A LITTLE HISTORY of BINGHAM CANYON by EDWARD HEATHER

A little History of

Bingham Canyon, Utah

Edward Heather

Let me read and copy some of his work.  July 1^st 1904, only it is now 1962 who is now in his 80’s

Steam engines

Bingham Canyon   Some thirty miles southwest of Salt Lake brings you to the Oquirrh Mountains.  The Utah Copper Co. operates the largest open-pit mine of its kind in the world.  A mountain of copper ore about 2000 feet high, terraced with about 100 miles of standard gauge track and about 87 miles of overhead trolley wire.

Some years ago this property was operated with steam shovels and Dinkey engines which labored up the grade to their respective shovels with five cars, panting and snorting as if it were troubled with asthma.  When the cars were loaded, they brought them down to the assembly yard, smoke lazy curling from their smoke stacks and steam escaping from the valves.  The Dinkey seemed proud of its achievements. 

Now powerful electric engines haul 15 to 20 cars to the assembly yard with moderate speed and ease.  About 1100 ton cars are loaded each day, then taken to the mills and smelter, and there treated.  The refined copper being used for national defense and domestic purposes. 

The shift-train (Crummies) leave at 6 A.M. taking the men to different terraces and their respective jobs, home to elevations of more than 8,000 feet above sea-level.  Then brings them back again at the end of the shift.   

Bingham Canyon is the town where this great project is located.  It has one narrow street about seven miles long.  One of the narrowest streets in the world.  About 2000 automobiles come in and out of this town every day.  Traffic jams are occasional but accidents and fatalities are very rare.  Some places in this canyon cars almost rub fenders to pass. 

Workers Homes   the workers homes and some business places are built on the hill-side.  Homes are built on concrete blocks, some on posts, as if they were on stilts and ready to walk away, if they had some place to go.  Boxes are nailed to the houses, filled with soil for flowers.  Trees are planted in tubs to beatify their homes and town.  The family wash was strung on an endless wire which runs through a pulley high above your head.  Red flannel underwear, white night gowns and long legged stockings were bellying in the wind like over inflated inner tube or banners waving in the sky.

Things of Interest

Here in Bingham is the longest one story building in the world. 

The smallest café in the world, it has one stool.

A four story building, with each story on a ground floor.

A vehicular tunnel, one and a quarter long connecting Copperfield with the town of Bingham.  Above Copperfield is Telegraph and the US Mine.

The Copperfield tunnel has one car every three minutes cross its portals.  A taxi cab used to be $1.00 to Telegraph, fifty cents to Copperfield, two went for the price of one. 

The Copper King Bar known all over the world whose doors have never ever been closed for over sixty years but may close in a few years for Bingham is being sold out.  The Kennecott Copper is buying out everything. 

Here’s where the famous “Lopez  Man-hunt” occurred.  At one time a representative of every nation in the world has worked or lived in Bingham Canyon.  Some years ago Serbian and Hungarian women could be seen picking up coal on the railroad tracks, balancing a heavy sack on their heads taking it to their homes to warm their homes. 

We had Carr Fork, Highland Boy, Frog Town, Copper Heights, Dinkeyville, Jap Cap and Copperfield.

Athletics  Bingham High School for many years turned out championship teams in football, baseball and basketball who competed in the State as well as out of State competitions. 

We mine lead, silver, gold and copper and other rich ores.  The US Mine has now moved to Lark.  Old Telegraph mine, Blue Berry, Bingham Metals, Ohio Copper, Apex and the Highland boy are gone or going. 

Once there was a log cutting and lumber mill owned by some men named Bingham, that the town was named after.

Let Me Be

By Edward Heather

Let me be a little kinder

Bingham Canyon Main Street

Let me be a little blinder

To the faults of those about me

Let me praise a little more

Let me be when I am weary

Just a little more cherry

Let me serve a little better

Those that I am striving for

Let me be a little braver

When temptation bids me waver

Let me strive a little harder

To be all I should be

Let me be a little meeker

With my brother who is weaker

Let me think more of my neighbor

And a little less of me