial.

The Black Hawk War Empties Grafton

The Black Hawk War ran from 1865 to 1872 with about 150 raids and battles, mostly in central Utah before spreading south. Tensions escalated when Navajo raiders stole Kanab cattle in December 1865, then killed two ranchers at Pipe Spring in January 1866.

Brigham Young ordered southern Utah villages to consolidate into towns of at least 150 men. Grafton residents evacuated to nearby Rockville but returned daily to tend fields, always armed and in groups.

The town stayed empty until 1868 when threats subsided and families felt safe returning.

Thirteen Deaths Rock the Small Community

1866 brought Grafton’s darkest period with 13 deaths. On February 15, teenagers Loretta Russell (14) and Elizabeth Woodbury (13) died instantly when their swing’s wooden beam broke.

A diphtheria epidemic killed six people, including three York family children (ages 10, 5, and 3) and Sarah Ann Brookfield with her two daughters (ages 5 and 7). A nine-year-old boy was dragged to death by a horse.

These tragedies, combined with Native American conflicts, convinced many families to abandon Grafton permanently despite earlier plans to return.

Paiutes and Mormons Rebuild Together

By 1868, Black Hawk War threats had decreased enough for resettlement. Families returned to rebuild their community, constructing a 2,400-square-foot, two-story adobe schoolhouse in 1886.

The building served as school, church, and meeting hall. Some Southern Paiute people joined the community, setting up tepees nearby. Cedar Pete (1830-1890), Poinkum (1847-1905), and other Paiutes lived alongside settlers and were buried in the town cemetery.

Grafton briefly served as Kane County seat from January 1866 to January 1867.

Cattle Replace Crops After Repeated Floods

Settlers shifted from farming to cattle raising by 1865 because animals could be moved during floods, unlike crops. The 1866 harvest produced 21 acres of wheat, 45 acres of corn, 18 acres of cotton, and 8 acres of sugar cane.

By 1874, many residents tried silk production following Brigham Young’s economic ideas, but abandoned it after a few years. Fruit and nut trees planted throughout town thrived in southern Utah’s climate.

Recurring floods in 1868 and 1909 gradually convinced families to seek more stable farmland elsewhere.

The Hurricane Canal Draws Families Away

The Hurricane Canal’s completion in 1906 delivered Virgin River water to fertile land 20 miles downstream, creating better farming opportunities away from flood-prone areas. Many Grafton families moved to Hurricane for reliable irrigation and improved conditions.

Another devastating 1909 flood pushed more residents to leave. School enrollment dropped to nine students during 1918-19, making education impractical. Remaining students transferred to Rockville School.

By 1920, only three families remained in the community that once supported 168 people.

Hollywood Discovers an Authentic Ghost Town

Frank Russell and wife Mary Ballard Russell moved into the original Russell home in 1917, becoming Grafton’s last residents until moving to St. George in 1944. Limited farmland couldn’t support growing families, and the town lacked electricity and clean water.

After abandonment, Hollywood noticed Grafton’s well-preserved buildings. Movie producer Harry Sherman bought the town in 1946 specifically for film productions.

The town remained largely unchanged until 1997 when preservation efforts began stabilizing aging structures.

Visiting Grafton Ghost Town

Visitors today can reach Grafton by driving to Rockville, Utah on UT-9 and turning south on Bridge Lane. The route crosses the Virgin River on a historic, single-track iron bridge built in 1924.

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