Silver Reef, in southwestern Utah near Leeds and St. George, became one of the American West's most unusual silver camps because its ore was found in sandstone, a discovery many experts first doubted. After John Kemple found a vein in 1866 and William Barbee secured claims in 1875, the camp grew rapidly, drawing miners and businesses. By 1879 it had about 2,000 residents, a mile-long Main Street, and prominent commercial buildings. A fire that year did not stop rebuilding, but falling silver prices soon closed most mines by 1884. Brief later revivals failed, and the town was eventually absorbed into Leeds, leaving a handful of notable buildings and ruins.