Silver City

East of US-36 2.5 miles
Five miles south of Eureka

Silver City 1896 Click to See A Larger Picture

Silver City was first settled, around 1870. In it's heyday (about 1910) population was over 1500. The town contained a reservoir, the Utah Ore Sampling Mill, a school, a cemetery, a line of the East Tintic railroad, shops, offices, stores and even a pool were men and women could go swimming (on separate days of the week of course). There were several rich mines including the Sunbeam (which was the first Silver City claim in 1869) the Treasure Box, the Four Aces, the Silver Moon, the Pocahontas, the Dragon, the Black Dragon and the Cleopatra.

Silver City 2004 Click to See A Larger Picture

In the beginning, water was scarce at Silver City, it is said to have sold for as much as $1.00 per bottle. As mining operations continued water was encountered in some of the deeper mine shafts starting with the Sunbeam. In order for mining operations to continue, the mines had to be pumped out and a reservoir was built which provided enough water for public consumption and even the public swimming pool.

By 1915 times were becoming hard in Silver City, the Utah Ore Sampling Mill could no longer operate at a profit and so it was closed. The cost of pumping out the mines had become prohibitive and by the early 1930s Silver City was abandoned.

In recent years much the Silver City town site was burnt in a grass fire. The fire destroyed all remaining wooden structures but it also took away most of the weeds and sagebrush. Foundations, footings and rubble that had been obscured by undergrowth for years was again made visible. The fire provided a bonanza for treasure hunters with metal detectors. It is rumored that four double eagle U.S. $20 dollar gold pieces were recently found near the old school yard. A friend with a metal detector, recently found a silver dollar that was minted in 1898 and other artifacts (see picture).

My visit to Silver City was in the spring of 2004. The graveyard which fortuitously was missed by the grass fire, the dry reservoir, tailings dumps, mine shafts (some flooded), cement foundations and a long metal pole sticking out of the ground that is rumored to have been the schools flagpole are the only things left.

The most interesting part of the town was the cemetery, which lies a mile or two to the south. Unfortunately many of the tombstones have been broken and repaired or replaced. The Utah Burials and Cemetery Database lists a total of 49 graves, the earliest was in 1882. Many of the burials are babies and young children.

These pictures were taken in June of 2004.

Sources:

Stephen L. Carr - The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns.

George A. Thompson - Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures.

Utah Burials and Cemetery Database

A nice "Old-Timer" who we met while exploring the town.