Gold mines high on a ridge above here sustained the industrial community of Pearl from 1894 to 1910, when the ore ran out. As part of Gem County's major gold rush, Pearl once had 3 mercantile stores, a butcher shop, 4 saloons, 2 hotels, one church, one school, a fire station, and an Odd Fellows Lodge. Although Pearl has deteriorated slowly since 1910, the lure of gold continued to spark interest there as recently as 1982.