Description of the Tintic Special District

Description of the Tintic Special District

DESCRIPTION OF THE TINTIC SPECIAL DISTRICT. GEOGRAPHY. there is a steady decrease in the flow of these into four formations : the Tintic quartzite, the Measures. The fossils definitely recognized were wells, showing the dependence of the supply Mammoth limestone, the Godiva limestone, and two species of Syringopora, Productus punctatus, Situation and extent. The Tintic special dis­ upon the melting snow and the spring rains. The the Humbug formation. A complete section (see and zaphrentoid corals. trict is bounded by the parallels of north latitude larger part of the water for the district is piped Section BB on the Structure Section sheet) is Humbug formation. This formation overlies 39° 45' and 40° and the meridians 111° 55' and from Cherry Creek, a stream in the mountains exposed in the region between the towns of the Godiva conformably and corresponds paleon- 112° 10'. It is somewhat over 17 miles in length west of Tintic Valley, 18 miles distant. Eureka and Mammoth. The lowest formation, tologically with it. It is separated, however, north and south by about 13 miles east and west, Vegetation.- The Tintic Mountains bear the the Tintic quartzite, forms Quartzite, Ridge at upon lithologic grounds. It takes its name from having an area of 229.22 square miles. It includes scanty vegetation of an arid region. On exposed the western base of the range, and is followed the mine where it is best exposed. The forma­ portions of Juab and Utah counties, Utah. rocky points grow different species of the cactus. by the Mammoth limestone, which extends east­ tion... consists of a number of beds of Alternating' Topography. The Tintic district includes the The more common trees of the higher slopes are ward beyond Eureka Peak. Above this conies fossiliferous limestones, alternating andsandstones lime* central portion of the Tintic Mountains, with the piny on (Pinus monopJiylla) and the moun­ the Godiva limestone of Godiva Mountain, while with arenaceous limestones and calca­ stones. ; parts of the adjacent valleys. These mountains tain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius). Lower, on the eastern slope of this mountain occurs the reous sandstones, with a total thickness of 250 form in this latitude the easternmost maple thickets occur in the dry ravines, especially Humbug formation. The same series is less com­ feet. Different sections of this formation, how­ Basin ranges. of the narrow mountain ranges which on the eastern slope, while aspens are found in pletely exposed at various points in the southern ever, show a marked difference in the order and rise abruptly from the level valleys of the Great sheltered spots, more commonly those of the portion of the district. ' thickness of these intercalated beds, few beds Basin, and they have the north-south trend char­ northern exposure. All the trees show by their continuing for any distance along the strike. CAMBRIAN c'EEIOD. acteristic of this type of mountains. In total stunted, gnarled, and twisted trunks the severity The formation is doubtless only partially repre­ length this range does not exceed 40'miles, but it of their struggle for existence. In the valleys the Tintic quartzite. This formation consists of sented within this district. may be considered as continuing to the north in sagebrush (Artemisid) and the rabbit brush clay slates and quartzites. Within the limits Resume. The Paleozoic section in the Tintic the Oquirrh Mountains, and to the south in the (JBigelovia) constitute almost the sole vegetation. of the Tintic district no determinable fossils Mountains includes 7000 feet of Cambrian quartz­ Canyon Range, from which it is separated only by Scattered tufts of grasses occur, but these are were found, either in the quartzite or in the ite capped with clay slates and 6650 feet of lime­ narrow passes. These three ranges have a com­ apparently dead during the summer months. slates. The correlation with the Cam­ stones with a few sandy beds, of which the upper Correlation. mon trend, and are from 5 to 10 miles wide. Culture. The population of the Tintic special brian of the Oquirrh Range, where a 5150 feet are determined from the fossil remains In the northern portion of the district the district is confined almost wholly to the western similar great thickness of quartzite with clay to belong to the Carboniferous. This sequence Tintic Mountains form a well-defined, narrow, and slope of the mountains. The majority of the slates at the top has been found to contain Cam­ in the Paleozoic strata is similar to that which simple mountain ridge, bordered by mines are situated in the area around Eureka brian fossils, is supported by the general geologic has been studied in the Oquirrh Mountains, which wide valleys to the east and west. In Peak, Godiva Mountain, and Mammoth Peak. relations as well as by lithologic similarity. form the continuation of this range to the north. the southern portion of the district important Eureka, Mammoth, Robinson, and Silver City are The exposed thickness of this formation is In the Oquirrh Mountains, however, the upper transverse spurs extend eastward beyond its the towns within the limits of this min­ about 7000 feet, but the base is not found. The portion of the series is much more fully repre­ Towns. boundaries and almost connect this range with ing district, which is one of the oldest quartzite is white in color, weathering sented, indicating an erosion of many thousand the Wasatch. At the northern end of the range in the State. All these iowns are situated on to brownish red on exposed surfaces. itehanedqcuiaytz" feet of strata in the Tintic Mountains. similar low spurs extend to the west. Within the western slope. Homansville was important It is a very pure, compact, and fine­ the limits of the district the crest of these in the early days, and here the first mill and the grained quartzite with occasional beds of fine STRUCTURE. mountains attains an altitude of over 8000 feet, first smelter were erected, while old Tiutic, situ­ quartz pebbles. The lowest beds contain some The main structure of the sedimentary portion Tintic Mountain being 8214 feet. In the north­ ated in the middle of Tintic Valley, was also feldspar and muscovite, while zircon and ru tile of the Tintic Mountains is synclinal. The section ern portion the more important peaks are Packard important as the site of a smelter erected in 1884. grains occur sparingly among the well-rounded described above is that of the western limb of the and Eureka peaks, Godiva Mountain, Mammoth The population of the mining district is estimated quartz grains. Several beds of green, yellow, major syncline, which pitches to the north. The and Sioux peaks, and Treasure Hill. Tintic Val­ at 6500. Two railroad lines connect the Tintic and red clay slates occur near the top of the axis has a general north-south trend and is situ­ ley, bordering the range on the west, has an ele­ mining district with Salt Lake City, which is quartzite. One or two beds of these slates are ated on the eastern slope of Godiva Mountain vation of 5600 feet, and Goshen Valley, on the about 75 miles distant. The Oregon Short Line, found below the highest bed of quartzite, while and Sioux Peak. This western limb is character­ east, is 4500 feet above sea level. The relief is crossing the low divide between Rush and Tintic there are others in the limestone near its base. ized by steep dips, with beds often vertical or marked, and the abruptness of the change from valleys, approaches Eureka and the other towns These strata appear to be conformable, but the even overturned for a considerable distance. On the steep mountain slopes to the almost level val­ from the northwest, while the Rio Grande West­ beds vary greatly in thickness at different points the opposite side of the synclinal axis the dips ley floors is a striking feature. The Tintic Moun­ ern crosses ,Goshen Valley and follows up the within the area. In mapping, the base of the are much less, rarely exceeding 35°. tains, in fact, represent only the upper parts of a valley of Pinyon Creek to the pass just east of lowest bed of limestone has been taken as the A similar unsymmetrical syncline with two mountain mass, the lower slopes and foothills of Eureka. contact, so that some of the slates are included great anticlines make up the Oquirrh Mountain which are concealed beneath the valley deposits. Outside of the mining district this area supports within the Mammoth limestone. to the north, while in the section of Especially characteristic of this portion of the few inhabitants. At the head of Goshen Valley the Canyon Mountains exposed along CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD. range are the canyons or "gulches" which extend a few small ranches are carried on Sevier River the Paleozoic strata are seen to be Agriculture. westward into Tintic Valley. > These Lateral, , , val=, under irrigation, but the more import­ Mammoth limestone. The determination of the folded into an anticline and a syncline. Geolog­ have been cut well back toward the leys- ant part of this valley, including the town of age of Mammoth limestone rests upon the identi­ ically, as well as topographically, the relation of crest of the Tintic Mountains. The most import­ Goshen, is just east of the boundary of the special fication of a single fossil Productus these three ranges is close \ they constitute one ant are Eureka Gulch, Mammoth Basin, Dragon district. In the past these mountains afforded costatus occurring about 1500 feet snur^nand general line of uplift, and exhibit structures Canyon, Ruby Hollow, and Diamond Gulch. The range for cattle, horses, and sheep, but now the above the base of the formation.

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