Tintic Mining Men
Index For This Page
This page was last updated on December 13, 2025.
Overview
(The focus of this page is brief biographical notes of the men that made the Tintic Mining District 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 Tintic, it was several men with vision and charisma who made the mines of the Tintic Mining District so successful. These men developed the networks of mining engineers and financiers to develop 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.
(Incomplete; research continues...)
John Beck
John Beck was one of the pioneer miners in Tintic. His Bullion Beck and Champion mine started out paying very well, and continued paying well into the 1940s.
David Evans, Jr.
David Evans Jr. (28 January 1852 – 5 September 1923) (K2W7-VYK)
David Evans, Jr., was closely associated with Jesse Knight from 1899 to 1905.
David Evans was a prominant lawyer in Provo from 1883 to 1886. From 1885 to 1889 he was Assistant Federal District Attorney of Utah. In 1889 he moved to Ogden and set up a law practice, then in 1892-1893 he was member of the Utah Territorial Senate. During 1896-1898 he was president of the School for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind at Ogden. In 1899, after practicing law for twenty years without losing a case, he retired and became associated with Jesse Knight in various mining ventures in the Tintic district, including the King David Mining Company, the Crown Point Mining Co., and the Iron King Consolidated Mining Company. In 1905, he sold his interests to Jesse Knight and moved to California, remaining there until his death in 1923.
(Read more about David Evans, Jr.)
Richard J. Evans
Richard James Evans (27 January 1865 – 2 December 1947) (27HR-H8X)
Richard J. Evans became associated with Jesse Knight in 1907 when they organized the Plutus mine in Eureka. Evans had been president of the adjacent Juab Mining company, which was included in the creation of the Plutus company.
In 1916, the Chief Consolidated company bought the Plutus Mining company from Evans and the Knight interests.
The "Evans Group" was a group of mining claims on the west side of the town of Eureka, assembled by Richard Evans, a mining man who in 1896, at age 31, came to Utah and got "mining fever." He previously had been associated with the Michigan copper mines for six years, starting in 1890. He began by developing mines in the Mercur area, then became involved with the development of the Silver King Consolidated Mining company in Park City in 1907. In the Bingham district, Evans was a force behind assembling the group of companies and claims that became the Montana-Bingham group in 1910, and in 1914, assembled the group of companies and claims that became the Utah Metal & Tunnel company in Carr Fork. In Tintic, starting with the Golden May claim, he assembled the Evans Group. He also put together the Plutus, Eureka Lily, Tintic Consolidated, Bullion, Apex Standard mines for the Chief Consolidated Mining Co. Richard J. Evans passed away on December 2, 1947 at age 82.
The Evans group of mining claims was located on the western outskirts of the town of Eureka, and included the Golden Ray, Anna, Anna No. 2, Hornsilver, Mary Bell, Mary Alice, Morning Star, George A. Wilson, West Mammoth, Annaconda, Mollie Gibson, Donnelly Boy, Goodenough, Pluto, Hades, and Styx claims. The Evans shaft was located on the Goodenough claim.
The Plutus property was surrounded by the Chief Consolidated on the north, southwest and southeast, the Eagle & Blue on the west, the Godiva on the east, and the Mammoth on the south. The Chief Consolidated Mining company had controlled the Plutus Mining company since October 1916, through ownership of a majority of Plutus stock.
Jesse Knight
In addition to his activities in Tintic, Jesse Knight was involved in coal mining in Carbon County, with his Spring Canyon Coal company. He and his associates also owned the Utah Ore Sampling company. He also controlled the Eureka Hill railroad, a narrow gauge railroad built to bring ore down from his Tintic mine, to his Tintic smelter.
(Read more about the Spring Canyon Coal company)
(Read more about Utah Ore Sampling)
(Read more about the Eureka Hill Railroad)
(Read more about the Tintic Smelting company)
Charles Edwin (C. E.) Loose
C. E. Loose was active in the development and operation of several mines in the Tintic mining district, including the Grand Central and the Gold Chain. He was also instrumental in the organization of the Goshen Valley Railroad, built to serve the mines of the East Tintic District..
Charles Edwin Loose (19 September 1853 – 28 January 1929) (K24C-X9C)
(Read more about the Goshen Valley Railroad; later known as D&RGW's Goshen Valley Branch)
McChrystal Family
John McChrystal first arrived in Tintic in 1877, and was one of the pioneers of the camp. While in the employ of the Eureka Hill mine as its superintendent he made a study of the geologic conditions of the entire Tintic district, after which he located and directed the preliminary workings of the Gemini mine, along with later properties that included the Godiva, the Eagle & Blue Bell, the Ridge & Valley, and the Uncle Sam. John Q Packard was associated with McChrystal in the development of the Gemini, the Godiva and the Eureka Hill mines. The McChrystal family remained active in the development of Tintic's mines until the late 1920s.
(Read more about the McChrystal Family)
L. E. Riter
Levi Evans Riter Jr/Sr (3 September 1854 – 30 July 1903) (KWVP-FT3)
Son of Levi Evans Riter (1805-1877), and father of Levi Evans Riter (1878-1945)
He was a nephew of William Wollerton (W. W.) Riter, pioneer railroad builder; William Wollerton Riter (4 September 1838 – 17 January 1922) (KWCV-PKY)
Operated the L. E. Riter & Co. general merchandise and miner's supplies store at Silver City.
(Read more about Levi E. Riter)
Snyder Family
George G. Snyder and six of his sons were active in the Tintic mining district from 1889 to 1922. In 1889, the family organized itself as the Snyder Improvement company, and soon became known for their excellent record of locating and developing promising mining properties, then selling them to larger companies to become profitable mines. Their company was active until 1921, when the Chief Consolidated bought their interest in the Eureka Lily Mining Co. and the East Tintic Mining Co.
(Read more about the Snyder family)
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