Spring Canyon, Utah
Encyclopedia
Spring Canyon, also called Storrs, is a ghost town
in Carbon County
, Utah
, United States
. In 1912, Jesse Knight
purchased 1,600 acres of coal land and began developing a mine and a company town. Knight named the town Storrs, after the mine superintendent. The name of the town was changed to Spring Canyon in 1924. 1,000 tons of coal per day were mined from 1924 to 1943, and during World War II
, coal production peaked at 2,000 tons of coal per day. By 1946, the need for coal diminished, and people began to leave. By 1969, Spring Canyon was abandoned.
mined coal
from a small opening on the side of the mountain. In 1895, Teancum Pratt constructed a wagon road in order to make coal transportation easier. In 1912, Jesse Knight
purchased 1,600 acres of land west of Helper, organized the Spring Canyon Coal Company, and constructed sixty homes. Knight also constructed a railroad in 1913 to the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
line in Helper. Knight named the new town Storrs, after the mine superintendent, George Storrs. Because Knight was a Mormon
, he banned saloons and gambling houses from being constructed in the town. In 1914, a schoolhouse and a church were constructed for the townspeople, who were mostly members of the Mormon Church. By the end of 1914, 1,000 tons of coal per day was being shipped.
By 1924, Storrs had 1,000 residents, a hotel, a heated swimming pool, and well-built houses, offices, and stores. At this time, George Storrs was charged with mail fraud, and the town's name was officially changed to Spring Canyon. From 1924 to 1943, 1,000 tons of coal per day were mined, and in 1940, the Spring Canyon mine was ranked as the fourth largest coal producer in Utah. During World War II
, 2,000 tons of coal per day were being mined. By 1946, the Spring Canyon mine had transported and mined eleven million tons of coal, and by 1948, the Spring Canyon Coal Company was also operating the mines in Standardville
and Royal
. However, the need for coal began to diminish, and by 1954, only a small group of miners remained in Spring Canyon. The mine closed in 1969 due to low production and increasingly high costs. Only three families were living in Spring Canyon in 1969, and by the end of the year, Spring Canyon was abandoned. When the mine first closed in 1969 and the town's residents relocated, few buildings were removed. The Spring Canyon Hotel, most of the homes, and the mine offices were left. However, in 1975, every building in Spring Canyon was demolished
. The railroad trestle is the only remnant of the former coal mining 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...
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...
. In 1912, Jesse Knight
Jesse Knight
Jesse Knight was one of relatively few Latter-day Saint mining magnates in nineteenth century Western America. Raised by the widow of Newel Knight, Jesse's family was poor throughout his youth. As a young man, he worked as a prospector and discovered the Humbug Mine in the Tintic Mining District...
purchased 1,600 acres of coal land and began developing a mine and a company town. Knight named the town Storrs, after the mine superintendent. The name of the town was changed to Spring Canyon in 1924. 1,000 tons of coal per day were mined from 1924 to 1943, and 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...
, coal production peaked at 2,000 tons of coal per day. By 1946, the need for coal diminished, and people began to leave. By 1969, Spring Canyon was abandoned.
History
Prior to the establishment of Spring Canyon, residents in HelperHelper, Utah
Helper is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States about 120 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and northwest of the city of Price. It is also known as the "Hub of Carbon County". The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census....
mined 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...
from a small opening on the side of the mountain. In 1895, Teancum Pratt constructed a wagon road in order to make coal transportation easier. In 1912, Jesse Knight
Jesse Knight
Jesse Knight was one of relatively few Latter-day Saint mining magnates in nineteenth century Western America. Raised by the widow of Newel Knight, Jesse's family was poor throughout his youth. As a young man, he worked as a prospector and discovered the Humbug Mine in the Tintic Mining District...
purchased 1,600 acres of land west of Helper, organized the Spring Canyon Coal Company, and constructed sixty homes. Knight also constructed a railroad in 1913 to the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
line in Helper. Knight named the new town Storrs, after the mine superintendent, George Storrs. Because Knight was a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
, he banned saloons and gambling houses from being constructed in the town. In 1914, a schoolhouse and a church were constructed for the townspeople, who were mostly members of the Mormon Church. By the end of 1914, 1,000 tons of coal per day was being shipped.
By 1924, Storrs had 1,000 residents, a hotel, a heated swimming pool, and well-built houses, offices, and stores. At this time, George Storrs was charged with mail fraud, and the town's name was officially changed to Spring Canyon. From 1924 to 1943, 1,000 tons of coal per day were mined, and in 1940, the Spring Canyon mine was ranked as the fourth largest coal producer in Utah. 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...
, 2,000 tons of coal per day were being mined. By 1946, the Spring Canyon mine had transported and mined eleven million tons of coal, and by 1948, the Spring Canyon Coal Company was also operating the mines in Standardville
Standardville, Utah
Standardville is a ghost town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. Standardville was established after coal was discovered in the area in 1912. The layout of the town was so well-planned, it became the "standard" for all mining towns to follow, which resulted in the town name of Standardville. In...
and Royal
Royal, Utah
Royal is a ghost town that existed in the early 1900s as a small coal mining town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. Originally called Bear Canyon, the town was renamed Cameron, Rolapp, and finally Royal, changing names each time a new owner took over. All that remains of Royal today are some...
. However, the need for coal began to diminish, and by 1954, only a small group of miners remained in Spring Canyon. The mine closed in 1969 due to low production and increasingly high costs. Only three families were living in Spring Canyon in 1969, and by the end of the year, Spring Canyon was abandoned. When the mine first closed in 1969 and the town's residents relocated, few buildings were removed. The Spring Canyon Hotel, most of the homes, and the mine offices were left. However, in 1975, every building in Spring Canyon was demolished
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
. The railroad trestle is the only remnant of the former coal mining town.