In 1852, John D. Lee and others settled Old Harmony on Ash Creek, later known as Kelsey’s Ranch.

The name Harmony came from Harmony, Pennsylvania where the Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, translated the Book of Mormon. The local settlers also liked the name because it suggested the harmony and united action the pioneers wanted to engender during their periods of trial and hardship.

Old Harmony was abandoned between 1853 and 1854 due to the Walker Indian war. In 1854, some missionaries from the Indian Mission arrived and Fort Harmony was built.(*)