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Woodhull Smelter

This page was last updated on July 5, 2026.

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Woodhull Smelter (1870)

(The Woodhull Brothers' smelter was built in 1870 and was located at about 4200 South, west of the State Road and east of the Utah Southern (Union Pacific) tracks, on the south side of Big Cottonwood Creek.)

(The site of the Woodhull smelter was where the Morgan smelter was built in 1876, and the later Hanauer smelter in 1883.)

(Read more about the Morgan-Hanauer smelter)

(The Woodhull smelter was also known as the Gordon smelter. The following comes from Hanauer's obituary in 1911, "He [Hanauer] purchased an interest in the Gordon Smelting works at Murray, and later formed a partnership with Nash & Barton.")

Murray was at that time known as "Cottonwood" because it was at that location, at about 4900 South, that the Utah Southern crossed Little Cottonwood creek. Construction of the Utah Southern was delayed during June and July 1871 at the Little Cottonwood crossing while a trestle was built, 24 feet high and 600 feet long. (The line crossed Big Cottonwood Creek about a mile north at about 4200 South by way of a much smaller trestle.)

From Sloan's Gazetteer of Utah, 1874, page 30:

March 30, 1870
"Woodhull Brothers, owners of the Cottonwood mines, are shipping several car loads of silver ore to San Francisco every day." (St. Louis Globe-Democrat, March 30, 1870)

June 1870
"In June, 1870, the Woodhull Brothers built a furnace eight miles south of Salt Lake City, at the junction of the State Road with Big Cottonwood Creek. From these works was shipped the first bullion produced from mines in Utah." (Stenhouse, The Rocky Mountain Saints, 1873, page 720; quoted by Bancroft, History of Salt Lake City, 1886, page 703)

June 11, 1870
"The erection of the first smelter in Utah began June 11, 1870, by the Woodhull Brothers on Little Cottonwood Creek. On the 6th of August following they exhibited 5,000 pounds of bullion as the first run of the smelter." (Kanter, "A Hand Book On The Mines, Miners, and Minerals Of Utah," 1896, page 96)

June 18, 1870
"New Smelting Works. - In passing along the State road the other day, we were gratified to see that Messrs. Woodhull Bros., of this city, had begun preparations for their extensive smelting works on the ground belonging to Mr. James Gordon, and close by that gentleman's residence." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, June 18, 1870)

(This is the only reference to James Gordon on relation to Woodhull. A later reference in January 1885 shows that Gordon owned the land on which Morgan built his smelter, and Hanauer continued the lease on the property.)

(In 1890, James Gordon sold a part of his property along the State Road, and east of the Hanauer smelter to the newly organized Utah Brick Company. - Salt Lake Herald, July 2, 1891)

July 23, 1870
"The Monitor [in Little Cottonwood] worked by Woodhull Bros. & Co., gives every indication of proving as valuable as those before mentioned. They had about 12 tons of excellent ore on the dump which Messrs Woodhull Bros. expect to smelt at their works on the State Road near this city." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, July 23, 1870)

August 6, 1870
"Messrs. Woodhull Bros. calculate upon having their Smelting Furnace in operation this week, they have already 100 tons galena ore to commence with, and prospects of a sufficiency to work it to its utmost capacity. The Furnace is capable of smelting about 15 tons every 24 hours, and for its size, it is pronounced one of the best in the United States. Woodhull Bros. say they are prepared to purchase all the galena ore that may be brought to them, at as good prices as can be had by shipping. This will enable companies of small capital to obtain quick returns and assist them in developing their mines." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, August 6, 1870)

August 6, 1870
"Smelting Works. - Woodhull Bros. — On Saturday last [August 6], Messrs. Woodhull Bros. brought into town, from their furnace on the State road, 40 bars of bullion, weighing about 5,000 lbs, which they sent through the streets in an eight mule team. The sight of so munch bullion created quite an excitement. It was deposited opposite the Elephant Store where all who have more faith in their own eye-sight than in the flimsy assertions of the anti-mining champion of the Deseret News, can see vain theories answered by weighty facts. The furnaces from which this bullion was obtained started on Thursday the 4th inst. about noon, and yielded the above amount after a run of about 36 hours. The precise value of this bullion cannot be ascertained at present, but it is estimated at $300 per ton. It will be sent to T. H. Selby & Co’s. extensive refining and smelting works of San Francisco. The smelting works of Woodhull Bros. are considered able to run out from 10 to 15 tons of bullion per week." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, August 13, 1870)

August 6, 1870
The first trial of the Woodhull Brothers' furnace was started when the fires were lighted on Thursday August 4th, and the first bullion came out on Saturday August 6th. The resulting 5,000 pounds of bullion came from 10,000 pounds of ore that was a mixture of ores from Park City, Bingham, the Cottonwood canyons, Tintic and Ophir. (Salt Lake Herald, August 7, 1870)

(The Woodhull Brothers enterprise received a major blow on August 13, 1870, when Henry I. Woodhull was shot in a dispute over mining claims. He died of his wounds the next day. The other brothers, S. D. and William, left the territory soon after. But as the item below shows their smelter produced its first bullion less than a month after the shooting.)

(Read more about the Woodhull Brothers, among the other Utah Mining Men.)

September 10, 1870
"Messrs. Woodhull Bros. state they have now hauled from their smelting works 20,000 lbs. bullion, which they purpose to ship to San Francisco, on Tuesday next. Anybody curious to see what has been done at the works of Woodhull Brothers since their erection, can be gratified with the sight by stepping down to the Elephant Store." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, September 10, 1870)

(This was reported as being the first export of bullion from Utah. - Ogden Junction, September 14, 1870)

September 20, 1870
"First run of crude bullion at the first smelting works built in Utah, erected six miles south of Salt Lake by Woodhull Brothers." (Sloan, Gazetteer of Utah and Salt Lake City, 1874, page 31)

September 20, 1870
"It was on September 20, 1870, that the first run of crude bullion was made at the first smelter completed in Utah, that of the Woodhull Brothers, located on Big Cottonwood creek, eight miles south of this city. This bullion was obtained from the ores of Little Cottonwood canyon." (Deseret News, September 30, 1893)

October 8, 1870
"Smelting Works Of Woodhull Bros. are now in successful operation. They are prepared to purchase a good class of galena ore in any quantity, for which the best cash price will be paid on delivery. Works on Big Cottonwood Creek - State Road." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, October 8, 1870)

(The above was an advertisement that continued weekly through November 1870.)

March 1871
By March 1871, the Woodhull furnace had been sold to "McDonald & Whitney." "We have also been receiving a lot of bullion from McDonald & Whitney's, formerly Woodhull Bro's, furnace". (Salt Lake Herald, March 5, 1871)

(The Woodhull assaying business was still active in Salt Lake City as late as May 1871; "Assayers and Purchasers of Ore." - numerous advertisements in Salt Lake City newspapers. The same advertisements also included reference to the Monitor and Magnet mine, incorporated in January 1871.)

May 27, 1871
The former Woodhull smelter was still in full operation, having shipped 330 bars of bullion, 32,553 lbs., to San Francisco, "for Woodhull Bro's." (Salt Lake Weekly Tribune, May 29, 1871)

"Woodull Bros., Assayers" continued to advertise in local newspapers until a final ad on March 16, 1872.

 

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