Jacob City Horse Tram
Dry Canyon Mines

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This page was last updated on July 16, 2025.

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Overview

Dry Canyon is the canyon immediately north of Ophir Canyon, and both are on the western slope of the Oquirrh Mountains, above Stockton.

The horse tram in Dry Canyon was proposed to run from the bottom of an incline from the Hidden Treasure mine at the head of Dry Canyon, down to Jacob City. From there the proposed horse tram was to continue down-canyon to its mouth.

The Jacob City horse tram was going to be built by the owners of the Hidden Treasure mine. The plans were to move their ore from the mine, down an incline 1200 feet in length, down to Jacob City, and a connection with the horse tram. The ore would then move by way of the horse tram down to the mouth of Dry Canyon, where the ore would be transferred to wagons for the trip to the Waterman smelter on Rush Lake near Stockton, a distance of seven miles.

This was at about the same time as two successful horse trams had been completed in Bingham Canyon in 1875, as well in Little Cottonwood Canyon in 1876.

The best indicator that the horse tram was no longer in service was in May 1880 there were complaints in the newspapers about the Dry Canyon and Ophir Canyon mines being limited by the bad roads. Although the Hidden Treasure mine was still making regular shipments to the smelter as late as 1884, those shipments were only in the range of 20 tons per day, or about one wagon load. And by mid 1885, the mine was being worked by leasers, with even less production.

Better indication that the horse tram was only briefly built and used is the activity of the Hidden Treasure mine itself. Research indicates that the Hidden Treasure mine became inactive a short time after the horse tram was proposed and surveyed. There is little mention of the mine after 1878 and into the mid 1880s, when the boom apparently ended. The high cost of transportation was likely the cause. Transportation of Dry Canyon ores was by use of a combination of wagon haulage over ten miles to Terminus station at the end of track of the narrow gauge railroad, then to the Salt Lake Valley smelters.

Activity at the Hidden Treasure mine picked up again in the 1920s, mostly because the cost of transportation was reduced by the use of early gasoline trucks to the railroad at Stockton, as well as improved mining techniques. Activity continued into the World War II period, but ended when the war-time lead and zinc subsidies ended in the post-war period.

Timeline

(The location of the Hidden Treasure mine is visible on today's Google Maps, and is labeled as Jacob City. It is at the head of Dry Canyon, just across the ridge north of the historic Ophir District.)

The following description of the Hidden Treasure mine in 1885 comes from the United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper 111, The Ore Deposits Of Utah, 1920; citing D. B. Huntley's "Precious Metals" section of the Tenth Census U. 8., volume 13, p. 477.

The Hidden Treasure mine [Dry Canyon] is situated on a steep hillside above and three-quarters of a mile southeast of Jacob City. It was located in 1865 as the St. Louis lode by General Connor's soldiers, who had been told by Indians of the outcropping boulders of galena. Little work was done until April, 1870, when it was relocated as the Hidden Treasure. The mine has been extensively but irregularly worked since 1872. The ore assays from 15 to 40 ounces silver and 20 to 50 per cent lead. During the four years ending April 1, 1878, 28,400 tons were mined. Most of this was smelted at the Waterman smelter, at Stockton. The cash received for this amount of ore, whether sold as ore or as bullion, was $988,700. Several thousand tons of ore were produced prior to 1874.

February 21, 1874
"The Hidden Treasure mine was first discovered in 1865, and was located as the St. Louis Lode. It was relocated by A. W. Moore, W. B. Hull and J. Wilson, in April, 1870, as the Hidden Treasure, Wm. Jennings and Thos. Lee, becoming the principal owners. It was considerably worked under the management of Thos. Lee, until the winter beginning 1872, when it was sold to Henry Simons, Esq., for Issac Waterman, who bought up both old and new title. Under the management of Henry Simons the mine was worked by L. A. Brown, as superintendent. Mr. Simons was succeeded by Geo. L. Ayres, as manager, and the mine is now being worked under him, by Mr. Smiley, as superintendent, with forty men in his charge." (Utah Mining Gazette, February 21, 1874)

The Hidden Treasure ore vein had a dip of 30 degrees eastward and had five incline tunnels being worked along the dip: Lawrence Tunnel (160 feet); Magazine Tunnel (120 feet); Old Tunnel (180 feet); New Tunnel (100 feet); and Summit Tunnel (200 feet), with the Summit shaft being about 80 feet deep. There were numerous side drifts and chambers. The mine was producing about 15 tons per day of carbonate of lead and galena, carrying 50 percent lead and 30-40 ounces silver, with some copper. (Utah Mining Gazette, February 21, 1874)

October 13, 1875
"Messrs. Waterman & Ayres' Hidden Treasure mine is the chieftain of all mines and bonanzas yet found and opened. They have five faces of ore to work upon daily and nightly, varying from six to thirty-two feet of solid ore in height, or rather the width of the vein, and this is no pocket, but a continuous vein. Teams have been constantly hauling ores to their smelter at Stockton for the past three weeks, and most of the time by night as well as by day. This mine is netting its owners over $700 a day, with its crude horse-power whim." (Salt Lake Tribune, October 13, 1875)

November 16, 1875
"We are informed that the management of the Hidden Treasure contemplate building a good road from the mine through Jacob City down to the mouth of the canyon. This is an enterprise that will prove beneficial alike to mine and town." (Salt Lake Tribune, November 16, 1875)

January 24, 1876
The Hidden Treasure mine awarded a contract to the freight company Fuller & Chamberlain to haul ore from the mine, down to the Waterman smelter in Stockton. The mine had paid $4,300 in the tolls to Matt Gisborne, at $3.00 per team for the use of his road. (Utah Weekly Miner, January 24, 1876)

(The Waterman "furnace" was one of the earliest primitive smelters in Utah. During 1876, the Waterman turned out 2,100 tons of base bullion, with an average value of $200 per ton, and a total of $120,000)

The Waterman smelter operated from 1871 to about 1886, and was one of five successful smelters in the Stockton area.

(Read more about the Waterman smelter, as part of the early smelters at Stockton)

A note from the May 1, 1875 issue of the Real Estate and Mining Gazette, remarked that the Gisborne toll road was making $50 per day. So it is easy to see the interest of the mine owners in having their own transportation, especially with the Hidden Treasure mine shipping an average of 20 to 40 tons of high-value ore per day throughout the 1875-1877 period.

May 1, 1875
"The Hidden Treasure, Kearsage and Deseret mines are shipping ores over Gisborne's toll road, one of the finest roads in Utah. The gross receipts for the toll is about $50 per day." (Real Estate and Mining Gazette, May 1, 1875)

It was a long trip by wagon from Dry Canyon to the end of line for the railroad as it was building west from Salt Lake City, along the south shore of Great Salt Lake and into the Tooele Valley. In February 1875, the railroad was at Lake Point, then in March it reached Halfway House (today's Mills Junction) where it remained for a year. In March 1876, grading began to extend the railroad from Halfway House to the planned tunnel through the Stockton Bar. The tracks reached Tooele in early August 1877, and Terminus in early September. Terminus remained as the end of track for another 25 years, until it was bypassed in 1902 by the standard gauge Leamington Cutoff.

Gisborne's "Silver Road"

"Old Silver Road -- If you look east from Stockton you can see a white thread weaving into and out of the canyons of the Oquirrhs, rising steadily upward, along the face of the mountains until it suddenly disappears into Dry Canyon. This line marks the route of Mat Gisborne's $40,000 ore road which this pioneer mining man built from Stockton along the precipitous sides of the hills to the Mono mine in Dry Canyon, and over which he, along with Henry W. Lawrence and other big operators in the Dry Canyon district hauled rich silver ores from the Mono, Kearsage, Hidden Treasure and other old mines of the section. This road is still being used by leasers and operators to bring down ores from Dry Canyon." (Salt Lake Telegram, September 25, 1934)

Mat Gisborne's Mono mine in Dry Canyon was one of the earliest very rich silver mines in Utah. There were reports that he was making $30,000 per month during the best years, which explains why he was able to build his own road between his mine and the Stockton smelter. Gisborne charged a toll for the other mine owners to move their ore to Stockton, and the tolls became a major source of income for Gisborne after his Mono mine became less successful.

Gisborne's Road was the next-best thing to a railroad, providing a well-maintained road between the Dry Canyon mines and the smelters in the Stockton area. Of course the mine owners disliked paying Gisborne his toll, and tried both horse trams and aerial tramways to save those toll fees. But their mines had to stay as high value mines in any case to pay for whatever transportation method they used, or to pay Gisborne his toll. In the mid 1880s the question of transportation costs became a non-issue as the high-value ore began to run out when the mines began running out of ore "pipes" and started hitting faults.

Gisborne's Road is shown on the early 1918 USGS topographic map of Stockton.

The old Gisborne Road is still in use today, in place along the mid-elevation of the western slopes of the hills between Dry Canyon and Stockton. It is labeled as the East Bald Mountain Road on its southern parts near Dry Canyon, and as Copper Street nearest Stockton. It remains as Copper Street for just over two miles south to the crossing of Soldier Creek, where the pavement ends, and it becomes Bald Mountain Road.

June 3, 1876
"During the past week, Captain Wilder has been busy surveying the Hidden Treasure toll or ore road from Jacobs City to the mouth of Dry Canyon, or Silver Gate City. They find the route surveyed practicable, and with a grade less than the Gisborn toll road. It is also a much shorter outlet into the valleys. The Hidden Treasure Company's tramway will extend from the mouth of their tunnel and terminate at their ore house, just in the rear of Jacobs City. It is about 1,200 feet in length." (Salt Lake Tribune, June 3, 1876)

March 10, 1877
"In consequence of the inclement weather, work on the horse tramway has been temporarily suspended. I am informed that this tramway will be extended around the Mahogany Hill, to further facilitate the shipment of ore from the Queen of the Hills, Flavilla, Hershal and other mines, located in that region of mineral wealth; making the circuit of the environs of Jacob City. This very feasible enterprise is marked with considerable dalliance. However, it is currently reported that another carrot cruncher will be employed in rushing the grading to a speedy completion. Every little helps, we must all agree." (Salt Lake Tribune, March 10, 1877, research by Matt Mihalo)

June 30, 1877
"There is a connection with this mine [Hidden Treasure in Dry Canyon] in course of construction, an inclined plane 1,100 to 1,200 feet in length, which will connect with the horse tramway at Jacobs City. The latter is the combined enterprise of Messrs. Meredith & Ayres. This tramway, when complete, will extend to the mouth or entrance of Dry Canyon, and is intended to convey all classes of freight to and from this camp, at much reduced rates, to say nothing of the extortionate toll gotten rid of on the Gisborn grade. This enterprise will render the removal of ores from the above [Hidden Treasure] mine cheap and easy, as they will be carried from the lower workings to the entrance of the canyon on parallel rails. A little more push upon the tramway would enable the company to ship ore before snow flies, besides giving them the hang of angles and aiding them in locating the exact point under cover." (Salt Lake Tribune, June 30, 1877)

John B. Meredith and George Ayres were the principals behind the organization of the Oquirrh Railway, on August 9, 1877. The purpose of the company was "To build, own and operate a railway from near the head of Dry Canyon in Tooele County to a junction with the Utah Western Railway at or near the Basin Ranch in said county, together with a branch running from a convenient point on said railway near the mouth of Dry Canyon to a point in East Canyon near Ophir City, a total length of about 20 miles"

(John B. Meredith was an ore broker and freight agent with a center of operations at Granite in Little Cottonwood Canyon.)

(George R. Ayres was first a manager of the Hidden Treasure mine (before 1874), then in 1876, the superintendent of the Waterman smelter. In April 1877, he and Issac Waterman were suing Joseph Walker in Third District Court. In September 1879, after being called to jury duty in the Third District Court, he was excused, "not being a citizen of the territory." In 1884, when the Waterman smelter was about to be restarted, he was referred to as "Old Man Ayres.")

Unfortunately, the Utah Western ended at Terminus in early September 1877, over 10 miles north of the mouth of Dry Canyon. Terminus was the end of the Utah Western, with the Stockton Bar serving as the barrier to any progress to the south, or any connection for the proposed Oquirrh Railway from the south.

Other than the note in June 1877, there is no further reference to a horse tram in Dry Canyon. As late as April 1879, the Hidden Treasure was reported as the best paying mine in both the Dry Canyon and Ophir districts, but there is no further mention of a horse tram. In May 1880, the Hidden Treasure mine and the Waterman smelter were combined and organized as the Hidden Treasure Mining Company of New York, with no mention of a horse tram.

January 1, 1884
"Hidden Treasure: the ore occurs in large bodies; thirty tons per day is the general daily average produced by a working force of seventy five men, from the mine leads a tram way 1,200 feet long down the hill to the wagon road. The mine is extensively developed to a depth of more than 1,400 feet on the dip of the vein. The Chicago works on the same ore body as the Hidden Treasure, is largely developed and has produced in past years large quantities of excellent ore. Each of the aforesaid mines has a smelter, the Waterman and the Chicago, situated nine miles distant on Rush Lake to work their ores." (Salt Lake Herald, January 1, 1884)

(Note in the above summary of the Hidden Treasure mine, there is no mention of a horse tram.)

(Read more about the Chicago mine's aerial tramway, in service from 1873-1875)

By the mid 1880s, the ore had run out. An indication that the mines of Dry Canyon were a boom like so many other districts of the West, the following is from the June 11, 1885 issue of the Salt Lake Herald newspaper.

In Dry Canyon.
The Almost Forgotten El Dorado of Other Days
Leaves From the Past.

From Ed Kirby, who is in from the once populous and prosperous Dry Canyon camp, a Herald reporter yesterday learned that the hills thereabouts present a greater appearance of liveliness than for years before. Matt Gisborn, once the Mono silver king, of whom it used to be said that he pocketed and spent $1,000 a day as his share of the Mono profits - is now wielding a pick in that property, and has vowed that he will pick on until he strikes the old vein or is brought out feet foremost. He is surrounded by several miners who work for bed rock pay, and who rest in the firm conviction that the golden days of '72 and 73, when Heaton, Embody, Miller and Gisborn took out ten tons a day of $700 ore, will yet return to them again. At the once scarcely less famous Hidden Treasure, where old man Ayres worked so long, so faithfully and so ignorantly, there are again some signs of activity, John Robinson, of Stockton, having leased the property, and being now engaged in putting it into shape for work once more.

July 3, 1938
The Hidden Treasure mine in Dry Canyon, consisting of 800 acres, was sold "last spring" by its owners, the Hidden Treasure Mining and Development company, to the United States Smelting, Refining and Mining company. All of the principal owners of the Hidden Treasure company were residents of Philadelphia. The mine had been under lease since 1930, but with the sale, the leases were canceled. The USSR&M company did not plan on any development or production, pending a determination of the extent and type of ore in the mine. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 3, 1938; Eureka Reporter, July 7, 1938)

The following comes from Burt B. Brewster's "A Brief History of Mining in Utah," published in 1948.

General Connor's soldiers discovered lead outcrops at Ophir in 1865; outcrops which led to the development of the Hidden Treasure silver-lead mine, but it appears that the Zella operations and the Pioneer Mill, built by the Walker Brothers in 1871 to treat Zella ore, were not only the first systematic efforts in the Ophir District but also the foundation of the Walker fortune. The Hidden Treasure Mine, now owned by the United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company, was the heaviest silver producer in the district, and although closed at this writing, was operated just a few years ago.

Small shipments of zinc from the Ophir District were first reported in 1911. Early shippers were the Cliff and Hidden Treasure mines. Later the Lion Hill and Ophir Hill mines produced some zinc, and during World War II the United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company's operation of the Hidden Treasure mine added to the district's zinc output over the years.

(View a photo of the Hidden Treasure mine in 1942)

The Hidden Treasure mine was active in the period of late 1920s through the late 1940s, but was operated by leasers and shipping in very small lots of less than 100 tons per month. Like so many other marginal mines, the Hidden Treasure was abandoned after World War II with the end of wartime subsidies for lead and zinc metal mining.

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