Gold Hill, Utah
Encyclopedia
Gold Hill is a small, unincorporated community in far western Tooele County
in the U.S. state
of Utah
near the Nevada
state line. The town, located near the Deep Creek Mountains
, was the center of a mining district that was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, producing gold
, copper
, arsenic
, and tungsten
. Gold Hill was the southern terminus of the Deep Creek Railroad
.
Although gold was first discovered at Gold Hill in 1858, settlement didn't begin until 1871, when a smelter was built.
As other nearby mines started to fail, Gold Hill began to grow famous in the mining industry. Its ore was among the richest known at the time. After the rich copper and gold mines were worked out, the area enjoyed a resurgence when World War I
created a demand for arsenic. A smaller period of growth occurred during World War II
, after which mining was discontinued. Gold Hill is now nearly a ghost town
, with only a few remaining residents.
Jack Dempsey
mined there before beginning his boxing career.
A United States post office operated at Gold Hill from 1911 to 1949.
Tooele County, Utah
Tooele County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 40,735 and by 2005 was estimated at 51,311. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
near the Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
state line. The town, located near the Deep Creek Mountains
Deep Creek Mountains
The Deep Creek Mountains, officially the Deep Creek Range, are a mountain range in the Great Basin located in extreme western Tooele County and Juab County, Utah, in the western United States....
, was the center of a mining district that was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, producing gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, and tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
. Gold Hill was the southern terminus of the Deep Creek Railroad
Deep Creek Railroad
The Deep Creek Railroad is a defunct railroad company that constructed and operated a line between Wendover and Gold Hill, Utah, a distance of about 45 miles...
.
Although gold was first discovered at Gold Hill in 1858, settlement didn't begin until 1871, when a smelter was built.
As other nearby mines started to fail, Gold Hill began to grow famous in the mining industry. Its ore was among the richest known at the time. After the rich copper and gold mines were worked out, the area enjoyed a resurgence when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
created a demand for arsenic. A smaller period of growth occurred during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, after which mining was discontinued. Gold Hill is now nearly a ghost town
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...
, with only a few remaining residents.
Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
mined there before beginning his boxing career.
A United States post office operated at Gold Hill from 1911 to 1949.