In January 1864 an independent party of ten men under the leadership of Albert Lewis came from Sanpete and arrived in what is now Richfield on 6 January. In the winter of 1864 Orson Hyde called additional families to go. Some bought their way out, but others responded to the call to settle. The first two white women in Richfield were Ann Swindle and Charlotte Doxford. The first settlement was called Big Springs or Warm Springs, after the life-giving spring at the foot of the red hills to the west. The settlement later was called Omni after a prophet in the Book of Mormon. The name was changed to Richfield because of the fertile soil. The first dwelling places were dugouts.

The early settlers wasted no time. August Nelson planted cottonwood saplings and Joseph F. Doxford even organized a martial band. A temporary bowery was built. Early in 1865 about 100 more families arrived, most from Sanpete Valley. In February 1865 the first schoolhouse was built; the first teacher in the school was Hans P. Miller. A fort was started in the fall of 1865; each man who owned a city lot was required to build one rod (16.5 feet) of wall.