Coal City, Utah
Encyclopedia
Coal City is a ghost town
in Carbon County
, Utah
, United States
. Coal City was established in 1885, and soon after it was established, coal was discovered in the area. Small-scale mining
began to take place, and because the mining operations were a mile or two away from the mines
at National
and Consumers, it was assumed that the citizens of the town would lack workplace stress
. Coal production began to decline in 1935, and the town was abandoned by 1940.
was approximately 7000 feet (2,133.6 m), farming
and ranch
ing were difficult. However, soon after the town was settled, coal
was discovered in the area. Small-scale mining
took place, but mining operations weren't large due to the town's distance from the nearest railroad
. In August 1921, the permanent town site was plat
ted and renamed Coal City, after the deposits of coal
in the area. The Great Western Coal Mines Company was the mining company that owned the mines. The town was incorporated in October 1921. Although most of the houses were tents, a log school house served Coal City in 1925, and was replaced by a brick schoolhouse in 1927. Later that year, a couple stores
and a bakery
were constructed, and made up the business district. A few dozen homes were constructed around the stores. The town lacked stress from mining operations because it was located away from the larger mining operations in National
and Consumers. At its peak, the population was about 70. In 1926, the mine superintendent, George Storrs, was indicted
for mail fraud. Though he was cleared of charges, in December 1926, Storrs's mining company went bankrupt and halted operations. The town began to decline in 1935 and by 1940 it was uninhabited. A few buildings remain in Coal City, including two stores, several house
s, and a few outbuildings.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Carbon County
Carbon County, Utah
Carbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for the major coal deposits in the area, the county seat and largest city, is Price. Carbon County is the second largest natural gas producer in Utah , with 94 billion cubic feet produced in 2008. As of 2010 the population was...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Coal City was established in 1885, and soon after it was established, coal was discovered in the area. Small-scale mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
began to take place, and because the mining operations were a mile or two away from the mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
at National
National, Utah
National is a ghost town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. It is located along upper Gordon Creek.-History:Coal was discovered in the area in 1908, but large-scale mining didn't begin until the National Coal Company purchased the mines in the 1920s. All of the buildings in National were...
and Consumers, it was assumed that the citizens of the town would lack workplace stress
Workplace stress
Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker....
. Coal production began to decline in 1935, and the town was abandoned by 1940.
History
In 1885, a group of settlers established a town in Carbon County, Utah, and called it Oak Springs Bench. Because the town's elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
was approximately 7000 feet (2,133.6 m), farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
ing were difficult. However, soon after the town was settled, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was discovered in the area. Small-scale mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
took place, but mining operations weren't large due to the town's distance from the nearest railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
. In August 1921, the permanent town site was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted and renamed Coal City, after the deposits of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
in the area. The Great Western Coal Mines Company was the mining company that owned the mines. The town was incorporated in October 1921. Although most of the houses were tents, a log school house served Coal City in 1925, and was replaced by a brick schoolhouse in 1927. Later that year, a couple stores
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
and a bakery
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
were constructed, and made up the business district. A few dozen homes were constructed around the stores. The town lacked stress from mining operations because it was located away from the larger mining operations in National
National, Utah
National is a ghost town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. It is located along upper Gordon Creek.-History:Coal was discovered in the area in 1908, but large-scale mining didn't begin until the National Coal Company purchased the mines in the 1920s. All of the buildings in National were...
and Consumers. At its peak, the population was about 70. In 1926, the mine superintendent, George Storrs, was indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
for mail fraud. Though he was cleared of charges, in December 1926, Storrs's mining company went bankrupt and halted operations. The town began to decline in 1935 and by 1940 it was uninhabited. A few buildings remain in Coal City, including two stores, several house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
s, and a few outbuildings.