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Show Old Iron Town I development of the Iron Mountain hematite deposit was resumed about 25 years ago, conditions had changed materially and with good roads and motor freight giving rapid access to outside points, there was no reason to disturb the I By Jean Hendirckson " Brent Esplin, South Elementary, Cedar City, sent the following to Allen and Ralph, , Sept. 22, 1960. The little Pinto development was instigated by Ebenezer Hanks, a rugged and resourceful old character who had accumulated ac-cumulated considerable money freighting to and from California. Califor-nia. At that time mules were very cheap on the coast and high priced in Utah, while cattle were just the opposite, cheap here and high in California. Hanks would load, four or five wagons with Utah wool and cotton and with each wagon drawn by three or four yoke of oxen would make the long trip overland to the coast. There he would sell his cargo and trade his oxen for mules always at a good profit, and .' reloading his wagons with calico, silks, sugar, tea, coffee, boots, or shoes would make the return trip. Arriving back in Iron County he would dispose of his goods in Cedar City and Parowan and trading his mules for another bunch of oxen, likewise at a good profit, would again head for California. This then, was the man who set about acquiring mining claims on Iron Mountain and by 1870 found himself in ' position to promote the Utah Iron Mining Association, in- I , I Utah. As time went on, Taylor bought out most of the other stock holders and ultimately sold his share of the Iron City property for $200,000. Throughout its fledgling years, southern Utah's iron production industry was at every turn confronted by new difficulties. After purchasing a defunct Nevada railroad and moving , intact to Iron City to transport coal from Cedar Canyon to the site on Little Pinto, it was found that the coal contained too much sulfur to enable its use for coking. As a consequence, it was necessary to fire the furnace with charcoal and to supply the prodicious amount needed were kept in constant operation. As , lateral roads fanned out from the Union Pacific, - it was found , cheaper to import iron from ; eastern mills than to mine and mill it under the adverse conditions con-ditions prevalent on Little Pinto. Eventual result was a second abandonment of the Iron Mountain project. Shorn of its livelihood, the town of Iron City disintegrated rapidly. Many of the better brick buildings were dismantled and moved to nearby Newcastle for reerection there. Other structures struc-tures were left to crumble and fall. When large ' scale slumbering ghost of old . Iron City. Realizing that the ancient ruins on Little Pinto constitute one of southern Utah's most important historic sites. Cedar City Chapter Sons of Utah Pioneers interested itself in the protection and preservation of the remaining buildings. Several of the better structures including one of the original charcoal ovens, the old blast furnace, an open-hearth furnace, the land on "which they stand was donated to the 'chapter by William Lamb,' owner, the chapter fenced the townsite. It is hoped the old landmark may take its rightful place among the many tourist attractions of this scenic area. corporated for a sum not less than $100,000. Associated with II him in the enterprise and signing as in'.orporators were Homer and Chopman Duncan, Edmund Ellsv orth Jr., Seth and Preston Blair. Homer Duncan was elected to the office of vice president, and Seth Blair, secretary. The new plant erected on the banks of Little Pinto, was soon operating around the clock and every day was producing 2,400 pounds of good quality iron. During the three years, immediately im-mediately following a portion of Hanks interests were acquired by Thomas Taylor of Salt Lake City, and in 1873 the business was reincorporated as the Great , Western Iron Mining and Manufacturing Company with capitalization limit not to exceed $2,000,000. Meanwhile a town of considerable con-siderable extent had sprung up around the smelter on little Pinto and had been incorporated as Iron City, although, in common venacular, it frequently was referred to as Iron Town. In addition to the iron working plant the settlement included a number of well built homes, largely of brick and stone construction. con-struction. A year later saw effected ef-fected another reorganization in which the name of the enterprise was abbreviated to Great Western Iron Company. While capitalization remained at $1,000,000. an appraisal value of $5,000,000 was placed upon the company's holdings, which included in-cluded 54 iron and coal claims, the plant, real estate at Iron City,' and such company property as teams, wagons and tools. The organization was then operating the same claims that Columbia Iron Mining Company and the Kaiser interests are working today. In 1883 the enterprise was taken over by Iron Manufacturing Manufac-turing Company of Utah, with Geo. J. Cannon, president; Thomas Taylor, vice president and manager, and John C Butler, secretary. Butler, a son-in-law of Taylcr, was eventually slated for the governorship of |