100 Years of Mining Vol. (1 The Kureka (Utah) Reporter, Friday, October Aerial view of Kurek.i C itj taken in the enrlj 19 0 s from tlu north foothills looking southeast slums extent of early building and several mines in oper- - n Located () miles south of Salt Lake City in what is now called the 'I'intic District (in memory of the valiant Old Chief 'I'intic i. it lies in the Oquirrh Mountain Range, and tlu elevation of Fureka is about (WOO feet. Ihe year ISM is memorable in 'I'intic District history, for the first mining claim was filed that year. Old timers remember the name as the Sunbeam Claim, Diamond and Silver Citv. Karlv the next vear the district was organized. 'File black Dragon. Kureka Hill, Mammoth properties were staked. They were followed in rapid succession by the Armstrong. Martha Washington. Sheehridgc. Swansea. Showers and (ilemini. Many ores were mined, chiefly lead, copper, gold and silver. n t Poor transportation facilities hampered mining in early years. Onl the 'in face was scratched and only the richest of the deposits were touched. Yet I'intic ores, even in those days went to San Francisco. Reno. Baltimore and overseas to Swansea. Wales. As the region became settled, more thorough utilization of tlu areas resources became possible. e marked the high in production. That year ores valued at 10 million dollars writ' dug from the earth and spread to tefinctics throughout the nation. For the first time in its history, Kureka listed zinc among its products. The vear IP 1 2 all-tim- year 1BPP the 'Iintic District was tlu leading mining center of tlu 'tali in value of output, which was over .$.".(M)().()(MI. 'Flu shipping mines at Flu Price 2"c No. i: at ion at the time. Many of the homes and huildingK seen in this early photo- graph have since been moved away or have lieen destroyed or disinantliHl. area I'intic can boast of one of the most colorful histories of any mining area of comparable sie in the West. It has known periods of boom, exciting years, and years of depression, but through it all. the entire district is dear to the hearts of all who have lived here, and it will always hold its place on the map for the part it has played in the development of the West. situated 2. 1!1 that time wen the Mammoth. Bullion Beck. C'entennial Kureka. (irand Central. Gemini, Kureka Hill. Swansea, (iodiva, Humbug, Uncle Sam. Sioux. May Day and several other smaller mines. Flu Mammoth, one of tlu oldest in the district, ranked among tlu top producers, producing around .$ I B.()U( ).()()() in ore and paid over $H.0'HM(M) in dividends. Some 20(1 men were employed at tlu peak of production. 'Flu mine produced more gold than any mine in the distiict. 'Flu property closed in 101."). little town. thereby reducing the population of that Another of the mining towns district was known as Knightsville. situated a few miles east of Kureka. was at one time in the earlier davs. a thriving small community complete with a store, dance hall, school, etc., and many of the men folks were employed by tlu mines which wire practicallv in their back yards. 'Flu mines were the May Day. Uodiva and Uncle Sam. Looking at the wide open spaces now. it is hard to visualize the fricndlv, small town of former vears. in tlu The annual pie)ductiein of I'intic District in iMilier yea is often exceeded that of Bingham until that distiict became the largest Clipper producer in tlu NNest. and tlu recoids showed 'I'intic outdoing Park City. In spite of that fact less was writti'ii with legat'd to the dcve'lopmeni of the legion than about other eciially productive miueial aieas. mills and a smi'llcr were erected in the aiea at various times, but owing to tlu refractory natuie of much of the ore. milling was not a success and tlu cost o( smelting was much too high. Si-ver- Flu Silver City Smelter was the last attempt at smelting in the I'intic District and was dismantled in 1!M.. Flu population of Silver City declined rapidly after the closing of the smeller. Leaders in the mining (continued on page 11)