| Show Park City Has Hai Roaring Early History silver bearing ore mining activity was the creator of Park City Utah It has been bee the sustaining industry of its residents for the past one hundred years Its history is robust and hearty It has survived survived survived sur sur- devastating fires and depressions Today it is throbbing with new life Records of its history are limited and scattered The region north of f Park City was probably visited by early Spanish explorers by fur trappers such as James Bridger who first discovered Great Salt Lake and by California California California Calif Calif- ornia immigrants The Indians came to the area for fishing and hunting while camped along the streams flowing from Irom rom the mountains surrounding the area The first Mormon pioneers passed by when they trekked across the Wasatch Mountains Mountains Mountains Moun Moun- into the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847 to create their own community away from the gentile world Park City is built in the mouth of Empire Canyon and is rather long and narrow Hills Hill Hillsand Hillsand and mountains rise on both east and west sides limiting the amount of land suitable for buildings Wooden stairways climb the hills on either side of the city pity where today super super- super modern m mod o d e ern r n tri cube houses modern frames A-frames mix with remodeled Victorian houses and down broken-down relics of the past The actual amount of land used for urban purposes is less than acres In 1862 Colonel Patrick Edward Connors and his California Volunteers were assigned to Salt Lake Valley by the United States Govern Government ment ostensibly to protect the overland mail route which came through Parleys Parley's Canyon north of Park City and to keep an eye m en the Mormons who were having troubles with the civil authorities of the Utah Territorial govern govern- ment The trouble abated and Connors' Connors men had little littleto to do Many were unsuccessful prospectors from the California gold fields and the in inactivity inactivity inactivity in- in activity probably stimulated their prospecting blood again They were allowed to explore the mountainous terrain surrounding Salt Lake Valley Some ome came up Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons which lie south of Park City They crawled over the mountains into the Park City District and discovered outcroppings which looked looked looked look look- ed promising Who discovered what and when is most sketchy When the first silver find was made is not certain but the discovery of the Walker and Webster claim in 1869 by Rufus Walker and a subsequent find of ore in inthe inthe inthe the summer of the same year by Ephraim Hanks are the earliest notices on record It is not a reliable fact that Hanks and Walker were members members members mem mem- bers of Connors' Connors troops With the closeness of rural communities provisions for the prospectors were plentiful and cheap Irish potatoes were 50 cents per bushel butter was only 30 cents a pound The miners' miners tools brought better prices much muchas as they are today A pick was priced at 5 and a shovel sold for Before the turn of the century Park City Mining District became world famous as one of the richest mining camps giving millionaire millionaire million aire status to over 20 individuals From the first shipments of ore to the present time at least million dollars worth of mineral wealth has been extracted from the under underground ground mines which have more miles of mine rail tracks than the Manhattan subway system Famous mines such as the Ontario the Silver King the Judge Daly-Judge and others merged in 1953 to unify the entire Park City mining interests under the United Park City Mines Company Today it employs underground hard- hard rock miners The principle minerals are the same as they have been for the past hundred years years silver silver lead and zinc with some traces of gold and copper Mining has been the lifeblood lifeblood lifeblood life- life blood of Park City for these many years The past few decades have been unkind to metal prices and Park City suffered financially With the help of the Small Business Administration tion to reactivate the economy the mining company company company com com- pany developed a The The Park City Resort first named Treasure Mountain Resort The multi-million multi dollar resort was opened to skiers in December of 1963 Since then literally millions of visitors have skied the slopes in the winter played golf goll in the summer or come to tour the area The Park City Re Resort Resort Resort Re- Re sort is a year-round year recreation area with the 2 2 1 mile mlle gondola ride lide taking passengers up to the Pioneer foot Ridge where picnic tables and games are available an authentic underground mine museum has free ore samples for the tourists horseback riding over old mine wagon trails takes riders into the scenic interior of the mountains The success of The Park City Resort has attracted another recreation center Ski Park City West which has been operating for the past two winter seasons Various land developers are proposing condominium villages or year- year round vacation homes Park City and environs has the promise of becoming one one of the most unique and diversified recreational f facilities in the west Within a short distance Echo Dam Deer Creek Reservoir and Wanship Reservoir provide boating and fishing pleasures A motor trip over Guardsman pass can take travelers over overto overto overto to Midways Midway's Hot Pots or r over to Brighton through mountain country where small lakes wooded areas and wild-flower wild groves abound This coming winter the National Snowmobile Snowmobile Snowmobile Snow Snow- mobile races will be held in Deer Valley which is within the city limits The Utah Snowmobile Association constructed a racing oval two years ago for state racing derbys which have attracted many western snowmobile snowmobile snowmobile snow snow- mobile enthusiasts to the area annually They have marked trails over the mountains for safe snowmobile touring Park City never became a ghost town It had more than one opportunity to give up but the tenacity of its residents kept it alive On June 19 1898 Park City experienced experienc d an awful fire which destroyed business houses and dwellings Hundreds of people were homeless many left destitute and scores of business men ruined when the heart of the city was burned out The loss to the community was estimated at It was thought that Park City was doomed Within a few short weeks 35 buildings were in construction within a few months it was business as usual One of the three buildings standing after the fire was the 1885 red brick City Hall Though gutted the walls remained It was re repaired repaired repaired re- re paired and refurbished and has been in continuous use to house the local govern governmental offices library and jail In the b basement is the dungeon where infamous criminals have been It has become a famous tourist attraction tion as it is one of the last two remaining feder federal l Territorial jails in the nation Utah's oldest Roman Catholic Church St. St Marys Mary's of the Assumption is located on th the upper south end of Park Avenue of the unit two-unit stone structures began in 1881 and was completed in 1884 The south unit was the Sisters of the Holy Cross school which remained open until 1930 The north unit is the chapel Through the many years it has re remained remained remained re- re an active parish Father Patrick Curran the present pastor remarked that St. St Marys Mary's architecture is similar to the parish churches churches churches' in his native land Ireland A walking walkin tour of Park City's steep Main Street will take you past str structures of various vintages There are gift and antique shops and art galleries for those who enjoy finding unique souvenir items Pop Jenks confectionery fifty years in business still has a of penny candies Ski sport and golf shops provide the shopper a selection worthy of any resort community The old century-old mining community is no slouch in providing guest accommodations and and entertainment The overnight guest facilities range from the elaborate to modest the restaurants restaurants restaurants res res- are varied and compare with the best in larger cities The night life spans the quiet i in intimate n t i m mat a t e lounges friendly old- old fashioned saloons to the brassy rock an roll rock roll bars The Silver Wheel Theatre entertains with time old-time hiss and boo melodramas Also unique in this community is this newspaper newspaper news newspaper news news- paper The Park Record It is far the oldest published continuously-published newspaper in Utah Utah now now in its ninety-first ninety year Published by Mac and Louise McConaughy The Record is a consistent state and national contest prize The charm and friendliness of Park City is the unexpected pleasure of visiting a community community community com com- that still has remnants of the past blending with the pulse of the present and the plans for its future You will meet the friendliest people in the world You may get to speak with one of the timers old-timers who watch critically the new developments taking place they can relate startling stories of the past In the last three years books on the history of Park City have been written-Silver written Snow My Treasure Mountain Home and Diggings Doings in Park City Each has its Us particular stories to tell all have old and new photographs photographs photographs photo photo- graphs of people places and other Park City M. G. G Springer Manager The Park Record |
