Churches in Eureka

     Continuing with my travels around Eureka, there are some really pretty church buildings around town.  A few buildings west of the City Hall is a old Methodist church building.  Here is a picture of it from around the turn of the century, and what it looks like now:

Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society, all rights reserved.

     The plaque on the building reads: "Constructed in 1891 with funds secured from local Methodists and the Mission Conference of 1890, this building is important in documenting the religious life of Eureka and Tintic.  Methodism began in Tintic when Dr. Thomas C. Iliff visited and preached on June 18, 1890.  Reverend W. A. Hunt was appointed first pastor and succeeded be Dr. J.D. Gillilan who finished the church structure.  The Gothic style tower houses the original bell."
     To the east of the Methodist Church stands the old Mormon church.  Here is a picture of it also from around the turn of the century in addition to what it looks like today:

Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society, all rights reserved.

     The plaque on the building reads: "This building, designed by architect Richard C. Watkins, served as the Eureka L.D.S. Ward Meetinghouse from its construction in 1902 until 1976.  It was dedicated in 1903 by Apostle Reed Smoot [who was the first Mormon Senator from the state of Utah.  He's got a really interesting history, and was almost kicked out of the Senate for being a Mormon Apostle.  I just finished a really interesting book about it called The Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle.  You can read a short summary of it by clicking here.].  The Gothic Revival Style building has been an important park of the religious history of the Tintic Mining Area.  The structure, including windows and the tower which had been changed, was restored by the Ferrel Thomas family in 1988."
      I also wanted to include a tiny building located between the Methodist Church and the City Hall.  It is the Tintic Mining Museum (and no, it was not open).  Here are a couple of pictures of it (I really just like the old mining equipment located in front.  It looks really cool):

I've found it!

     Eureka, I've found it (if you don't know, Eureka means "I've found it."  Eureka is also the state motto of California, and since I grew up a geography nerd in California, I always knew the meaning of Eureka).  I've got to say, I think that Eureka may be one of the coolest little towns around Utah.  Most of the downtown has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, which makes it a cool place because it has preserved most of its mining day charm (and will continue to preserve that charm since these buildings can't be destroyed).  But before I get too far ahead of myself, I should at least give a little history on Eureka.
     Eureka's history is totally tied with mining.  The wikipedia article on it says: "Eureka was originally known as Ruby Hollow before it developed into a bustling mining town. Incorporated as a city in 1892, Eureka became the financial center for the Tintic Mining District, a wealthy gold and silver mining area in Utah and Juab counties. The district was organized in 1869 and by 1899 became one of the top mineral producing areas in Utah. Eureka housed the "Big Four" mines—Bullion Beck and Champion, Centennial Eureka, Eureka Hill, and Gemini-and later the Chief Consolidated Mining Company.
     "Eureka's role as the central financial point for the district ensured its survival. It housed business establishments, including the second-ever JCPenney store (then called the Golden Rule Store), financial institutions, local and county governmental buildings including Eureka City Hall (1899) and a Juab County Courthouse (1892), various churches, and the meeting places for numerous labor, social, and fraternal organizations."
     You may have heard me mention discussion about the Tintic Mining area in the previous posts about Silver City and Mammoth.  All of these cities were mining towns and an important part of the mining history in Utah.  Eventually six different communities were settled after the discovery of gold in 1869.  At the turn of the century, Eureka was the 9th biggest city in the state with around 3,000 people.  One of the cool photos from this time is of the City Hall:

Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society, all rights reserved.

     If you haven't noticed from the previous posts, the entire Tintic Mining Area has seen a big decline since its heyday.  Eureka now has a little more than 700 people living there, and most of downtown is closed.  Many of these buildings are in desperate need of repair and are currently not being used.  Here is the current picture of city hall:

     The building is pretty similar to how it looked over 100 years ago, with a few minor alterations to the roof and the balcony above the door.  The plaque on the building says: "The Eureka City Hall was built in 1899 by the Eureka City government and functioned as the offices for city court, mayor, sheriff, recorder, treasurer, council chamber and city volunteer fire department.  John K Pilgrim, a city official, drew the plans and specifications for $100 and Adams and Sons of Eureka built it for $4,400.  Eureka City Hall still serves the same function except the courtroom and most of the second floor now house the Tintic Mining Museum sponsored by the Tintic Historical Society.  it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 14, 1979, as part of the Eureka Historic District."
     I am a little confused as to this museum and the other one that is located in town.  Both were closed.  When I talked to a local, he said that most shops along the historic avenue were closed (except for an occasional gun shop that opened, a gas station, and a consignment shop that was only occasionally open).  He said that during the summer the streets are packed with people heading towards Little Sahara to do some four wheeling.  May be during the winter, when nothing is happening in the city, all of the museums close down?  I really like the feel in the town and would like to help out restoring and repairing some of these cool buildings.  Hopefully as I have the chance to do this and visit Eureka more often I will finally find out.

The Cabin of the "Destroying Angel"

     Today's entry came as a surprise to me.  I was traveling around Eureka when I came across Porter Rockwell's cabin.  It was especially odd to me as a couple of days before I had just been discussing Porter Rockwell in another post involving Brigham Young's bodyguard.  Since I didn't know anything about this cabin and since I don't know much about Rockwell, most of this history is going to be taken from what I found in Eureka (which was posted on a board next to the cabin).
     "Orin Porter Rockwell was born on June 28, 1813 in Belcher, Hampshire county, Massachusetts to Orin Rockwell and Sarah Witt Rockwell....
     "Known as the 'Destroying Angel' he was bodyguard to the [Mormon] prophet Joseph Smith and later to Brigham Young.
     "Porter had a ranch west of Cherry Creek, known as Rockwell's Ranch.  It is from this ranch that we obtained the cabin.
     "Porter was said to have lived in the cabin south of the ranch house hear a big pond and lots of water.  During winter, blocks of ice were cut from the pond and stored in an ice house, built with thick walls filled with sawdust for use in the summer months.  Porter had a nice orchard and grew cantaloupe and watermelons.  Rumor has it that at night he would walk around the cabin and orchard [unreadable text] to himself. Some say he talked to 'ghosts'.
     "Orin Porter Rockwell died on June 9, 1878 in Salt Lake City of natural causes and was buried in a Salt Lake City cemetery."
     I had never heard of Cherry Creek but I believe that it is west of Little Sahara National Recreation Area (for some cool pictures of the area, click here).  The cabin was built in 1865 and I couldn't find any information regarding when exactly it was moved to Eureka.  Here are a couple of pictures of it when it used to be at Cherry Creek (by the way, sorry for the reflection in the pictures):

     The cabin currently sits right Main St. in Eureka.  Here are some pictures of it:

     If you are wondering why the cabin is sitting next to a building that looks like it was bombed, don't worry, I'll get to that in some later posts (just as a quick answer, Eureka's downtown is a little run down, as you can see in this picture).  I've gotta say that Porter Rockwell is one of the scariest people that I have ever seen (if you don't believe me, click here.  He looks like death).  The picture of him on the rock (as seen in the first photo) doesn't really help for his scary image.
     If you would like to learn a little more about this cabin, you can watch a youtube video touring the inside of it.

The Old Glory Hole

     Continuing on with the ghost town theme, today I am still in the Tintic Mining District, between Silver City and Eureka.  I found this cool photo of the Tintic Hospital located in Mammoth from probably around 1910:

     Mammoth was settled shortly after the discovery of the Mammoth Mine in 1870.  The mine was nicknamed "the old glory hole."  People quickly came to the town, although it was difficult to settle since there was no water located in the vicinity (residents had to buy drinking water for ten cents a gallon, which I think is better than Silver City, which, if I remember right, sold water at a dollar a gallon).  The Mammoth Mine produced ore, silver and gold.

     Wikipedia states that "activity in Mammoth peaked around 1900–1910, with a population of 2500–3000. The town had a school, four large hotels, and other businesses typical of a town its size. Mammoth was officially incorporated in 1910, but began to decline soon after. By 1930 the population was down to 750, the town having disincorporated on 29 November 1929."

      As far as the hospital goes, the history of it is found on the plaque that currently is located at the site of the hospital.  It reads: "Vicinity of 800 W Main Street, Mammoth, Juab County, Utah.  Built as a boarding house in 1893 and converted to a hospital in 1902.  The Tintic Hospital served the people of the Tintic mining district until 1938.  Originally operated by Drs. Mott, Townsend and Stephens.  It was purchased by Dr. Steele Baley Sr. and Dr. Charles Harvielle in 1904.  Dr. Steele Baley Jr., who at the time was attending medical school, later joined his father and brother-in-law in the practice of medicine in 1904.  He continued to operate the hospital until 1933 when he moved to Eureka, Utah.  The services rendered to the people of the district during the influenza epidemic of 1918 will long be remembered, as also the numerous emergency treatments given the miners and their families of the district.  The original building was destroyed about 1935."

     Mammoth is now classified as a partial ghost town as there are still people who live in the town (I found one individual who said there were 18 people living there, although this person also said that at the turn of the century Mammoth and Eureka were the largest cities in the state.  They were not.  The cities were probably around the 9th and 10th largest in the state, which is saying something for cities that are now basically considered ghost towns).  The area where the hospital was located is now an empty lot with a plaque dedicated to the hospital.  Here is the photo of the lot, in addition to some other photos from around the town:

(the plaque and stone structure where it is located can be found on the left side of the photo, between the left mountain peak and the road)

     The final picture is of the Mammoth Fire Station which is on the National Register of Historic Places.  A plaque on the building reads: "This structure, constructed c. 1930, is significant for its association with the history of firefighting in Mammoth.  In August 1912, the Mammoth City Council organized a volunteer firefighting unity, and on August 27, 1812, the first meeting of the Mammoth City Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 was held.  In December 1930, their name changed to the Juab County Fire Department.  This building, built of brick, remains an example of the commercial style of architecture in Mammoth.  It continues to serve the firefighting needs of Mammoth.  The Mammoth Fire Station was listed on the National Register, March 14, 1979, as part of the Mammoth Historic District."

     Mammoth is a partial ghost town because there is still mining that occurs in the town.  On the eastern side, above the rest of the town, is located a coal mining community just below the mines.  Here are some photos from the area:

     In the second photo, if you look closely, there is a 'M' for Mammoth on the hill  Also in the final photo, you can see what I think is the mine opening (or just a really big cave).  If is to the right of the wooden building up on the hill and is kind of blocked by some trees.
     For a great picture of the mine, click here, and for some interesting history, poems, and stories of the town written by someone who lived in the city, click here.

Silver City

     I wanted to continue today on my ghost town theme.  Last week, I had a couple of days off and I got to check out a bunch of ghost towns located less than an hour away from where I live.  I came across some really cool, especially Silver City.  Here are a couple of pictures of it from around 1896:

photo courtesy of utahghosttowns.com 

Photo courtesy of L. Tom Perry Special Collection, Brigham Young University 

Photo courtesy of L. Tom Perry Special Collection, Brigham Young University 

     Silver City was settled around 1870.  Although old Native American mines were found around the settlement, growth was slow due to tales of larger mines around Alta and Park City.  Wikipedia states that since the city lacked "the pacer deposits of many Utah mines, extracting Silver City's riches required labor-intensive hard rock mining.  Early on, mine owners lacked capital and could develop the mines only slowly.  Gradually the town grew from a mere tent city with a saloon and a blacksmith shop, to include a claims recorder and assay office, a telegraph branch, stagecoach line, and post office, and eventually numerous stores, hotels, and restaurants.  There were even two railroad depots, as both the Salt Lake and Western Railroad and the Tintic Range Railroad ran lines into town.  Economic conditions improved, and by 1899 Silver City's population reached 800.
     "In the 1890s, just as the mine companies seemed to be locating the richest ore bodies, a new difficult arose: the mine shafts started filling with water.  As the more marginal mines flooded and closed, while the richest ones continued operating with the help of expensive pumps, Silver City began to dwindle.  Miners left in even greater numbers after a 1902 fire devastated the town.... 
     "In 1908 Jesse Knight, already a successful mine owner in the Tintic area, revitalized Silver City by establishing the Utah Ore Sampling Company and the Tintic smelter here.  He nearly transformed Silver City into a company town, but for the fact that he didn't own the land.  Knight built a power plant, some 100 new homes, and yet another railroad, called the Eureka Hill Railroad.  By 1908 Silver City's population surged to its peak of 1500, most of them Knight employees....
     "Silver City's resurgence was short-lived.  Due to dropping freight rates, Knight's smelter proved unable to compete with those in the Salt Lake Valley.  Records show that by 1912 the population was already down to 300, and there were only 8 businesses left.  In 1915 the smelter was shut down and moved to Murray.  Silver City's decline is often considered to have been complete by 1930, but it was still a separate precinct in the 1940 census, which recorded a population of 111."  It is currently uninhabited.
     I found a great site, utahghosttowns.com, which reported that there was recently a grass fire in Silver City.  It was reported that "the fire destroyed all remaining wooden structures but it also took away most of the weeds and sagebrush.  Foundations, footings, and rubble that had been obscured by undergrowth for years was again made visible.  The fire provided a bonanza for treasure hunters with metal detectors."  Here is the town as it is currently found:

photo courtesy of utahghosttowns.com 

     If you google Silver City, you will come up with an actual location about 2 miles south of Eureka, Utah.  There are no paved roads, just dirt ones leading to what was the town.  The top photo from utahghosttowns.com was taken in 2004 and the trailer that is in the distance has since been destroyed, although the rubble is still there.  The only distinguishing landmark is the blue shed that is found in the second and third photos.  There are foundations all over the place, although few of them are as good as the foundations in the third and fourth photos.  The final photo is a rephotograph of the third picture from 1986 (a lot has changed).  Also in my final photo you can see part of the current mining operation which is happening on the hill that is furthest to the right.  That is where I found this cool old mining machine:

     It is technically private property, but the people that I found there were very kind and directed me to where the town is located.  Apparently there is also an old cemetery located about 2 miles south of Silver City.  I didn't learn about this until today so I don't know exactly where it is located.

     It is a really cool place for people who like to hunt around ghost towns, but do so at your own risk.  Also, if you would like to see some more cool photos of Silver City or read more about ghost towns in Utah, click here.