Gold and silver strikes in the 1860's created growth in the area. Wyatt Earp is said to have served as sheriff of Cibola for one year in the 1890's. The town of Cibola formed in 1898, and construction began on a 16 mile canal to bring water from the river to the town. A post office operated here from 1903 to 1933, serving the farms, but the irrigation project failed. Floods were a yearly event until dams were built on the Colorado River. All the remnants of Cibola are now located on nearby private property.