UtahRails.net

UtahRails.net

William H. McIntyre

This page was last updated on March 5, 2026.

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(The focus of this page is brief biographical notes of the men that made the mining industry in Utah so successful. Also to establish a timeline using sources not previously readily available.)

As important as the everyday wage worker was to the history of mining in Utah, it was several men with experience, vision and charisma who made the mining industry in Utah so successful. These men developed the networks of mining engineers and financiers to develop the undeveloped or partially developed mining claims to become giant organizations that made money for their shareholders, and in many cases, kept the mines as a decent place to work.

McIntyre Brothers, Samuel and William

The McIntyre Brothers developed the Mammoth mine near Eureka, Utah. They purchased the mine in 1873 from the mine's original discoverers. The last reported shipment from the Mammoth mine was in May 1958 when the mine shipped 120 tons. The last reference to the Mammoth Mining company in newspapers was in October 1986. The McIntyre heirs retained the rights to the Mammoth property until it was sold to the Centurion Mines Corporation in 1993, having previously leased access to the Mammoth dumps to Centurion in 1985.

(Read more about the Mammoth mine)

(Read more about the McIntyre Brothers early years as stock raisers; A Brief History of the McIntyre Ranch)

The following about Samuel McIntyre comes from "Pioneers and Prominent Men," published in 1913.

The following about William McIntyre comes from "Pioneers and Prominent Men," published in 1913.

June 20, 1899
At a meeting of the stockholders of the Mammoth Mining company, the company was reorganized resulting in William McIntyre selling his large block of shares in the company to by his brother Samuel McIntyre, and with William being replaced as president by his brother Samuel. David Evans was not re-elected to the board. (Deseret News, June 21, 1899, "yesterday")

William H. McIntyre (1848-1926)

William H. McIntyre (1848–1926) was a prominent Utah pioneer, rancher, and financier whose life mirrored the development of the Utah and the American West.

• Born in Texas, he moved to Utah in 1863. His family originally settled on the site where the Salt Lake Union Depot now stands before moving to St. George.
• He began his career freighting goods to California and later built a massive cattle empire, trailing herds from Texas and Kansas to Utah.
• In the 1870s, he transitioned into mining by trading cattle for interests in the Mammoth mine. He eventually pivoted to real estate, acquiring 65,000 acres in Alberta, Canada, and several landmark Salt Lake City properties, including the McIntyre Building and the Pantages Theatre.
• He was a major figure in Utah commerce, serving as a director for Z.C.M.I. and the Consolidated Wagon & Machine Company, with significant holdings in various banks and the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company.
• He died at age 78 at his home in Salt Lake City, survived by his wife, Phoebe, and five children.

(In November 1875, in an exchange of 10 to 12 shots, William McIntyre was the target of one W. Baxter who fired the first shot. This was in Silver City. None of the shots hit either men. The altercation ended when McIntyre held his pistol to Baxter's chest, but found that he was out of bullets. The event was mentioned in several newspapers, but no more information was presented.)

(The name of William H. McIntyre, or W. H. McIntyre, does not appear in newspapers until February 1883, when the English company called for anyone with claims against the Mammoth mining company. "William H. McIntyre" begins to be mentioned in 1889.)

December 20, 1884
William McIntyre, a resident of Salt Lake City, is shown as being one of the organizers of the Utah Cattle and Horse Growers' Association, when the group met on December 20, 1884 in the office of William Jennings, outgoing Mayor of Salt Lake City. Jennings was also a former Territorial representative, and founding board of the ZCMI cooperative. In addition to Jennings and William McIntyre, the organizers included Samuel McIntyre; F. H. Myers; Joel Grover, of Nephi; P. T. Farnsworth, of Beaver; John Hague, of Nephi; George Whittemore and J. M. Whittemore, of Nephi; E. B. Leavitt, and J. B. Langford, of Idaho; and T. J. Schofield, of Juab. (Salt Lake Herald, December 21, 1884)

 

Veteran Rancher, Miner, Financier Of Utah Is Dead. (Deseret News)

Deseret News, August 20, 1926

William H. McIntyre Came To Utah in 1863; Active In State Development

William H. McIntyre, freighter, Utah cattleman, rancher, mining man and financier, died at his home, 259 Seventh avenue at 10 a.m. Friday after an illness of about eight months.

(The obituary noted in error that he was a veteran of the Mexican War, but that was his father, also William McIntyre.)

In the passing of Mr. McIntyre the state loses a picturesque character, a man who had a varied and colorful career. Although Mr. McIntyre had been in ailing health for many months, he did not take to his bed until Wednesday from which time he began to fail rapidly. Members of his family were at the bedside when the end came peacefully Friday morning.

Mr. McIntyre was born in Grimes county near Houston, Texas, March 19, 1848. He came to Utah in the fall of 1863 with his mother and three brothers, Robert, Sam and William McIntyre and a half sister, Mrs. James Donahue. The first Salt Lake home of the McIntyre family was on the site where the Union depot now stands.

Freighted to Coast.

The family moved to St. George where Robert was killed by Indians at Pipe Springs when he was 22 years of age. At 18 William McIntyre began freighting from St. George to what is now Long Beach, Calif., following this occupation one summer.

When he was 21 his mother, brother Sam and he returned to Texas where they closed out large land holdings and with the proceeds purchased cattle which they drove overland to Utah. He also trailed cattle to Utah from Kansas City, Mo.

Mr. McIntyre continued to buy cattle and formed a partnership with his brother Sam in the cattle business.

In 1873 or 1874 the McIntyres traded cattle to George Crismon for certain footage in the Mammoth mine and later secured control of the property from which time real development work was done.

William sold his mining interests to Sam in 1901. Mr. McIntyre, visualizing the opportunities in ranch and city property, purchased 65,000 acres in Alberta, Can., and placed his son William H. McIntyre, Jr., in charge.

Held S. L. Property.

Mr. McIntyre was a large holder of business property in this city, including the McIntyre building on Main street, the Pantages theatre property, the Tracy Loan & Trust company property and other business sites. It was about 25 years ago when he began to invest in Salt Lake real estate.

He owned stock in various banks of the state; was a director of Z. C. M. I., the Consolidated Wagon & Machine company; was a stockholder in the Deseret National bank, the Utah-Idaho Sugar company and many other business enterprises. In 1918 he incorporated his holdings into the William H. McIntyre company.

Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Phoebe Ogden Chase McIntyre and the following children: William H. McIntyre, Jr., Mrs. Fred C. Dern, Mrs. Russell K. Woodruff and Mrs. Kenneth Yeates, all of Salt Lake; Mrs. Arthur G. Hertzler of Hollywood, Calif.; a brother Samuel H. McIntyre and a half sister, Mrs. James Donahue. He was a member of the Alta club. No arrangements for the funeral have as yet been made.

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