Geologists tell us that, millions of years ago, the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains rose — creating cracks and fissures in the earth as they moved. Molten rock from deep underground forced a superheated solution of minerals into these fissures creating veins and beds of silver, gold, lead, zinc and other minerals.
As the surrounding rock eroded, some of these mineral deposits reached the surface. Infederal troops, including veterans of the California gold rush, established Fort Douglas in the foothills east of Salt Lake City.
There they found a rich deposit of silver and lead that they called the Flagstaff. About the same time, another group of prospectors including Ephraim Hanks and Rufus Walker were camped in the Snyderville Basin and roamed the nearby mountains looking for precious metals.
They found several deposits that led to claims in what is now Park City Mountain resort. By this time the transcontinental railroad had reached Utah.
This was the pivotal event that made mining in Park City even possible. During the summer ofseveral thousand men were working in Echo and Weber canyons, preparing the route for the new transcontinental railroad.
The town of Echo became an important location on the main line. In May the completion of the railroad was celebrated with the driving of the Golden Spike.
Bythe local silver mines were producing and looking for cheap transportation to haul ore to mills near Salt Lake City and out by Tooele. It took several false starts, but Park City finally got a spur line to Echo in Actually, it got two of them — one owned by local businessmen and one owned by the Union Pacific.
The railro also opened the door for waves of immigrants from China, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and many other places. Some settled in Park City, building churches and meeting halls to celebrate their faiths and their traditions. Although mining is a boom and bust economy, dependent upon ore prices, Park City flourished even through the Great Depression.
While the war opened up new markets, the war production administration set the price. In the fall ofsoldiers were ased to work at the Silver King, Park Utah and New Park mines to keep production at the war effort levels.
Inprices for lead and zinc dropped and soon men were unemployed. In the summer ofthe Silver King closed — and the aerial tramway the towers next to the town chair lift that had operated for 50 years — would never deliver another bucket of ore. In the late s with many years of losses, United Park began looking for creative ways to pump money into mining.
What if they could turn their mountain property into a ski resort? They won a low interest loan from the Federal government and in began clearing trails and lift lines for the new resort. Noranda from Canada took over in but in stopped all work and terminated the lease.
Today, a small crew of miners still maintains the Spiro, Judge and Keetley tunnels that provide our drinking water. United Park purchased by a Canadian company Talisker has developed luxury housing on much of their property. our efforts to save Park City's last remaining mining structures.
Please contact Andrew Cohen at AndrewCohen parkcityhistory. Park City Mining History. Find Mining Events. Photo Gallery.
The D. Boarding House, pictured, was located in upper Thaynes Canyon at the D. Our Mines. Save Our Mining Structures. We need your help!
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