The Tintic Mining District is located about 86 miles southwest from Park City and nearly the same distance from Salt Lake City.  From a number of small mining camps, the district coalesced around current town of Eureka after the discovery of the important Eureka Hill mining claims.  In the 1880s, the “Big Four” mines were in production: the Eureka Hill; the Bullion Beck; the Blue Rock (AKA Eureka Centennial) and the Gemini. They were later joined by the Chief Consolidated Mine. These were all located in the portion of the overall district called the Main Tintic District.  CLICK HERE for a map of the Main Tintic District from the 1968 AIME publication “Ore Deposits in the United States, 1933/1967,” John D. Ridge, Editor, p.1054.  The Big Four mines were all located in the same Gemini Ore Zone.  The Chief Consolidated was located in the adjacent Mammoth Ore Zone.

The other portion of the district is called the East Tintic Mining District and located to the east of Eureka.  The mines in this part of the Tintic were developed after 1909.  Some of the ore bodies in this area were concealed by thick lava flows making prospecting and exploration very difficult.  The Tintic Standard was the largest producer, operating from 1913-1952.  In 1955, the Burgin Mine was developed and operated until 1978.  Today, the area is again active with the Trixie Project of Osisko Development. CLICK HERE for a map of the East Tintic District from the 1968 AIME publication “Ore Deposits in the United States, 1933/1967,” John D. Ridge, Editor, p. 948. 

Through 1968, the two parts of the Tintic Mining District had produced 17 million tons of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc ores.  TTo learn more about the Tintic, CLICK HERE for the tour handout, “History of the Tintic Mining District,” by Ian Wright.

Let’s start at the end of the Tintic Mining District Tour with the group photo of the MHAers taken at the Osisko Development Trixie Project.  Special thanks to Osisco, one of our conference sponsors.  The smiling faces reflect the appreciation for one of the best MHA tours ever.

(Above) The Tintic Mining District is about a two-hour scenic drive from Park City.  Shortly after our departure we passed the Jordanelle Reservoir which is fed by clean water from the Ontario Mine Drainage Tunnel at Keatley.  As our bus neared the steep descent down the Wasatch Front, we got a nice view of Mount Timpanogos with the Deer Creek Reservoir in the foreground.

(Right) Our tour leaders, Ian (left) and Doug Wight, filled us in on the history of the area as we headed to Eureka and the Tintic.

Having passed through Provo and Spanish Fork, we arrived at Eureka.  Billed as a ghost town on many web sites, it is certainly not the case. Around 600 residents call it home.

The main street, US Route 6, contains many buildings dating from the boom years of mining.

Our first stop, was the Tintic Mining Museum. It is housed in a historic railroad depot.

Once inside the museum the MHAers were immediately fascinated by the display or ore specimens from many of Tintic’s famous mines.

Tetrahedrite and Pyrite, with Quartz and Barite, Eureka Standard Mine.

Crystalline Galena, Chief Consolidated Mine.

Unknown Mine, Azurite and Malachite, copper ore minerals.

Dragoon Mine, Halloysite, an unusual clay mineral.  This early mine produced iron fluxing material for smelters.  It continues to be part of Tintic’s more modern mining history by producing Halloysite that is used in the ceramics industry.

An assay office produced chemical analyses of ore samples during mining so that its metal values were known.  Samples from exploration drifts and drill cores were tested to see if ore was present.

A safe is located in the simulated mine office.  Did it contain the payroll or possible the gold and silver produced at the mine?

This truly unique mine model imagines a large circular “drill core-like” view of the mine workings. From a headframe at the top (not shown), the model has several cut-out windows that provide views of various aspects of the underground mine. The central window shows a portion of a large square set stope called ballrooms by the local miners.  Square sets permitted the miners to mostly work safely under cover as mining progressed.

This model shown the intricate pattern of square set timbers with interlocking cuts on the ends.  The “sets” of timbers could be cut on the surface and assembled underground by the miners.  As the stope was mined, new sets were added. Shorter lengths of timber were added by the timbermen to wedge the sets tightly against the stope walls. 

Railroad expansion into the western mining camps made ore shipments to distant markets possible.  This museum photo shows the famous double loop of the Eureka Branch of the Denver Rio Grande Western Railroad.  Learn more of page 10 of the Tour Handout.