Western Utah Copper District, and Utah's Railroads
Compiled by Don Strack
This page was last updated on October 21, 2007.
(...a work in progress; research continues.)
Additional Sources:
- Western Utah Copper's own web site
- George Pitchard's research about the single Newhouse, Copper Gulch and Sevier Lake Railroad's Shay locomotive, in operation from 1904 to about 1921. (Link removed at author's request) [#]
Chronology History
Copper was first developed in Utah's Western Utah Copper District as early as 1904, but before that time, the focus of most, if not all, mining activity was the silver mines around Frisco.
Railroad service reached Frisco in June 1880 when the Utah Southern Railroad Extension finished its route south from York, at the southern end of Utah Valley. This was a Union Pacific-controlled company, and within a year, UP had taken control of connecting lines Utah Central Railway (between Ogden and Salt Lake City) and Utah Southern Railroad (between Salt Lake City and York). The Utah Southern Railroad Extension as organized as a Union Pacific enterprise to extend the rails of Utah Southern south to reach the silver mines at Frisco, the largest of which, the Horn Silver mine, was partly controlled by men who were also directors of Union Pacific. Union Pacific consolidated its control with by organizing the Utah Central Railway in July 1881, which was a merger of Utah Central Railroad, Utah Southern Railroad, and Utah Southern Railroad Extension.
The mines at Frisco were found to be very rich in silver and lead ores. By the end of 1882, the Horn Silver mine alone shipped $6 million worth of ore.
16 September 1887:
"The Utah Central road has closed its Frisco freight, ticket and telegraph
offices, as they don't pay. Trains will run up there from Milford just the
same, but all the clerical work will be done either at Milford or by the conductors." (Pitchard,
Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 16 September 1887)
As part of the construction of the Newhouse Extension, SP,LA&SL also constructed the three-mile long "Newhouse, Copper Gulch & Sevier Lake Railroad" which operated between the mining company's Cactus Mine and their mill at Newhouse.
1904:
News item about the Newhouse Extension of the Frisco Branch being surveyed.
(Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 5, number 22, February 29, 1904, p.36)
News item about Samuel Newhouse and his building of the Newhouse and Cactus mine and mill. $100,000.00 was to be spent for the railroad extension. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 6, number 2, April 30, 1904, p.20)
Samuel Newhouse paid $99,688.65 to the SP,LA&SL for the construction of the Newhouse Extension, including the terminal at the Cactus Mine, near the mouth of Copper Gulch. The railroad was seven miles in length. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 6, number 2, April 30, 1904, p.36)
The grading of the Newhouse Extension was begun, with work on grade to the Cactus mine commencing at mouth of Copper Gulch. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 6, number 10, August 30, 1904, p.31)
News item about Camp Newhouse. The Newhouse Extension was being graded between Newhouse and the Cactus mine, with four and a half percent grade and three mile length. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 6, number 14, October 30, 1904, p.23)
September 1904:
SP,LA&SL completed the 5.96-mile Newhouse Extension, from Frisco on the
Frisco Branch to Newhouse, to serve the copper mine that was being developed
near there. The line was surveyed in February 1904. (Salt Lake Mining Review,
February 29, 1904, p. 36) Construction was begun in June 1904, using $99,688.65
advanced for the purpose by Samuel Newhouse, owner of Newhouse Mines & Smelters. (SP,LA&SL
corporate history; Salt Lake Mining Review, April 30, 1904, p. 36)
December 1904:
The Newhouse road was incorporated in December 1904. The line included 4.5
percent grades and was operated using a 65-ton Shay locomotive. The mill went
into full production in March 1905. (Salt Lake Mining Review, October 30,
1904, p. 23; December 30, 1904, p. 15; February 28, 1905, p. 25)
Article about Samuel Newhouse's enterprises at Newhouse, with two photographs of the Cactus Mill at Newhouse. A 65-ton Shay locomotive was used to "steady" trains of side dump cars down the four percent grade from the Cactus mine to the mill, three miles from the mine. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 6, number 18, December 30, 1904, p.15) The Newhouse, Copper Gulch & Sevier Lake Railroad had been incorporated. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 6, number 18, December 30, 1904, p.21)
1905:
Article about Newhouse Mines & Smelters, with photographs. (Salt Lake
Mining Review, Volume 7, number 17, December 15, 1905, pp.19-27)
1906:
The first steam shovel used in Utah was of Vulcan make, and was used at the
Cactus group near Newhouse. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 8, number 5,
June 15, 1906, p.27)
1909:
News item about the shutdown and closing of Newhouse Mines & Smelters
mine and mill. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 10, number 23, March 15,
1909, p.20)
News item about South Utah Mines taking over the Newhouse mill. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 11, number 14, October 30, 1909, p.30)
News item about South Utah Mines & Smelters, formerly Newhouse. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 11, number 15, November 15, 1909, p.33)
1910:
News item about the first annual meeting of the South Utah Mines & Smelters
Company. The company was the reorganized Newhouse Mines & Smelters. Samuel
Newhouse, credited with the largest block of shares, was elected as a director
upon the resignation of L. A. Kramer. Newhouse had not been officially connected
with the company prior to this. (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 12, number
15, November 15, 1910, p.32)
1911:
"Description of South Utah Mine & Mill", article describing South Utah
Mines & Smelters at Newhouse, with photographs (same photographs used in
the earlier Newhouse article, including the view of the Shay pushing loads
up the trestle). (Salt Lake Mining Review, Volume 13, number 10, August
30, 1911, p.13)
February 27, 1925:
LA&SL received Utah Public Utilities Commission approval to discontinue
regular service between Frisco and Newhouse. The line was constructed in the
latter part of 1904 for the Newhouse Mining Company and the Cactus Mining Company.
By 1925 the town of Newhouse had been dismantled and the railroad's only traffic
was tank cars of water for the local sheep ranches. (Public Service Commission
of Utah, case 741)
April 21, 1937:
LA&SL to abandon portion of Frisco Branch, from
Frisco to Newhouse, Finance Docket 10623, approved April 21, 1937. (221 ICC
309) (see
also Utah Public Service Commission files, Box B65T1, research done on 9/14/1987)
October 7, 1937:
LA&SL completed removal of the seven-mile Newhouse Extension, Mile Post
16.5 (Frisco) to Mile Post 23.5 (Newhouse, end of branch) of the Frisco Branch.
The removal was done under Work Order 934. The Newhouse Extension had been
completed in September 1904 to connect with Samuel Newhouse's Newhouse Mines & Smelting
mill railroad, the Newhouse, Copper Gulch & Sevier Lake Railroad, which
shut down in 1927.
Regular service on the Frisco Branch had ended in 1931 with the shutdown of the old Horn Silver mine by the Tintic Lead Company, which had bought the property in 1928. The extension was washed out in several places during 1934 and 1935. Passenger service had ended in 1928.
In 1937 Union Pacific's depot was the only structure remaining in Newhouse and at Frisco there was only the railroad's depot and two houses. Work on removal of the extension was begun on September 10, 1937.
The railroad had applied to abandon the entire Frisco Branch, along with the Newhouse Extension. But the ICC imposed a two year test period, at the suggestion of the Utah State Industrial Development Board, to allow development of potential mine traffic, from Frisco to Milford. (Abandonment approved by the ICC in Finance Docket 10623, effective May 22, 1937, reported in 221 ICC 309)
July 24, 1942:
LA&SL to abandon Frisco Branch, "line in Beaver
County, Utah".
Applied January 26, 1942, approved July 24, 1942, effective 60 days later,
on September 24, 1942. (ICC Finance Docket 13611, case not reported, listed
in 252 ICC 803; Utah Public Service Commission files, Box B65T1)
- Protested by Industrial Development Department of the State of Utah because "several marginal mines are producing metals (including copper and zinc oxide) needed for the war effort".
- Paved road in service between Frisco and Milford.
- UP was given a 90 day extension because new traffic had developed for the branch.
- UP was given an additional six month extension on December 15, 1942, with the approval for abandonment taking effect on June 30, 1943.
- Additional extension denied on June 17, 1943.
August 28, 1943:
LA&SL completed removal of 15.29 miles of the Frisco Branch, from Mile
Post 1.21 to Mile Post 16.5 (Frisco, end of track). The branch was retired
on June 22, 1943, after abandonment was approved by the ICC on July 24, 1942. (Work
order 2528; ICC Finance Docket 13611, effective September 24, 1942)
1967:
The Utah Mining Association's "Operational and Economic Review"
dated August 1967, noted that the American Mining Company had a open pit copper
mine near Milford.
November 24, 2003:
Palladon Ventures, Ltd., annnounced that they had aquired an option for 65 percent interest in the Western Utah Copper Project, which had recently been assembled from several previous owners and vendors. (Palladon News release)
August 26, 2005:
Palladon announced that Western Utah Copper, Palladon's joint venture partner in their Iron Mountain project, had sold its 35 percent interest in the iron Mountain Project to Luxor Capital Partners. Palladon reduced its 65 percent interest in the Iron Mountain project to 50 percent, and announced that they would use the $1.4 million preceeds to directly benefit its own interest
in the continued development of Western Utah Copper's copper mine west of Milford. (Palladon news release)
January 30, 2006:
Palladon announced that a recent test hole, drilled to a depth of 440 meters, had assayed at 6.7 percent copper and 41.40 ounces per tonne silver ore. (Palladon news release)
March 2006:
A report by way of email from Roger Beckett on March 30, 2006 mentioned that Western Utah Copper was about ready to start pouring foundations for its new crusher building.
January 9, 2007:
Palladon sold their interest in the Western Utah Copper Project to their former joint venture partner, Western Utah Copper Company, for a reported $3 million in cash, and $10 million payable as royalties from the smelting of known reserves and newly discovered ore bodies. Palladon announced that the proceeds of the sale was to be used to pay down principal on the outstanding loan to Luxor Capital Partners on the debt outstanding for the Iron Mountain Project. (Palladon news release)
***
