Silver Mine of Park City
Before people started to flock from around the world to ski the amazing slopes of Park City they prospected the mountains for silver. In 1872, prospectors discovered that the Ontario Canyon had an abundance of silver. Word quickly spread and the small camp boomed into a town. For half a century the small town of Park City produced over $400 million in silver! By 1889 the town’s population was over 5,000. Nationalities of immigrants included Swedish, Finnish, Cornish, Chinese, Scottish, Yugoslavian, and a large majority of Irish.
In 1930 the people of Park City started to turn their attention to the ski slopes rather than mining silver. In 1946 the first ski area opened and it has been all “Downhill” from then. If you are to ask most people in the U.S. what comes to their mind when they hear “Park City, Utah”, skiing will be the majority answer followed by the 2002 Winter Olympics. But unknown to many, this booming ski town had it’s roots started by mining silver.
If you have the chance to visit, we highly recommend checking out the Park City Museum at 528 Main Street. Their replications of the mine is amazing. Plus, it was once the town’s City Hall and the Utah Territorial Jail which is still intact in the basement of the building. And yes, the cells still are able to lock just in case you have an unruly scout in the group!
