Winter Quarters, Utah
Encyclopedia
Winter Quarters is a ghost town
in Carbon County
, Utah
, United States
. Coal
was discovered in the area in 1875, and later that year, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company began coal mining operations. A group of coal miners were delayed during an early winter storm in 1877, which led to the town's name of Winter Quarters. On May 1, 1900, an explosion
in the Winter Quarters Number Four mine killed 200 miners. Despite the mine explosion, the coal mining operations remained active until 1922, when the opening of a new mine in Castle Gate caused many people to relocate there. By 1930, Winter Quarters was abandoned.
, near Winter Quarters Canyon. Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is located west of Winter Quarters. Clear Creek
and Electric Lake are south of Winter Quarters.
to Sanpete County
. They became trapped in snow for several months, which led to the camp's name of Winter Quarters. As the Winter Quarters mine developed, miners began to move into the area. As the town grew, the need for a railroad increased. In response to the town's high demand for a railroad, in 1879, Milan Packard, a merchant from Springville
, financed the construction of a railroad from Springville to Winter Quarters and Scofield
. The railroad was named the Utah and Pleasant Valley Railroad until it was purchased by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
in 1883. Approximately 1,800 people were living in Winter Quarters by 1900, and the mine was considered the safest in the state. The town's Main Street
was over a mile long, and it had many businesses, most of which were made of stone.
On May 1, 1900, an explosion occurred in the Winter Quarters Number Four mine. Immediately following the explosion, miners working in the Winter Quarters Number One mine, which was connected to the Number Four mine, were killed by the carbon monoxide gas that was a product of the mine explosion. Rescue crews consisting of men from Clear Creek
, Castle Gate
, and Sunnyside
, along with locals from the valley, worked for almost a week recovering bodies. The final death count reported by the Pleasant Valley Coal Company was 200, though other reports reported 246 deaths. 62 of the deceased were Finns. The state inspector's report concluded that the cause of the explosion was an accidental ignition of black powder, which ignited the coal dust in the air. The Pleasant Valley Coal Company supplied each deceased miner with a coffin and burial clothes. The company also provided $500 to each family who was affected by the mine explosion.
Following the mine disaster, mining operations in Winter Quarters continued until a new mine was opened at Castle Gate
in 1922. Miners from Winter Quarters and Scofield relocated to the new mine, and as a result, coal production in Pleasant Valley began to decrease. In 1930, the last few residents of Winter Quarters relocated to a more productive area.
shop also remain. The railroad bed is now a dirt road
leading to Tucker
. Winter Quarters is located on private property
, and is posted to trespassing.
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
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 in 1875, and later that year, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company began coal mining operations. A group of coal miners were delayed during an early winter storm in 1877, which led to the town's name of Winter Quarters. On May 1, 1900, an explosion
Scofield Mine disaster
The Scofield Mine disaster was a mining explosion that occurred at the Winter Quarters mine in 1900. The mine was located at near the town of Scofield, Utah.In terms of life lost it was the worst mining accident at that point in American history....
in the Winter Quarters Number Four mine killed 200 miners. Despite the mine explosion, the coal mining operations remained active until 1922, when the opening of a new mine in Castle Gate caused many people to relocate there. By 1930, Winter Quarters was abandoned.
Geography
Winter Quarters is located at 39°43′14"N 111°11′16"W. It is located west of ScofieldScofield, Utah
Scofield is a town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 28 at the 2000 census. Scofield's name is frequently applied to the 1900 mine disaster in the Pleasant Valley Coal Company's Winter Quarters mine. The community was named for General Charles W...
, near Winter Quarters Canyon. Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is located west of Winter Quarters. Clear Creek
Clear Creek, Utah
Clear Creek is a small census-designated place in Carbon County, Utah, located at the south end of State Route 96 and the Pleasant Valley Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad .-History:...
and Electric Lake are south of Winter Quarters.
History
Prior to the discovery of coal in 1875, several pioneers had settled in Pleasant Valley, where Winter Quarters was located. In late 1875, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company began coal mining operations. In the winter of 1877, a group of fourteen coal miners led by Peter Morgan were traveling from FairviewFairview, Utah
Fairview is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2000 census.-History:Located at the confluence of the San Pitch River and Cottonwood Creek, Fairview is the largest town in the northeast end of the Sanpete Valley...
to Sanpete County
Sanpete County, Utah
Sanpete County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. The population according to the 2010 U.S. Census was 27,822. It was possibly named for a Ute Indian chief named Sanpitch, which was corrupted to Sanpete. Its county seat is Manti and its largest city is Ephraim.-Geography:According to...
. They became trapped in snow for several months, which led to the camp's name of Winter Quarters. As the Winter Quarters mine developed, miners began to move into the area. As the town grew, the need for a railroad increased. In response to the town's high demand for a railroad, in 1879, Milan Packard, a merchant from Springville
Springville, Utah
Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,424 at the 2000 census, while the 2008 estimates placed it at 28,520. Just minutes south of Provo, Springville is a bedroom community for...
, financed the construction of a railroad from Springville to Winter Quarters and Scofield
Scofield, Utah
Scofield is a town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 28 at the 2000 census. Scofield's name is frequently applied to the 1900 mine disaster in the Pleasant Valley Coal Company's Winter Quarters mine. The community was named for General Charles W...
. The railroad was named the Utah and Pleasant Valley Railroad until it was purchased by 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...
in 1883. Approximately 1,800 people were living in Winter Quarters by 1900, and the mine was considered the safest in the state. The town's Main Street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
was over a mile long, and it had many businesses, most of which were made of stone.
On May 1, 1900, an explosion occurred in the Winter Quarters Number Four mine. Immediately following the explosion, miners working in the Winter Quarters Number One mine, which was connected to the Number Four mine, were killed by the carbon monoxide gas that was a product of the mine explosion. Rescue crews consisting of men from Clear Creek
Clear Creek, Utah
Clear Creek is a small census-designated place in Carbon County, Utah, located at the south end of State Route 96 and the Pleasant Valley Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad .-History:...
, Castle Gate
Castle Gate, Utah
Castle Gate is a ghost town located in Carbon County in eastern Utah, USA. Castle Gate was a mining town approximately southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. The name of the town was derived from a rock formation near the mouth of Price Canyon...
, and Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Utah
Sunnyside is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 404 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sunnyside is located at ....
, along with locals from the valley, worked for almost a week recovering bodies. The final death count reported by the Pleasant Valley Coal Company was 200, though other reports reported 246 deaths. 62 of the deceased were Finns. The state inspector's report concluded that the cause of the explosion was an accidental ignition of black powder, which ignited the coal dust in the air. The Pleasant Valley Coal Company supplied each deceased miner with a coffin and burial clothes. The company also provided $500 to each family who was affected by the mine explosion.
Following the mine disaster, mining operations in Winter Quarters continued until a new mine was opened at Castle Gate
Castle Gate, Utah
Castle Gate is a ghost town located in Carbon County in eastern Utah, USA. Castle Gate was a mining town approximately southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. The name of the town was derived from a rock formation near the mouth of Price Canyon...
in 1922. Miners from Winter Quarters and Scofield relocated to the new mine, and as a result, coal production in Pleasant Valley began to decrease. In 1930, the last few residents of Winter Quarters relocated to a more productive area.
Remnants
The walls of the Wasatch Store can be seen from the road leading into Winter Quarters. Several foundations and the remains of the blacksmithBlacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop also remain. The railroad bed is now a dirt road
Dirt road
Dirt road is a common term for an unpaved road made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable for vehicles; a narrower path for pedestrians, animals, and possibly small vehicles would be called a...
leading to Tucker
Tucker, Utah
Tucker is a ghost town located in Utah County, Utah, below Soldier Summit on U.S. Route 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon. It was once an important loading point and construction camp on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. After the town was abandoned, the state of Utah used the town site for...
. Winter Quarters is located on private property
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
, and is posted to trespassing.