Emma Silver Mine In Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

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This page was last updated on July 30, 2025.

Dr. O. H. Congar

(The focus of this research is to establish the dates and names of companies and persons involved in the story of the Emma Silver Mine.)

(Read a general history of the mines in Little Cottonwood Canyon, especially after 1901)

(The source for almost all of the following is extensive research in available online newspapers. The wide variety of source newspapers from across the U. S., and in Great Britain, as would be expected, covered the various events with a wide variety of comment and viewpoints. As mentioned above, the focus has been to get the names and dates correct. The interested reader should note that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, especially while doing research in newspapers.)

Dr. Orville H. Congar was involved with the mines in Little Cottonwood Canyon from its earliest days. As can best be determined, he was responsible for the original locations of almost all the early mines, in the 1864-1866 period. There was great difficulty in later determining the true claims and boundaries of all of the mining claims surrounding the Emma mine when it was discovered to be one of the richest silver mines in the West. There were stories of records being destroyed and claims being re-located by "claim jumpers," with the truth being difficult due to the original record books being burned, destroyed, and stolen. Dr. Congar was usually involved in the later law suits because of his initial presence on the ground in those early days.

The initial successful mine was the Emma, and within two to three years, almost all of the surrounding claims were being snapped up with hopes of joining in on the Emma's success.

Dr. O. H. Congar first came to Utah territory in about 1864. After graduating from the Chicago Medical College in about 1843, by 1850 he was living in El Dorado County, California, apparently associated with Patrick E. Connor, using his knowledge and experience in chemistry to become a "chemist and assayist." Research suggests that he came to Utah Territory either with Connor, or very soon after as Connor was determined to develop the mining industry in the canyons around Salt Lake City.

The first reference to Congar being in Utah is in November 1864, in relation to his work in support of General P. E. Connor. Congar later traveled throughout the Midwest and East giving lectures on the subject of the geology of the Utah mountains. In late 1866 he traveled to the booming Pahranagat district in Nevada. By late 1869, he and a partner opened a medical practice in Yankton, South Dakota, but in February 1871 he and the partner dissolved the partnership by mutual consent. On April 16, 1871, after being in Salt Lake City for only a week, he wrote a letter to the Yankton, South Dakota newspaper describing Utah to readers of the newspaper. By June 1871, he was actively developing mining claims in the Little Cottonwood District, specifically the Sunbeam, Shoebridge and Chicago lodes.

On June 27, 1871, "after an absence of nearly five years," Congar was part of a survey party to determine the ownership of mining claims in Little Cottonwood canyon, between the Emma mine and the Illinois Tunnel companies. Others in the party included Senator Stewart of Nevada, James E. Lyon of New York, Col. A. E. Head, J. W. Haskin of San Francisco, and Col. Stevenson, a U. S. Surveyor. He was asked to establish the original discovery points on the various mineral lodes that were being questioned. He was able to locate each of the points, even after five years. There were half-dozen witnesses who claimed that they had been in the vicinity during the previous five years, but Congar was able to locate the original points and new stakes were driven "where they belonged and base lines run and measurements taken. The present possessors of the Emma and other valuable mines on this series of lodes have no more title to them than a thief to his stolen property." At the time, the Emma was yielding 80 to 100 tons per day, at $150 per ton, furnishing two hundred, two and four horse teams.

In August 1871 he was one of the organizers of the Chicago Tunnel and Mining Company until it was sold at auction in 1875. In July 1872, he gave testimony in the law suit between the Emma company and the adjacent Cincinnati and Illinois Tunnel Company. In 1874 Congar left Utah and became a resident of Pasadena, California, and by 1880 was a successful fruit farmer, "One of the most noted among the finely improved fruit farms of Pasadena is that owned by Dr. O. H. Congar, one of the early settlers who came here from the silver mines of Utah." The good doctor owned 35 acres, growing oranges, lemons, limes, peach, and apple tress in the hundreds, with lesser numbers of pear, apricot, nectarine, fig, plum, almond, and cherry. In December 1886 he sold his entire holdings.

Dr. Orville H. Congar passed away on April 2, 1892, at age 66. He was born in New York in 1827. He was a resident of Pasadena from 1874 until his death.

Timeline

In November 1871, Dr. O. H. Congar related his summary of the discovery. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 17, 1871)

Mineral Review. - To The Editor, Tribune. - Seeing you prefer facts to fiction or misrepresentation in regard to mining matters, I beg to inform the correspondent of Crofutt’s Western World that he is sadly in error respecting the early history of the Little Cottonwood mines.

The facts are, Mr. Silas Brain made the first legitimate location, and drove the first stake in that canyon, in August, 1865. His first locations, while only nominally under my employ, I bought of him for seventy-five dollars, after which, he worked for a stipulated price per month and, together with others, located and secured by work sixteen lodes during that summer and fall; certificates of labor upon all of which I have now in my possession and also certified to, as being performed in that year. In the winter of 1866, in connection with the New York and Utah Prospecting and Mining Company of which I was Superintendent in securing the above mines we sold one thousand feet each of the North Star, American Eagle and the Morning Star lodes, to Mr. James P. Bruner of Philadelphia, partly on condition that I would act as his general superintendent, to develop the same during the following summer, Dr. Davids having the immediate supervision, of constructing furnaces, working, etc. All of which proved a failure on his part, but not to have it said or rather confirmed that there were no mines in that locality of any account, I erected a small blast furnace and produced three thousand pounds of silver-lead or crude bullion within two weeks from the laying of the first brick, and sold a part of said bullion to Mr. Sharkey of this city, for eighty cents per pound as lead, although it was worth three hundred dollars in silver to the ton. This was in the month of September, 1866. Now in regard to the jumpers or relocators: Those who inaugurated this in that locality were under my employ during the year 1865, and obtained their information of me in regard to the immense outcropping of argentiferous galena on the North Star, and where they put down what is now called the old Emma shaft. They went up over my road, and also were enabled thereby to obtain all of their supplies easily, comparatively speaking. That road I constructed in 1866, two years before this jumping commenced.

To all who wish to investigate the subject further, I would call their attention to the old mining records -- by-laws under which we located and worked at that time, and to my printed reports during 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, especially referring to that locality. The above can be fully substantiated, not only by the mining records and a large amount of other documentary evidence, but also by dozens of living and reliable witnesses.

Permit me to add still farther, for the public good, as but few persons probably are aware, that the by-laws at that time allowed a claim to embrace a width of five hundred feet on each side of a lode, and in length forty-two hundred feet,, but was amended in May, 1866, making changes in regard to width and labor to be performed. -- Respectfully, Dr. O. H. Congar.

(Strangely, the New York and Utah Prospecting and Mining Company does not appear in any of the three sources for national or international online newspapers, other than this singular account by O. H. Congar. Nor does it appear in any general internet search, other than the single auction sale of a share of the company's stock. More research is needed.)

Murphy's "Mineral Resources of Utah" published in 1872 reported these early claims as follows.

The earliest records of mining claims in this now important camp, are those of the Pittsburgh, St. Lewis, North Star, Atlantic Cable, General Grant, Ohio, Mount Pleasant, Great Eastern, Great Western, Chicago, Morning and Evening Star, located by one Silas Brain, in August, 1865; and the Susquehanna and Shenandoah, located at the same time by H. Poole, both locators acting under Dr. O. H. Congar, agent for the New York and Utah Prospecting and Mining Company.

Dr. Congar, for his company, was the first to undertake the opening of a road towards the locality of the mines, which he completed to Gerard's Saw Mill, the present site of Central City; he also built smelting works on a small scale, to test the ores, in the summer of 1866. The Doctor, however, was obliged to suspend operations, owing to high freights, and await the completion of the trans-continental railroad.

The next earliest locations were those of the Monitor and Magnet, August 18th, 1868, and Western Star, October 23d, 1868.

The Emma mine was located in December, 1868, although not recorded until June 10th, 1869.

Orville Congar Obituary

Los Angeles Times
April 3, 1892 pg 7

Dr. O. H. Conger died at 2:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon at his residence on West Colorado street after a lingering illness. During the past year he had not been in excellent health and about three months ago he was confined to bed on account of stomach troubles. Since that time he failed steadily, and during the past few days it was known that the end was not far off.

Dr. Conger was a citizen of prominence and his career was an eventful one. He was a native of New York State. In 1843 he emigrated to Wisconsin. Soon after he was graduated from the Chicago Medical College and afterward practiced medicine for several years. In 1850 he crossed the plains with a small party of venturesome spirits, among whom was Judge O. F. Weed, now a resident of Pasadena. Arriving in California, they took an active part in mining operations in the northern part of the State. After remaining in California for several years, Dr. Conger returned to his former home in Wisconsin. It was not long, however, before he returned to the land of sunshine and gold. He led an unusually active life about this time, and it is stated that he crossed the plains no less than a dozen times before the first railroad was built to the Pacific Coast.

Later on he engaged in mining operations in Utah. His headquarters were at Salt Lake City, but he very thoroughly explored the southern part of Utah and adjacent territory and was remarkably well-posted on all matters pertaining to this section of country. In 1874 he came to Pasadena, where he has since resided. Since then he has led a comparatively quiet life. He devoted considerable attention to matters pertaining to horticulture and fruit-growing and was interested to some extent in mining operations hereabouts. He was devoted to Pasadena and was ever active in matters pertaining to the advancement of the town's best interests. He was a prominent member of Pasadena Lodge, No. 272, F. and A.M. which organization will conduct the funeral.

Dr. Conger was in the 66th year of his age. He is survived by his wife and three children, a son and two daughters. His brother, H. M. Conger, and sister, Mrs. O. F. Weed, are residents of Pasadena. He has four other brothers living, one at Los Angeles and three others in the East.

Notice of the funeral will be given tomorrow. Members of the Masonic fraternity are requested to meet at 2 o'clock this afternoon to make arrangements.

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