After coal was discovered along the Weber River and the town of Coalville founded in 1859, Brigham Young sent more searchers in 1860 to explore further.

[3] As the population grew, Grass Creek added numerous buildings, from miners' shacks to fine stone homes for mine owners.

The increasing involvement of the Union Pacific Railroad in the area was troubling to many residents, who saw the company as a predatory monopoly.

[5] Despite its precarious dependence on a single industry, Grass Creek continued to grow through the end of the 19th century.

[2] Grass Creek's coal was found in soft clay,[4] and the mines began to fill with water, causing dangerous cave-ins.

That year the cement plant shut down, and in 1932 the Union Pacific asked permission to abandon the Grass Creek spur line.