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Show I I U. S. Smelting Plant Notes Founding Looking east at 646 acre U. S. Smelting Mining & Refining Co. plant in Midvale. Ground was broken for original smelter in 1901. Old Timer At Midvale Reminds Smelter Of Golden Anniversary The site of the United States Smelting Refining and Mining. Company's Com-pany's Midvale plant is important in the pioneer history of Utah. Many of the details of the background of this location were all but forgotten when one of the Midvale old timers, Henry P. Jensen. 80. visited the smelter recently to remind the lead smelter superintendent it was time to celebrate a 50 year anniversary. Mr. Jensen told the superintendent superintend-ent he had moved the first scraper f earth on June 16, 1901 to break pround for the forerunner of the Company's present Midvale plant. His reminder of this golden anniversary an-niversary resulted in the uncovering uncover-ing of some interestine facts about the area. When Mr. Jensen's scraper first bit into the ground, Midvale was known as Bingham Junction. It was little more than a turn in the road leading to the mines at Bingham. Earlier the site was named East Jordan, and "Gardner's Mill" was erected nearby on the west bank of the Jordan River in 1859 by Archibald and Robert Gardner. This mill sawed the first commercial commer-cial lumber on the first formal grant of water for industrial purposes pur-poses in Utah. Later, Utah's second sec-ond flour mill was built a short distance away. 1 Utah's mining industry was born in this area in 1863. when Gen. Patrick E. Connor, commandant of Camp Douglas, presided over the first miners' meeting held in Utah, at which Bishop Gardner was elected first recorder of the Jordan silver mining district. East Jordan, known since 1909 as Midvale City, is today a thriving community of over 5.000 inhabitants. inhabi-tants. The name, incidentally was chosen by a company employee named Smith. The present Midvale plant was built in 1902, originally as a copper smelter. In 1904 construction was begun on a lead smelter which ha been in continuous operation since early 1905. Subsequently the copper cop-per plant was dismantled. Today the plant consists ot shops, laboratories, offices, rallwad yards, tailing ponds, and slat dumps that cover an area of 644 acres. The flotation mill, placed in operation in 1926, was preceded by a gravity concentrator and Haft electrostatic separators. Both the gravity mill and the Huff p.&nt were replaced in 1926 by the present pres-ent flotation mill. Today, United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company's Midvale plant employs around 550 people, many of whom have been with the company for 20 years and more. Of this group, 85 own their own homes, and 22 own small farms which offers a clear picture of the economic security enjoyed by company employees. The company spends about $9,-000,000 $9,-000,000 annually to carry on its metal mining, milling and smelting operations in Utah. About half M this sum is paid to employees, stat taxes account for about $450,000, and the balance is spent mostly in Utah for supplies, power and other. services. In addition, about $4,- ! 000,000 annually is spent to pur- j chase custom ores for treatment at the Midvale Plant. The changes that have taken place over the past half century at the Midvale plant are a tribute to industrial progress in Utah, and I they represent a good omen for the future, not only of the entire industry, in-dustry, but of the state and country aa well. |
