en espanol
Mojave Underground Logo  

                     
 
 
 

Help Mojave Underground
Mojave Underground is an organization dedicated to the preservation of mining history and holds the belief of allowing unadulterated and open public access to mines, ghost towns, and many other outdoor destinations in Utah.

The Department of Oil, Gas, and Mining has destroyed many of these sites, and has targeted Eureka, UT as it's next victim.

We need your help to put a stop to the DOGM and to help preserve our history. Use the resources on these pages to help us act against the DOGM to try to reclaim that which has been lost and prevent any further destruction of these areas.

Use the links on this site to act out. Contact the Governor, County Commisioners, the media, and anybody else who has influence to stop DOGM from shutting down these sites.

History of Eureka, UT
Eureka is located approximately seventy miles southwest of Salt Lake City in Juab County. Incorporated as a city in 1892, Eureka became the financial center for the Tintic Mining District, a wealthy gold and silver mining area in Utah and Juab counties. The district was organized in 1869 and by 1899 became one of the top mineral producing areas in Utah. Eureka housed the "Big Four" mines -- Bullion Beck and Champion, Centennial Eureka, Eureka Hill, and Gemini-and later the Chief Consolidated Mining Company.

Eureka's role as the central financial point for the district insured its survival. It housed business establishments, financial institutions, local and county governmental buildings including Eureka City Hall (1899) and a Juab County Courthouse (1892), various churches, and the meeting places for numerous labor, social, and fraternal organizations. Mining entrepreneurs such as John Q. Packard, John Beck, Jesse Knight, Walter Fitch Sr., and others loomed as important figures in Eureka and Tintic history. In 1979 Eureka was placed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Tintic Mining District Multiple Resource Area, recognizing the importance of remaining buildings and sites.

Projected by the DOGM is to have all mines backfilled and shut forever. It is not a town that represents this mining history, but the mines themselves, which are scheduled to be completely destroyed. Eureka is proud of its mining history, and does not want to see any further damage to the town.

Utah Mining History
Mining in the Utah area has been documented back to the early 1500's. When the LDS pioneers came across on the 1800's and settled in Utah, many other outsiders began filtering in when large and heavy deposits of Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Arsenic, and Iron were found in the mountain ranges.

Mining helped Utah, and many surrounding states, survive the tough economic times of the mid 1800's. As minerals were found, mining towns would jump up and trive for decades. But as resources began to dwindle, these towns would begin to die; and eventually these bustling towns became ghost towns. Dust and sage soon began overtaking the towns, storms would beat on buildings, and eventually, they have begun to fall. There are very few ghost towns left in Utah. If the natural decay continues as it does, these sites may stand for a decade more. But thats where DOGM comes in.

The DOGM has leveled ghost towns to the ground, such as Jacob City, one of the more profitable towns in Utah. Other organizations have also stepped in for a little extra money and have destoyed other sites, such as the famous town of Manning. Mining History is an important part of Utah, and must be preserved. We ask for your support to keep these sites in their original conditions, untouched and protected. Contact the DRN, the DOGM, the Governor, County Commisionors, and anybody else who has political influence.

Are Mines and Ghost Towns Dangerous?
Absolutely not! DOGM claims that since 1982, there have been 5 deaths, and a small handful of accidents. Compare that to the yearly death of skiing/snowboarding, rock climbing, rafting, hiking, and every competitive sport that we all accept as part of life. Mines and towns are not dangerous. The western states see large amounts of visitors and exploreres to these sites, with popular sites seeing over 10,000 visitors each year. With as many visitors that come by, and so low of an accident rate, it makes no sense to destroy these sites for the sake of safety.

Mines being dangerous are a simple fambrication made by the DOGM to secure federal funds. The larger the project, the more money they make. The DOGM recieves anywhere from $200,000 to $1,000,000 of federal tax dollars for each project it officiates. That is YOUR tax money, working to YOUR destruction of YOUR Utah history. They claim that by cementing and backfilling all mine shafts, portals, audits, and tunnels, they are PRESERVING THE HISTORY of the area. While there are some dangers within a mine, any logical and sensible person is smart enough to not enter shafts without professional equiptment. Using your head and not taking extreme risks will keep you out of trouble.

The DOGM
The Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining (DOGM) is an entity of The Department of Natuaral Resourses (DNR) and has been charged to close dangerous coal mines in Utah, using collective funds from the coal mining entities. The DOGM feels that all the coal mines in Utah are now closed (which there are still a few open) and has instead turned to closing hardrock mines.

The DOGM is a tyranical organizaion that rules by fear and fueled by greed for the large amount of tax dollars that they recieve. Mojave Underground is taking every action possiby agains DOGM to prevent the Eureka area from being destroyed by DOGM. We've put together a small list of resources to help you take action against the DOGM.

The DOGM seems to feel our Utah history, what made the west what it is, is not important. A head member of the DOGM, has been quoted to ask those willing to work him if they would be willing to destroy history. If they declined, he would turn them down, until he found somebody who would happily obliterate Utah's past. A different reclamation specialist is leading the Eureka Reclamation. He is forcing land owners, by fear of liability, into signing contracts that allow DOGM to assume control of the claim to destroy it. The letters he uses are fearful, powerful, and overbearing.

The DOGM must be stopped at all costs.
 
.
What you Can Do
Governor Contact to Governer of Utah
Representatives Contact your Representatives
Commissioners Contact your County Commisionors
DOGM Contact the DOGM
Email your friends Let your friends know whats going on.

Upcoming Events

07.01 Pre-Bid Meeting for contractors to investigate area for reclamation
07.15 Mojave Underground Documents work in Eureka
07.16 Final Bids must be in by 2pm
08.xx Reclamation Begins
Winter Work must be completed by the first snowfall.

           
  Climate ChangeMines of the West
Mining made the west what it is. Many major cities in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Colorado were mining towns.

 
  Judiciary Towns Destroyed
Jacob City, near Tooele, UT, was destroyed in the late 1980's by DOGM. All that is left now is piles of rubble that was once a city.

 
  Health Care Stopping DOGM
DOGM continues to destroy areas precious to Utah history. Mojave Underground needs your help to put an end to it.

 
Copyright 2008 Mojave Underground
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Forum | Wiki | Best viewed in Firefox 3