Established by Mormon pioneers in 1855 as Fort Cedar Springs, this settlement began when Church President Brigham Young permitted the families of William Stevens Sr. and Richard Johnson to settle near grassy, spring-fed cedar hills. Joined that fall by eight more families, the small colony built an adobe-walled fort that served as both a home and protection from Piute Indians. Used until 1867, it also became a refuge for weary frontier travelers and came to be known as Buttermilk Fort for its dairying industry and refreshing drink. In 1858 a post office was established and the community was renamed in memory of Elijah Holden, who had died in 1857 on Scipio Pass, nine miles to the north, in a snowstorm while trying to save a small boy's life. The residents of Holden were said to reflect the thrift, perseverance, and abiding love of God passed down from their pioneering ancestors.