Bingham Canyon

Salt Lake County, Utah

One of the best things to ever happen to me was being able to save numerous fotos that my grandfather took during his years as a miner. He had decided that they were not worth keeping and had begun to toss them out. It was around this same time that my interest in ghost towns and old mining camps began to grow. Lucky for all of us, I was able to secure

some classic old fotos from the Alta mining district as well as Bingham Canyon. I am sorry to

say that I did not get the majority, but the ones I did save are now preserved for me and my

family as well as those that read the pages of this web site.  Gramps began his mining career

as a teen and stayed with it until he was 29, at which point he gave up mining and moved to

California. He had followed the advice of the advisers at University of Utah and graduated

with a degree in mining engineering and landed a job at the US mine located in Bingham

Canyon. He remained there until my mother turned 4 and made the decision that a mining

camp was no place to raise a family. He moved to California and became a highly successful

insurance salesman. I only wish I could have saved all of the fotos. They show Bingham

Canyon as it once was, surrounded by 9000' mountains. Today, the area is a hole in the

ground now known as Kennicott Copper. I hope you enjoy these fotos as much as I do.

Most of the posed fotos were taken on either July 4th or Christmas day. Normal operations did not allow for the taking of pictures. Mine workers moved all shift long so it would have been impossible to get quality fotos like this. My grandfather worked in 4 mining districts during his career. I was lucky enough to visit one in Park City and tour it. I have been to the entrance of one in Eureka, seen one from afar at Alta and seen the hole from above at Kennicott. 

Welcome to the new addition of Bingham Canyon. My mother has been hiding fotos of the area and recently gave them to me. Most are family fotos but there are some of early Kennecott as well as the US Mine, where my grandfather worked as an engineer. 

Someone asked me to publish my grandfathers writings and I believe I will. This was written when he was in his 90's and I can't say if it is 100% accurate. He began mining in the Alta area moving from there to Eureka, Park City and finally the US Mine in Bingham Canyon. By Bingham, he was a full fledged mining engineer, a graduate o f the University of Utah. After my mother was born, 1931, he stayed mining till 1935 or 36 then decided mining was no place to raise a family and moved to California where he sold insurance till he was 85 or so. Again, I can't verify the accuracy of this , but his mind was sharp as a tack so I would tend to agree with what he wrote.  Enjoy!