Copperfield and Terrace Heights, 1923 to 1958
This page last updated on August 7, 2024.
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Terrace Heights
The homes of Terrace Heights in Copperfield in Bingham Canyon, Utah, were visual landmarks in countless photos. Terrace Heights was the name of a group of homes and houses situated above the town of Copperfield. Along with similar single-family houses built earlier along Copperfield's main street, the houses built by Utah Copper Company along Upper Terrace road beginning in 1923 were for the benefit of its employees, with the justification that providing houses near the work sites for employees with families would reduce tardiness and absenteeism. The demand was so great that in 1926 Utah Copper began building homes in what would later become Copperton, at the mouth of Bingham Canyon.
(Research among available photographs shows that single-family houses of very similar architecture to those along Copperfield's main street, built by Utah Copper in 1923, were also built in the company town ajacent to Utah Copper's Arthur concentrating mill, and were known as "Arthur Row.")
The first houses built in Terrace Heights were a group of single-story duplexes along a new street known as Upper Terrace. Then a group of six two-story duplxes were built to the north, along an extended Upper Terrace road. More single-story duplexes and more two-story duplexes were added along a new road known as Lower Terrace. With the completion of these homes along Lower Terrace, Utah Copper began developing the streets, homes, and public spaces in Copperton.
(View a photo album of homes in Terrace Heights.)
April 14, 1923
Utah Copper bought the building and property of the Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) at Copperfield. "To what use the mining company will make of them is unknown." (Bingham News, April 14, 1923)
June 28, 1923
"Bingham -- The Utah Copper company has purchased the Copperfield properties of John Lancino and N. J. Jarrad. It is reported that the old houses on the sites will be torn down and modern homes built. "It is reported that the old houses on the sites will he torn down and modern homes erected for employes of the company. The erection of these homes is part of the Utah Copper company's plan to erect modern homes for their employes in Bingham, Magna and Garfield." (Salt Lake Telegram, June 28, 1923)
August 10, 1923
"Bingham -- The Odd Fellows hall in Copperfield, which was recently purchased by the Utah Copper company, is being torn down and a number of modern brick houses will be constructed." (Beaver County News, August 10, 1923)
April 20, 1924
"Completion of fourteen brick cottages by the Utah Copper company greatly improves conditions at the famous copper camp." (Salt Lake Tribune, April 20, 1924; part of a larger article about the U. S. Mining's hotel and change house at Copperfield, and new cottages by Utah Copper at Garfield, Magna, and Arthur)
July 30, 1924
"The Utah Copper Company has more than one hundred men employed in excavating; and laying the foundations of new brick cottages in Copperfield. Much of the material is already on the ground, and it is planned to have the work completed before winter. In all, fourteen modern homes will be constructed." (Salt Lake Mining Review, July 30, 1924)
August 2, 1924
"Bingham, Aug 2. -- The United States Mines company has plans for the construction of several modern brick cottages in Copperfield to commence soon." (Salt Lake Telegram, August 2, 1924)
September 14, 1925
Eldon Bray's book Copperfield Remembered (published in 2007) includes a Utah Copper photo of Copperfield dated September 14, 1925. The photo shows the original six dwellings under construction, as well as the already-completed single-story duplexes to the south. The caption identifies the dwellings as being those on the Upper Terrace.
The full caption reads as follows:
The Grade School, Upper Main St., Terrace Heights and Dinkeyville 9-14-25. From the Gordon Bodily Collection. The Grade School does not have the extension built onto the back yet - it will be built in 1926. The single family company houses along Main Street were completed a year or more earlier. The one-story duplexes of Terrace Heights in the upper right of the photo were built in 1924. The two-story duplexes of the Upper Terrace Heights are under construction. Work has not yet been started on the two-story duplexes of the Lower Terrace Heights. Some of the wooden houses in Dinkeyville can be seen.
A second (undated) photo shows the dwellings along the Lower Terrace under construction.
November 13, 1926
Utah Copper completed six dwellings "on Terrace Heights at Copperfield." The new apartments would accomodate twelve familes. (Bingham News, November 13, 1926)
There were two rows of two-story duplexes, known as "Upper Terrace" and "Lower Terrace." To the south, there were five single-story dwellings, two on the Upper Terrace level, and three on the Lower Terrace level. A row of garages were located between the two-story duplexes and the single-story duplexes.
Arilla Jackson wrote in her history of Copperfield, published in 1984:
There was Terrace Heights, four sections of homes, two sections divided by the trail that went up to Dinkeyville. The people who lived on Terrace Heights probably had the straightest side walk in the whole town. This was a haven for kids who liked to roller skate.
The houses in the circle, up and down the main street, and the Terrace Heights were built about the same time as the Copperfield School. These homes were well built. They consisted of a large living and dining room, a kitchen with built-in cupboards, with glass doors, and built-in sugar and flour bins. All the modern facilities, a full basement included a coal room, a fruit room and cupboard, a huge room to do your laundry. Most people had stoves in the basement to heat extra water for clothes washing, and then there was a dirt room. This was used to store vegetables for the winter, such as potatoes, cabbage, and squash, and apples, they stayed good for many months during the winter time as it was always a cool temperature.
By mid 1958 Utah Copper was demolishing these dwellings due to expansion of the pit. A photo from 1958 shows the area with only the foundations remaining.
Photos
Copperfield Terrace Heights -- A photo album of the houses in Terrace Heights in Copperfield, in Bingham Canyon, Utah.
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