The
community grew during the 1870's through the 1890's as settlers homesteaded
sheep and cattle ranches. Some of the early pioneer family names were
Worthington, Hudson, Burrington, McCurdy, Bates, Skinner, Goldsmith,
Ferguson, Felt, Bonnemort, Weaver, Gash, Snively, Symonds, Lee, and
Kelley. After 1880, the Ericksons, Littledikes, Stewarts, Halls, Chastains,
Hibbards, Cooks, Mulliners, Sheridans, Parrishs, Georgeattas, and Proberts
settled at Ibapah. Other prominent early names after 1910 in Ibapah
have been Hicks, West, Christiansen, and Calloway.
Around
the turn of the century, as mining districts in the area prospered,
Ibapah had up to five saloons functioning and two dances functioning
on any given night. Prosperity was further enhanced when the Lincoln
Highway was routed through Callao, Gold Hill, and Ibapah from about
1915 to 1927. Sheridan's hotel, gas, and store, along with Chastain's
post office and store were prominent in that time frame. The Deep Creek
valley has had a school at Broadway, Nevada in the 1920's as well as
the Goshute Indian School from about 1915 to 1969, and Ibapah Elementary
since 1883, where social functions such as dances, church weddings,
and funerals have been held. The Goshute Tribal Council has a community
center and the LDS Church built a chapel in 1981. The only large cemeteries
in western Tooele County are the community and Goshute cemeteries, both
of which are in Deep Creek Valley. Modern conveniences are of recent
origin in the Deep Creek country. Electric power was installed in 1972.
A paved highway was constructed in 1977 leading from the Ely, Nevada
Highway to Ibapah, and private telephones followed in 1986.