A History of the Copper Globe, Lucky Strike, Tomsich Butte, Hidden Splendor, and Little Susan Mines within the San Rafael Swell Mining District Based on Oral Interviews | Emery County, Utah Brigham Young University Museum of Peoples and Cultures TECHNICAL SERIES NO. 11-13 A History of the Copper Globe, Lucky Strike, Tomsich Butte, Hidden Splendor and Little Susan Mines within the San Rafael Swell Mining District Based on Oral Interviews, Emery County, Utah by Michael T. Searcy Office of Public Archaeology Museum of Peoples and Cultures Brigham Young University Provo, Utah 84602 prepared for URS Corporation Salt Lake City March 2012 Federal Antiquities Permit Number 11-UT-54624 (3/30/12) 1 ADMINISTRATIVE SUMMARY Project Title: San Rafael Swell Mining Oral History Project Agencies: Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining; Bureau of Land Management Report Title: A History of the Copper Globe, Lucky Strike, Tomsich Butte, Hidden Splendor and Little Susan Mines within the San Rafael Swell Mining District Based on Oral Interviews, Emery County, Utah Project Description: The project consisted of recording the oral histories of six interviewees who were associated with mining in the San Rafael Swell region of central Utah. Four of the interviewees worked as uranium miners or prospectors, one was the wife of a miner, and another was a retired compliance officer for the Bureau of Land Management who was familiar with the area and with the history of Copper Globe mine, in particular. The goal was to record personal accounts and general histories related to five abandoned mine sites on the San Rafael Swell that are considered Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC): Copper Globe, Lucky Strike, Tomsich Butte, Hidden Splendor, and Little Susan. Locations: Green River, Castledale, Orangeville, Hanksville, Salt Lake City, Utah. Mine sites: Hidden Splendor, Copper Globe - San Rafael Swell, Central Utah Dates of Fieldwork: May 23-25, July 12-14, and August 5, 2011 Abstract: The Office of Public Archaeology (OPA), under contract to URS Corporation, Salt Lake City, completed an oral history of mining on the San Rafael Swell located in central Utah. Six people were interviewed about their involvement in and knowledge of the history of mining in the area, two of which also participated in on-site interviews at the mines. The eight interviews yielded a rich, personalized history about mining life and the uranium industry in Utah. This report presents a history of uranium mining in Utah in general, and Emery County and San Rafael Swell in particular. The transcripts of each interview also appear in the appendix. (3/30/12) 2 Project Overview The following summary report is a companion to the oral history video “Mining on the Swell.” That video provides a history of uranium mining in the San Rafael Swell of east-central Utah, as seen through the eyes of six individuals who participated in, or otherwise were familiar with, those mining efforts. The text of this report is intended to provide a brief summary of the efforts leading up to and inclusive on the production of the video, and in particular to provide a written transcript of the interviews that were carried out for the video. The San Rafael Swell oral history project was carried out by Dr. Michael Searcy and Mr. Scott Ure, both of the Office of Public Archaeology at Brigham Young University (OPA), under contract with URS Corporation, and with the financial and/or technical support of the Bureau of Land Management Salt Lake and Price field offices, and the Utah State Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining. The interviews were conducted on May 23-25 and August 5, 2011. Two on-site interviews were also conducted with John Anderson and Mervin Miles on July 13-14, 2011 at the Hidden Splendor and Copper Globe mines respectively. Each interview was recorded using audio and video equipment, which were used to create the 15 minute documentary. The interviews were video recorded in high definition using a Canon Rebel T1i, and audio was recorded with a separate Zoom H1n digital recorder. In addition, transcripts of the interviews were created and are included in the appendix of this report. The focus of this oral history project was on five abandoned mines that have been considered Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). These are Copper Globe, Lucky Strike, Tomsich Butte, Hidden Splendor, and Little Susan (Figure 1). While the Copper Globe mine was a copper mine, the other four were dedicated primarily to uranium extraction/production. Methods As stated above, the primary purpose of this project was to collect the oral histories of mining in the San Rafael Swell from several surviving miners. In particular, the project was initially focused on those who worked at the five mines mentioned above, but unfortunately few miners are still alive today. During the search for those who were available to participate, many leads fell cold as news of yet another miner who had passed away in preceding years was quite common. Some stated that this project was ten years too late. Although this presented a challenge, six informants were successfully located and interviews were conducted in order to record their personal experiences associated with mining on the San Rafael Swell. Except for two on-site interviews, the oral histories were conducted at the homes of the participants. A series of questions were asked concerning mining life, Utah’s uranium industry, and specific experiences associated with life on the Swell. The interviews were recorded using a Canon T1i digital SLR camera, which records high definition video. In addition, a Zoom Hn1 audio recorder was used to capture high resolution audio. The resulting digital video/audio is archived by the Bureau of Land Management. In addition, a short documentary was edited from the full interviews using a non-linear, digital editing suite. This short film entitled “Mining on the Swell” is also on file at the BLM Price Field Office. (3/30/12) 3 Interviewees Ted Ekker Ted Ekker is a resident of Green River, Utah, and worked as a uranium miner in various places in the state. He has extensive knowledge of prospecting and mining uranium, and grew up mining with his father in the Henry Mountains south of the Swell. He also worked at the Temple Mountain and Four Corners mines. Jack Erwin Having begun his mining career in 1947, Jack Erwin spent more than 30 years in the mines. He spent much of his time at the Temple Mountain and Four Corners mines, which are located on the San Rafael Swell. He also worked in various settings among both small and large mining operations. Mervin Miles Mervin Miles retired from the Bureau of Land Management in 1989 after 36 years. Much of his time was spent in the San Rafael Swell where he operated heavy machinery and worked as a compliance officer. He often associated with mine workers and claim holders as he conducted compliance work for the BLM. (3/30/12) 4 Mark H Williams As a local historian, Mark Williams has written extensively about the mining industry in the San Rafael Swell. He also had firsthand experience staking mining claims with his father in the 1950s. His life-long friend, Owen McClanahan, mined extensively in the Swell, and Mr. Williams shared several stories from McClanahan’s written history. Barbara Ekker Barbara Ekker was married to Jesse Ekker, a uranium miner who spent much time working claims in the Henry Mountains and on the San Rafael Swell. She also spent time out at the mines and worked as a camp cook. She shared fascinating accounts of life in the camp, including those associated with raising a family out in the desert. John Anderson Having grown up working with his father at the Hidden Splendor mine, John Anderson has a vast knowledge of the mining history of the San Rafael Swell. He spent many years with his own children staking claims around the Swell and continues to maintain several uranium claims. (3/30/12) 5 Introduction The San Rafael Swell is an uplifted sedimentary dome in south-central Utah extending approximately 90 miles northeast to southwest across Emery County. The geologically unique landscape of this anticline not only makes it a popular tourist destination as an outdoor playground, but the San Rafael Swell is also a particularly significant area to the history of uranium mining in the United States. The history of uranium mining in the San Rafael Swell begins with the Native Americans who used the ore to create colored pastes that were applied as war paint. Small-scale mining efforts in the 1870s and 1890s also focused on producing uranium as a dye colorant in manufacturing and for photographic or medical experimentation. The importance of this heavy metallic element was significantly and permanently changed during the World War II period with the development of nuclear weapons for military applications as well as the pioneering of nuclear reactors as a source of energy; however, it was not until the Cold War in the late 1950s and 1960s that the demand for uranium transformed Utah into a major contributor to uranium production in the United States. In the 20th century the United States was the largest producer of uranium. The uranium industry underwent a major boom during the 1950s, largely in response to government sponsored exploration, milling and acquisitions programs. The Cold War period was dominated by federal government policies that significantly impacted the economics of the industry. At the height of the Cold War uranium boom during the 1950s, Emery County was the second largest producer of uranium in the United States, second only to Grants uranium district located in the northwest part of New Mexico (Finkin 1977:32-35).