Brigham Young dispatched the explorers in order to locate a potential refuge in case of a U.S. military campaign against Utah.

Mormon scouts began irrigation ditches and started fields, but the site was soon deserted after the feared violence never materialized.

[7] It began as part of Washington County, Utah, but the congressional redrawing of boundaries in 1866 shifted Panaca into Nevada.

William Hamblin, a Mormon missionary to the Paiutes, established the Panacker Ledge (Panaca Claim) silver mine there in 1864.

Events include cannon firing at 6 A.M., games and races, a parade, art displays, and a community dinner.