The area was travelled by the early Mormon pioneers on their journey to
where they settled and built Salt Lake City. One of their leaders, Parley P.
Pratt, explored the canyon in 1848. He was given a charter the following year
to build a toll road through it, which was finished in 1849. The basin at the
top of the canyon was good for grazing, and a few families settled there. Early
on, the area was deeded to Samuel Snyder, Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah Grant.
The settlers named it "Parley's Park City", which was shortened to
"Park City" in the early 1900s. The first known discovery of ore in
this area was by Colonel
