Mercur, Utah
Encyclopedia
Mercur is a historical hard rock mining ghost town
located at in Tooele County
, Utah
, USA
. Its elevation from sea level is approximately 2,042m. The nearby Mercur Gold Mine was opened by Barrick Gold
in 1985, and is presently undergoing reclamation and restoration.
was discovered at the head of the Lewiston Canyon, six miles west of present-day Cedar Fort
. A small gold rush
began, peaking about 1873; the population reached as high as 2000. In 1874 the ore started to give out, and Lewiston became a ghost town by 1880.
In 1879, a Bavaria
n miner named Arie Pinedo had discovered a deposit of cinnabar
in the area. The ore contained gold as well as mercury
, but contemporary processes were unable to extract it. Similar discoveries were made throughout the 1880s. In 1890 the advent of the cyanide process started the gold rush all over again. Gold was extracted not only from newly mined ore, but from old tailings
as well. Soon there were enough people to build a new town on the old site, but the name of Lewiston
was already taken by then. The citizens settled on the name Mercur, from Pinedo's claim.
Amongst the miners were many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There was however no organization of the church in Mercur until 1896 when a branch was organized with Charles B. Felt as president. In 1899 Moses W. Reynolds, James Duckworth and Sidney S. Reynolds were sent to the town as missionaries. Their success in both bringing church members out and possibly having some convert baptisms led to the organization of a ward in Mercur on July 1, 1900 with George W. Bryan as bishop.
In 1902 a fire that started in the business district of the town burned almost the entire city to the ground. The town was rebuilt and mining again resumed.
In its heyday there were about 5,000 residents of Mercur. This would indicate that probably less than 20% were Mormons, and active Mormons numbered even fewer.
Mercur supported a large Italian immigrant
community; young men were attracted by the opportunity of high wages and the romance of the American "wild west"
. With this Italian influence, Columbus Day
became an important city event including parades, games and performances by the Mercur City Band.
The ward was discontinued in 1913 because the mines had closed by then and pretty much the whole population had moved away.
By 1916 there was only one building left in Mercur, and by 1930 even that was gone.
. Annual production was about $US 20 million.
Mercur is known for producing fine specimens of Lorandite
, TlAsS2.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
located at in Tooele County
Tooele County, Utah
Tooele County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 40,735 and by 2005 was estimated at 51,311. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele....
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its elevation from sea level is approximately 2,042m. The nearby Mercur Gold Mine was opened by Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America...
in 1985, and is presently undergoing reclamation and restoration.
History
The town first came into being in 1870 as Lewiston, when goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered at the head of the Lewiston Canyon, six miles west of present-day Cedar Fort
Cedar Fort, Utah
Cedar Fort is a town in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 341 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cedar Fort is located at ....
. A small gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
began, peaking about 1873; the population reached as high as 2000. In 1874 the ore started to give out, and Lewiston became a ghost town by 1880.
In 1879, a Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n miner named Arie Pinedo had discovered a deposit of cinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
in the area. The ore contained gold as well as mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, but contemporary processes were unable to extract it. Similar discoveries were made throughout the 1880s. In 1890 the advent of the cyanide process started the gold rush all over again. Gold was extracted not only from newly mined ore, but from old tailings
Tailings
Tailings, also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore...
as well. Soon there were enough people to build a new town on the old site, but the name of Lewiston
Lewiston, Utah
Lewiston is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,766 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lewiston is located at ....
was already taken by then. The citizens settled on the name Mercur, from Pinedo's claim.
Amongst the miners were many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There was however no organization of the church in Mercur until 1896 when a branch was organized with Charles B. Felt as president. In 1899 Moses W. Reynolds, James Duckworth and Sidney S. Reynolds were sent to the town as missionaries. Their success in both bringing church members out and possibly having some convert baptisms led to the organization of a ward in Mercur on July 1, 1900 with George W. Bryan as bishop.
In 1902 a fire that started in the business district of the town burned almost the entire city to the ground. The town was rebuilt and mining again resumed.
In its heyday there were about 5,000 residents of Mercur. This would indicate that probably less than 20% were Mormons, and active Mormons numbered even fewer.
Mercur supported a large Italian immigrant
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
community; young men were attracted by the opportunity of high wages and the romance of the American "wild west"
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. With this Italian influence, Columbus Day
Columbus Day
Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...
became an important city event including parades, games and performances by the Mercur City Band.
The ward was discontinued in 1913 because the mines had closed by then and pretty much the whole population had moved away.
By 1916 there was only one building left in Mercur, and by 1930 even that was gone.
Mercur Gold Mine
The currently producing Mercur Gold Mine went into production in 1985, and is operated by Barrick Mercur Gold Mines Foundation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Barrick GoldBarrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America...
. Annual production was about $US 20 million.
Mercur is known for producing fine specimens of Lorandite
Lorandite
Lorandite is a thallium arsenic sulfosalt with the chemical formula: TlAsS2. Though rare, it is the most common thallium-bearing mineral. Lorandite occurs in low-temperature hydrothermal associations and in gold and mercury ore deposits...
, TlAsS2.
External links
- Mercur on GhostTowns.com
- Mercur, Utah History Encyclopedia
- Mercur History, by Beth Gibson