Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1949 The Economic and Social History of Bingham Canyon, Utah, Considered With Special Reference to Mormon-Gentile Synthesis George M. Addy Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Economics Commons, Mormon Studies Commons, and the Social History Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Addy, George M., "The Economic and Social History of Bingham Canyon, Utah, Considered With Special Reference to Mormon-Gentile Synthesis" (1949). Theses and Dissertations. 4460. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4460 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]. 1 1 TBETHE ECONOMICecong1 4 11c andAHDAIND SCCIALSOCIAL HISTORY BINGRAMBINGHAM CANYON UTAH OF J consideredCON z IDERED WITH SPECIAL REFERMICEREFERENCE TO MORMON GENTILE SYNTHESIS by george ivilyl addy i f 4T A thesis submitted to the department of history brigham young university provo utah december 1949 i i PREFACE not as a matter of form but with sincere appreciation the author wishes to render knowledgementacknowledgementac to the following to the members of the thesis committee dr R D poll dr J brigham W madsen and dr R B SwenswensensenJsens for much help and sound advice to miss caroline stucki for the typing and correction of manuscript to the librarians and staffs of the brigham young university library university of utah library and L D S church historianhistorianshistoriants ts office and to the many people of bingham more particularly the officials of the national tunnel and mines company knowho have given freely of their time and infinformationarmatiormati on the writers interest in bingham dates from his early youth which he spent entirely in that town and it is his hope that this study may shed some light upon the development of this most interesting locale G M A TABLE OPOF CONTENTS chapter pabepage CHAPTER I1 geography and topography of the bingham district 1 CHAPTER II11 beginning of mining activity 186518641863186418651863 1864 9 CHAPTER liiIII111 period of lead silver mining 18651893186518951865 18951893 26 CHAPTER IV inauguration of coppercoopercoppen iningminingYx 186919141869 1914 40 CHAPTER V copper mining 191419401914 1940 62 CHAPTER VI the period of mormon gentile synthesis 186519001863190018651863 1900 10 1 10 10 1 0.0 1 75 CUPTERCHAPTER VII immigration to bingham 1900194019001900119401940 90 CHAPTER VIII the rise of organized labor 106log CHAPTERohapCHAP TvR IX development of bingham city 123 CHAPTER X conclusions 136 bibliography 0 0 0 0 i LIST OF PLATES PLATE I1 ninnwinnamuckWinnamuck smelter in 1874 PLATE II11 upper bingham in 1900 lower binehambingham in 1914 platsPLATE liililIII111 upper bingham about 1912 lower llighlandhighland boy about 1912 platePLATS IV lestviest side of utah copper unemineane 1907 PLATE V upper east side of utah copper mine 1908 lower east side of utah copper mine 1915 PLATE VI upper bingham street scene about 1912 lower yampa smelter PLATPLATE VII workings of highland boy mine appendices APPENDIX I1 chart showing production of gold silver copper lead and zinc in bingham 186519401863194018651863 1940 APPAPPENDIXMIX II11 graph showing total production and gross value of bing-binghamam ores 186519401863194018651863 1940 APPENDIX liililIII111 map of the bingham mining district APPENDIX IV glossary of mining terms CHAPTER I1 the oquirrh mountains in which the bingham mining district is situated are located in northwest utah about thirty miles west of salt lake city they are a north south range running roughly parallel to the wasatch mountains and located about thirty miles to the west of the latter the northern extremity of the range is on the shore of great salt lake at black rock the southern terminus is about thirty miles distant at five mile pass near the town of fairfield connor peak the highest point of the range is found about twelve miles north of the southern extremity of the range it forms a central mass from which low spurs run to the east and west these spurs separate salt lake valley from utah valley on the east and tooelethoelevalley from rushbush valley on the west taking these spurs into account the oqulrrhsoquirrhsare about fifteen miles wide but the average width of the range proper is six to eight miles A short distance north of connor peak the range is split by two connected canyons running east and west the pass between the two canyons butterfield on the east and middle canyon on the west is the lowest in the entire range taken together with connor peak they form a natural division which from early times has separated mining activity in the oquirrhs into two parts that on the north centering around 1 2 bingham and its environs and that in the south clustering around the camps of ophir and mercur this paper will be confined to the northern portion of the range though it might be noted that the topographical descriptions of the bingham district apply in a general way to the southern district also the northern oquirrhs contain a number of sizeable canyons running either east or west from a central ridge seven thousand to eight thousand feet in altitude bingham canyon one of the largest of these is located on the eastern slope of the range and drains into salt lake valley bingham canyon runs in a southwesterly direction for some four and a half miles from its mouth at that point it divides into two principal forks one turning to the south the other continuing the original bearing of the canyon the south fork sometimes called the main fork turns south for a distance of a mile and a half and then gradually circles north again fforor a distance of a mile and a quarter the northerly fork or carr fork as it is called has a length of about two and one eighth miles before it splits into a number of gulches at the foot of west mountain the principal peak of the dis- trict the south orkfonkforkfonk ends of the east shoulder of the same mountain all this will be seen illustrated in some detail on the accompanying map there are a number of important tributary canyons or gulches as they are termed which drain into the main canyon 53 these gulches and their rough locations proceeding up from the mouth of the canyon are 1 west side of main canyon dry fork freeman gulch markham gulch dixon gulch 2 east side of main canyon damphoolDamphool gulch einnanWirmawinnamuekwirmamuckWinnamuekuckmuck gulch ely gulch 53 west side of east fork copper center gulch 4 east side of mainmalnfork bear gulch 5 west side of carr fork cottonwood gulch sap gulch 6 east side of carr fork muddy fork log fork there are a number of canyons on the easterly side of the mountains which do not form a part of the bingham drainage system they are nevertheless a part of the bingham mining district they are midas creek keystone gulch copper gulch and yosemite gulch all drain almost directly to the east the physical features of the district as described have been considerably modified by the operations of the kennecott copper company utah copper this company in the course of their open pit operations have completely obliterated some of the localities mentioned and covered others with hundreds of thousands of tons of waste rock for instance J copper center gulch and the mountain which contained it are completely gone muddy fork is partially gone while freeman gulch markham gulch dixon gulch damphoolDamphool gulch WinnwinnamuckwinnamuekWinnamamuckuckuek gulch ely gulch cottonwood gulch sap gulch and log fork have been largely covered however for the greater span of 4 ginghamsbinghamsbingham1sBinghams history these geographical locations were intact and the scene of active underground mining the areas discussed form the west mountain mining district within which the principal part of the mining activity of the northern oquirrhs has taken place the region described includes an area about six miles long and four miles wide the long boundary running roughly south- west and northeast within the boundaries of the district four main centers of population and trade have grown up bingham proper the largest and oldest is located in the main canyon centering around the branching of carr and east forks copperfield or upper bingham is at the head of east fork highland boy Is located at the head of carr fork lark is situated on the east slope of the raneerangepanee adjacent to the gulches previously mentioned in that region none of these towns have had corporate existence except bingham and all the others with the exception of lark are dependent upon bingham for commercial and social purposes the topography of the oqulrrhoquirrhrange and of the bingham district differ in several important respects from that of the wasatch mountains generally they are lower averaging nine thousand to ten thousand feet in contrast with the ten thousand to twelve thousand feet of the wasatch peaks the quirrhsgquirrhs0 are comparatively smooth in relief being quite rounded and having uniform slopes the slopes are steep how- ever and the canyons are heavy grade and quite narrow 5 very little running water is to be found in the dis- trict except in the spring when the heavy winter snows and the steep grades combine to make a quick and heavy runoff with consequent erosion and later drouth much of the precipita- tion is absorbed