Duncans Retreat was on the upper Virgin River, halfway between present-day Virgin and Grafton. It was first settled by Chapman Duncan, Alma Minerly, and others during the winter of 1861-62. The area was washed out by the floods of January 1862 and the settlers were forced to move. Duncan "retreated" to Duncans Retreat after making a surveying error on an irrigation ditch project at Virgin.