Tintic Standard Mine

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This page was last updated on October 12, 2025.

Overview

(The focus of this page is the surface workings of the Tintic Standard mine, as visible in photographs, as well as a general description of the mine, with minimal coverage of the geology and financial returns. Also to establish a timeline using sources not previously readily available.)

E.J. Roddatz became interested in the district about 1906 and acquired a major holding in what is now the Tintic Standard area. Roddatz reasoned that even though the surface rocks did not show promising deposits, there was a chance of discovery at depth. His ideas worked out and, despite the complex faulting and folding in the area, in 1916 he discovered the Tintic Standard deposit. It took two shafts and thousands of feet of drift and winze to make the discovery. Roddatz was amply rewarded. The Tintic Standard Mine went on to become one of the major lead-silver mines in the world.

The Tintic Standard discovery from the Tintic Standard No.2 shaft stimulated activity in the eastern part of the district. The Eureka Bullion, Iron King, Copper Leaf, Eureka Lily, Zuma and Apex Standard shafts were sunk in similar geologic zones. With the exception of the Eureka Lily, none led to an immediate discovery, although this would change.

Mining geologists attracted by the discovery of the Tintic Standard began to study the district. In the early 1920s, Paul Billingsly provided the skills that led to sevral valuable deposits. Based on Billingsly's work, a long drift was driven on the 700 level of the Tintic Standard Mine. This exploration work intersected the ore deposit that became the North Lily Mine. Similar strategies led to the discovery of the Eureka Standard mine.

During World War II, the United States recognized that in the event of a long war, new sources of raw material would be essential. The US Geological Survey spent 1942 – 1943 studying the East Tintic District. An exploration program seeking bodies of ore that did not show at the surface (known as "blind" ore bodies), was commenced towards the end of 1943. The work progressed slowly and by 1945, four areas had been defined.

Production from the East Tintic district slowly increased through discovery of new mines between 1921 and 1930, when production reached its peak. From that peak, production decreased to its low between 1961 and 1970. In 1971 the Burgin mine was opened, but closed in 1976.

From "The Mining Industry of Utah," published by the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce, 1947.

Tintic Standard was discovered in 1916 after one of the ciassic prospecting campaigns in the history of Utah mining. For 10 years prior to 1916, Captain E. J. Raddatz worked his claims on the east side which were slightingly referred to as "goat pasture." Throughout the trying search, Raddatz was forced to call upon his stockholders 19 times for assessments to continue the shaft down through the rhyolite flow to the 1000-foot level and ore. Discovery of the Tintic Standard proved of great economic value to the state and from 1916 to the present time, has been one of its major producers.

While the old Tintic Standard No. 1 mine is still in production [as of 1947], efforts of the company are centered on development of other constructive enterprise. Jointly with the North Lily, the Eureka Lilly (a subsidiary of Tintic Standard) is developing an area of Eureka Lilly and Twentieth Century ground.

Tintic Standard Mine

(History of the original Tintic Standard mine is being researched and compiled.)

1907
The nucleus of the Tintic Standard was located by John Bestelmeyer. Captain E. J. Raddatz moved in and began development of the East Tintic area. The camp of Dividend was established at the Tintic Standard Mine. At this time, Mr. Raddatz selected the name of Standard, but when application was made for a post office, the application was not allowed because the name selected would be confused with Standardville in Carbon County. The name was selected by contest with a prize being awarded to the winning name of Dividend. (The Towns Of Tintic, by Beth Kay Harris)

The nucleus of the Tintic Standard group was located by John Bestelmeyer. In 1907, Bestelmeyer interested Captain E. J. Raddatz in the development of this East Tintic ground. Unlike the mines in the western and northern areas, the eastern range hid her ore bodies deep down under overlying porphyry. This formation was known as "heavy ground," and required careful mining and heavy timbering. Thirty million board feet of great timbers lined the mine below. (The Towns Of Tintic, by Beth Kay Harris)

Surrounding the Standard and in the same ore zone lay the North Lily, Eureka Standard, Eureka Lily, Eureka Bullion, and the Zuma. These five mines alone cleared for their owners over one hundred million dollars. (The Towns Of Tintic, by Beth Kay Harris)

1915
The Tintic Standard at 1000 feet hit bonanza in the year 1915. (Eureka Reporter, Thursday, February 16, 2006)

March 9, 1919
When the Goshen Valley railroad built its spur to the Tintic Standard mine at Dividend, it also built a 2.1 mile spur to the Iron King mine at a station the railroads called Iron King. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 9, 1919)

(The spur to the Tinic Standard mine was completed and was operated as the Goshen Valley Railroad until 1928, when it became the Goshen Valley Branch. The spur to the Iron King mine was called the Iron King Spur.)

March 9, 1919
Construction of the Goshen Valley railroad began in mid March 1919. The purpose was to serve the Tintic Standard and Iron King mines. Contracts had been awarded to Utah Construction company, with work to star before March 20th. The railroad was to extend from the Iron Spur siding on the railroad's Tintc Branch, two miles west of Elberta, then direct to the Tintic Standard mine, a distance of seven miles, with a 2.1-mile spur to the Iron King mine. With all the tracks and sidetracks, the total distance was to be ten miles. The grade of the new branch was to be 3 percent for the first four miles, then 4 percent for the remainder to the Tintic Standard mine. The rail to be laid was 80-pound rail. Upon completion the new railroad was to lease its locomotives and equipment from D&RGW. Other mines in the immediate area to be served by the new railroad included the Eureka Lilly, Eureka Bullion, Eureka Standard, South Standard, and the Apex Standard. The officers of the railroad were E. J. Raddatz, president (president of the Tintic Standard mine); C. E. Loose, vice-president (president of the Iron King mine; and W. L. Synder, secretary. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 9, 1919)

March 30, 1919
"East Tintic to Have a Railroad", article about the Goshen Valley Railroad. To be built by Utah Construction Company to overcome a long haul by auto-trucks from the Tintic Standard mine. Officers were E. J. Raddatz, president, C. E. Loose, of Provo, vice president, and W. I. Snyder, secretary. Raddatz was also the manager of the Tintic Standard. (Salt Lake Mining Review, March 30, 1919)

1919
D&RG began operating the newly completed Goshen Valley Railroad, under contract. (LeMassena, p. 131)

April 29, 1922
"Tintic Standard shipments are being made to the International smelter at Tooele." (Engineering & Mining Journal, April 29, 1922)

April 29, 1922
Engineering and Mining Journal-Press; Vol. 113, No. 17, April 29, 1922, page 706

A Lesson in Management -- The recent decision of the directors of the Tintic Standard Mining Co. to pass another quarterly dividend has aroused much speculation as to the condition of the company's affairs. Although no explanation accompanied the public announcement, we happen to know some of the facts. The mine, in the North Tintic district in Utah, contains large deposits of rich lead-silver-copper ore in limestone beds. It is a "young" mine, the first ore having been shipped only about five years ago. Since then dividends amounting to $1,715,000 have been distributed and an expensive milling plant and a standard-gage railroad from the mine to the mill, a distance of about ten miles, have been built at a cost said to have been nearly a million. All of this came from proceeds of the sale of ore.

A mine, however, can be overworked; it can be abused; and this is what was done to the Tintic Standard mine. The only concern of the management seemed to be the maintenance of current production. When the mill was completed, early in 1921, about four hundred tons of medium-grade ore was shipped daily in addition to the smelting ore. This necessitated the extension of the stopes from which the high-grade ore had already been taken, and the open areas became larger than ever.

The ground was "good" from the miners' standpoint, and huge square-set stopes were left unfilled. Finally, warning came in the form of several costly caves; others were imminent, and one of the shafts was threatened. It became apparent that a serious mistake had been made in allowing the stopes to remain virtually unfilled. The management realized, what it should have known all along, that the function of timbers in a mine is to serve as a scaffold from which miners may work; to afford temporary protection, and to maintain necessary passageways; they should not be expected permanently to support mine workings, particularly where the orebodies are large, as they are in the Tintic Standard.

For some months now many hundreds of tons of waste have been poured daily into the old stopes, and, we understand, danger of disaster is past. A new policy has been formulated; the greatest ultimate profit will be obtained from the property by doing systematic, if somewhat slower, mining. The mine will be put in good physical condition and will be kept that way. A disproportionately large expenditure will be necessary for some time, but in reality a considerable part of the current mining cost is a deferred charge on ore that was shipped many months ago.

Naturally, earnings have been decreased, and the decrease has been reflected in the passing of dividends and the decline of the price of shares on the exchange. We are informed, and we have every reason to believe, that the reserve of proved ore is exceptional and that the outlook for the future is excellent. A lesson has been learned; it was expensive, but lessons that are not expensive frequently are easily forgotten.

1934
"Another underground fire of seven years duration broke out in the Tintic Standard Mine. Fire fighters from Butte, Montana, were brought in, and industrial safety practices now adopted and used throughout the Unted States were developed during this experience at the Tintic Standard." (Eureka Reporter, Thursday, February 16, 2006)

1934
It was from the top of the 1455 stope in this volcanic mine that fire was discovered. Mine fires are fearful things, diabolically hard to stamp out. They are nourished and fed by the gases which filter into the mine from subterranean sources, many of which are inflammable themselves. Timbers will smoulder for weeks, then burst into flame. Smoke, combining with underneath gas, will render unconscious in a moment anyone encountering the deadly fumes. (The Towns Of Tintic, by Beth Kay Harris)

Bulkheads were put in, and thousands of tons of concrete were poured into the workings of the Tintic Standard in an effort to extinguish the fire, only to have it break out in other sections. This fire burned for seven years before the professional crews of fire fighters brought in from Butte, Montana, could stamp it out. During these seven years, rescue and first-aid methods were developed at the Standard that are now adopted work procedure in industrial plants all over the United States. (The Towns Of Tintic, by Beth Kay Harris)

1936
"The Tintic Standard entered the milling field. Their plant was dismantled two years later." (Eureka Reporter, Thursday, February 16, 2006)

January 11, 1945
"Two of the state's larger mining companies have combined their efforts upon a program in the Tintic district, which is now entering its most interesting stage. The project, known as the Development Unit, was started in October 1941 under an agreement between the Tintic Standard Mining company and the North Lily Mining company, a subsidiary of International Smelting & Refining company. Work of the development unit was to sound out the ore production possibilities of an area consisting of 143 acres of ground in the East Tlntlc district, which includes parts of the Eureka Lilly Consolidated Mining company and Twentieth Century Mining company properties. The area, hitherto undeveloped at depth was regarded by geologists and engineers as one of the most promising areas in the Tintic district. Since 1941, more than 8,000 feet of lateral work has been done and several promising ore showings have been encountered. Work in the Development Unit is being performed from the 1450-foot level of the No. 2 Tintic Standard shaft. A drift has been extended southwesterly along what is called the South Fault, a premineral fault which has led to ore in other parts of the district. The drift is now out a distance of 8,000 feet from the No. 2 Tintic Standard shaft and well within Twentieth Century ground." (Lehi Sun, January 11, 1945)

January 9, 1949
There were long deloay in resumed operations at the Tintic Standard mine because of the change in the main hoisting shaft from the No. 2 shaft, to the No. 1 shaft. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 9, 1949)

Burgin Mine (1948-1977)

Trixie Mine (1969-1992)

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