The Rico area was originally inhabited by natives including the Utes. In the 1700’s Spanish explorers were in the area. In 1833, trappers like W. Walton of the St. Louis Fur Co., came and reported remains of Spanish smelters. Mining began about 1860. In the mid 1870’s the Utes ceded the area to the U.S. by treaty. Frenzied activity began and many profitable claims were staked, including ten in 1877. D. Swickheimer opened the Enterprise Mine, the most successful mine in the area’s history. At its peak in 1892 Rico boasted 5000 residents, 23 saloons, 2 churches and 88 active mines. The railroad came in 1891 but the silver crash of 1893 ended Rico’s first boom.