Patrick E. Connor (1820-1892) 2014 Inductee from Mining's Past

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Patrick E. Connor (1820-1892) 2014 Inductee from Mining's Past Father of Utah Mining Irish-born Patrick Edward Connor emigrated to the United States at age 12. At age 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving 5 years as a private in the First Dragoons in the Iowa Territory. Upon the outbreak of the Mexican War, he volunteered for duty, distinguishing himself for courage and military skill in battle. When the Civil War broke out, Connor again volunteered for duty and was appointed Colonel of the Third California Infantry with instructions to guard the overland mail route across the west. In October of 1862, he moved his command to Salt Lake City, where he immediately engaged in a “cold war” with the Mormons; relationships were acrimonious at best. During this time, he and his command also engaged in hostile interactions with the Shoshone Indians. Connor encouraged his troops to go prospecting after realizing that the best way to dilute the strong influence of the Mormons in Utah was to make the area appealing to outside settlers. Mineral discoveries, with significant silver discoveries, were uncovered at areas now known as Bingham Canyon, Park City, and Alta. In 1866, Connor, now a General, left the army and plowed his personal fortune into Utah mining. He wrote Utah’s mining laws and introduced navigation on the Great Salt Lake, shipping ores to smelters near the Rush Valley. Connor succeeded in bringing attention to Utah’s vast mineral wealth but failed to profit by it, dying relatively poor in 1892. He was posthumously given the title of the "Father of Utah Mining. .

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Patrick Edward Connor, "Father" of Utah Mining
Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1966 Patrick Edward Connor, "Father" of Utah Mining William Fox Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the History Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Fox, William, "Patrick Edward Connor, "Father" of Utah Mining" (1966). Theses and Dissertations. 4693. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4693 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. PATRICK EDWARD CONNOR PATIIERFATHERS OF UTAH MINING A thesis presented to the department of history brigham young university in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree master of arts by illiamvilliamli fox ugustaugustiagust 1966 PATRICK EDWARD CONNOR hi PREFACE any work pertaining to utah history between the years 1862 to 1866 usually contains writings coneconctning1 ing1 connor many aen 0 r patrick edward 1 such publications Ilentioriaentionbentionlentjentt iiori th military career of general connor inliilil detail as it is related to the history of utah territory almost all the vorkworkworks dw claiaalaiaclaim connor was the father of utah mining but only a few present any details to support that statement in the writing of this thesis the author has attempted to present evidence
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PATRICK EDWARD CONNOR Patrick E. Connor Patrick Edward Connor was a soldier, building contractor, mining entrepreneur, and political leader. He was born in Ireland in 1820 and left Killarney for New York City at the age of twelve. Patrick E. O′Connor (his name then) enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of eighteen. After serving a five-year term in Iowa Territory as a private in the First Dragoons, Connor returned to New York City to enter the mercantile business for a short time before moving to the new state of Texas, probably in 1846. With the outbreak of the Mexican War, he volunteered for duty in a company of Texas volunteers, who elected him as their captain. He was wounded at the Battle of Buena Vista where he distinguished himself for this courage and military skill. Following the war, he traveled to California early in 1850 to engage in various projects, including attempting to found a settlement at the mouth of the Trinity River. In May of 1853 he joined a group of twenty "California Rangers" who were commissioned to hunt down and kill the famous bandit, Joaquin Murieta. After this success, he settled down in Stockton, California, where he entered the road-building and construction business. He married a woman with the same last name, Johanna Connor of Redwood City, on 14 August 1854 and was soon recognized as one of the leading citizens of Stockton. When the Civil War started, Connor volunteered for service in the Union army and was appointed Colonel of the Third California Infantry with instructions to guard and secure the overland mail route across the West.
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Patrick Edward Connor, Shown After His Promotion to General, Established Camp Douglas in 1862 and Commanded the Soldiers Who Participated in the Bear River Massacre
Patrick Edward Connor, shown after his promotion to general, established Camp Douglas in 1862 and commanded the soldiers who participated in the Bear River Massacre. (Photo by Flaglor, Utah State Historical Society) CHAPTER 13 Harold Schindler THE BEAR RIVER MAssACRE New Historical Evidence ontroversy has dogged the Bear River Connor’s [p. 301] estimate, the camp CMassacre from the first. lay in a dry ravine about forty feet The event in question occurred when, on wide and was shielded by twelve-foot January 29, 1863, volunteer soldiers under embankments in which the Indians Colonel Patrick Edward Connor attacked had cut firing steps. a Shoshoni camp on the Bear River, killing When the soldiers appeared shortly nearly three hundred men, women, and after daybreak on January 27 [sic], children. The bloody encounter culminated the Shoshonis were waiting in their years of increasing tension between whites defenses. and the Shoshonis, who, faced with dwin- About two-thirds of the command dling lands and food sources, had resorted succeeded in fording ice-choked Bear to theft in order to survive. By the time of River. While Connor tarried to hasten the battle, confrontations between the once- the crossing, Major [Edward] McGarry friendly Indians and the settlers and emi- dismounted his troops and launched grants were common. a frontal attack. It was repulsed with So it was that “in deep snow and bitter cold” heavy loss. Connor assumed control Connor set forth from Fort Doug- and shifted tactics, sending flanking las with nearly three hundred men, parties to where the ravine issued from mostly cavalry, late in January 1863.
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Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society Library Holdings: 07/2012
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From the Ground up : the History of Mining in Utah / Edited by Colleen Whitley
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Defender of the Gate: the Presidio of San
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