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Show V r- I-.. : ''. - " ' vj ALTHOUGH IN OPERATION tor only two years, the old Dyer Mine Smelter stands as a historical landmark of the mining production pro-duction in the Uinta Mountains. Remains of a 42 inch water jacket blast furnace and cabins for the workers can still be seat se-at the site. Old Oyer smelfer raiearJis Uinvc mineral production Nestled between Oaks Park and Dyer Mountain in the Uintas lies a somewhat obscure and fallen-in smelter, but near the turn of the century, nearly 30 families lived near the smelter which buzzed with activity. The Dyer Mine Smelter located on Anderson Creek was built in 1889 by Uintah Copper Summit Company with Rock M. Pope as foreman. Although overrun with fallen trees and rocks which make it impassable for even a 4-wheel 4-wheel drive, a road loops around the north slope of Dyer Mountain which connects the smelter to the Dyer Mines. The smelter is located on the opposite slope of the Dyer Mine, nearly two miles over rugged terrain, but it is an. ideal location offering an ample water supply from 16 springs in the area which feed Anderson Creek. The smelter was operated in the summer of 1890 and a few w eeks in 1R91. Then the ore ran out and operations were discontinued, reads the account of the mine by George E. Pope. During the operation of the Dyer Mine it was reported that there was $750,000 of ore taken out of the mine. "The ore was exceptionally rich, and w as the richest copper ore in any mine in the United States at that time," George E. Pope reported. On May 31. 197. George E. Pope and E.J. I-onghurst of Vernal bought the property from tlx.' County for taxes, by Pope furnishing the money for the purchase. At the smelter are several cabins which housed the workers and some log corrals for the horse teams which hauled the ore from the mine to the smelter. The ore was then taken over the mountain north and west along the Corduroy road to Carter, Wyoming, w here it was loaded onto waiting trains for shipment. "According to some sources. $05 ooo w orth of ore was hauled over the Carter route; but it was probably much more," reports an article on the Dver Mines by Kerry Ross Boren. A letter w ritten by R M. Pope to V.C. Hicks shows a shipment of about 400 tons of copper glance, which assaved an average 49 47 percent content' of copper and 26 ounces of silver and $6 in gold per ton prior to 1897. The next two years about 200 tons of ore ; During its short life. thesri; a 42 inch water jacket bit?, i-w i-w hich remains can still be &; dow n all the ore between te: 2 percent content before sL:-mine sL:-mine averaged 50 pereer.! kc:- gold, silver and some lea-: and silver paid for the proo.r. of the copper during the reoperation. re-operation. Boren records The mines and smelter ecu names from a Mr. PL. IHer:'-East IHer:'-East who acquired knowk-dji 3 pocket deposit back or. theErj: j Mountain and after f;; ' ! urled opi-ration about need of captial and bcrroaecr Salt Lake City and by hisir.i which produced what appear?:' ample securing or at least r:. ask for a loan. When these ki safely secured, he skipped 'jf : or at least disappeared A Mr held a first mortgage cla.: property and having the cla " the Salt I-.ke City coroerr. ' loaned Mr. Dyer SIO.XO M: called his company the Company. Some of the men who he'.di: in the mine were to be fee:"-there fee:"-there were Bill and Bob F.;' Sterling and Byron Colton r: Duke Presently Hugh ColtiW ' owns the 4S acres where the 5" located. He said when he p-"."' he planned to restore the srrC: historical site, but financir.C'.i has been a deiorrant. Although the old smelters"'. private property, the puMss. to stay in the cabin which!-' workers, as long as the pr.7' damaged. The road into : " requires a 4 -wheel driver. worth seeing the historical the largest metal product:."' finl3 Mountains. |