Juab County was formed in 1852, including portions of what is now Nevada. The size of the county was reduced in 1854 and 1856 along with various other changes through the years until the curent borders were set. The first real settlement came in 1851 when Mormon pioneers settled Nephi. They relied mainly on agriculture for their livelihoods. In 1869, silver, gold, copper and other precious metals were discovered in the Tintic region. Many mining towns, such as Diamond, Silver City and Eureka popped up during this era. By 1899, it was considered to be one of the richest mining districts in the entire nation. Mining continued into the mid-1900’s with the operations scaling down through the rest of the century.