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We've talked about ways to find the owners or name of a mine after you've already found its location. Trips to county recorders offices, tax records, etc... some more fruitful than others.
The best source I've found thus far is the U of U special collections library. As some of you know I've been researching for a book on AF Canyon for the past couple years, I've been digging through the USHS archives, met with the FS historian, met with local historians and am gearing up to meet with a bunch of ameteur historians like myself to trade notes in the coming weeks, some of which have family ties to the mines. Its been a tedious process and one of the harder things was finding the name of known mines in the canyon. The big mines were easy, they are often shown on older (and sometimes current) USGS maps, or you can read about those in other history books, ghost town books, etc. But what about those "off the beaten path" mines, a small adit, a shallow shaft, it had to have a name right?
Tonight at the special collections library, I found a really neat map/blueprint that basically breaks down the entire canyon area into sections (township, range, section, etc). Then it has an accompanying map for each of those sections. On that map (which is 1 mile x 1 mile) it shows the mineral rights of the mines up to the date of the map (in this case 195
, you can then refer to a chart that uses a number to define each and every claim on the map. I've found very similar maps, some of which I've been able to get copies of, but none that were this new and thorough. For example I had previously noted ~50 mines in the greater AF Canyon area (Snake Creek Mining District, American Fork Mining District and the Silver Lake Mining District), with this I've now identified triple that. Now of course many were just claims, with no work every being performed, but this will inevitable help me answer some naming questions as well as settle some minor naming disputes too. I've got to call back up there tomorrow to talk with their map specialist to see what its going to take to get some copies made, hoping its not as difficult as it was with the USHS's maps that I paid to have digitally converted (after much headache).
I can't say for certain claim maps like this exist for each and every mining area, though I know I've seen them available for many of the mining areas and definitely for the Park City, Big & Little Cottonwood areas and now in high detail for the American Fork Canyon area.
So if your as nerdy as me about putting the pieces of history together, check out the U of U's special collection section
(PS. They have sign in sheet as you enter, you enter your name and what your looking for, 4 or so names on the list were signed in as looking into mining history, they have a ton of neat old maps and photos there.)
(PSS. You don't need to be a student but you will need a form of valid ID to get into the special collections area. Don't be alarmed when they don't let you bring any personal items into the research area, and make you where gloves with some documents)
The best source I've found thus far is the U of U special collections library. As some of you know I've been researching for a book on AF Canyon for the past couple years, I've been digging through the USHS archives, met with the FS historian, met with local historians and am gearing up to meet with a bunch of ameteur historians like myself to trade notes in the coming weeks, some of which have family ties to the mines. Its been a tedious process and one of the harder things was finding the name of known mines in the canyon. The big mines were easy, they are often shown on older (and sometimes current) USGS maps, or you can read about those in other history books, ghost town books, etc. But what about those "off the beaten path" mines, a small adit, a shallow shaft, it had to have a name right?
Tonight at the special collections library, I found a really neat map/blueprint that basically breaks down the entire canyon area into sections (township, range, section, etc). Then it has an accompanying map for each of those sections. On that map (which is 1 mile x 1 mile) it shows the mineral rights of the mines up to the date of the map (in this case 195
, you can then refer to a chart that uses a number to define each and every claim on the map. I've found very similar maps, some of which I've been able to get copies of, but none that were this new and thorough. For example I had previously noted ~50 mines in the greater AF Canyon area (Snake Creek Mining District, American Fork Mining District and the Silver Lake Mining District), with this I've now identified triple that. Now of course many were just claims, with no work every being performed, but this will inevitable help me answer some naming questions as well as settle some minor naming disputes too. I've got to call back up there tomorrow to talk with their map specialist to see what its going to take to get some copies made, hoping its not as difficult as it was with the USHS's maps that I paid to have digitally converted (after much headache). I can't say for certain claim maps like this exist for each and every mining area, though I know I've seen them available for many of the mining areas and definitely for the Park City, Big & Little Cottonwood areas and now in high detail for the American Fork Canyon area.
So if your as nerdy as me about putting the pieces of history together, check out the U of U's special collection section
(PS. They have sign in sheet as you enter, you enter your name and what your looking for, 4 or so names on the list were signed in as looking into mining history, they have a ton of neat old maps and photos there.)
(PSS. You don't need to be a student but you will need a form of valid ID to get into the special collections area. Don't be alarmed when they don't let you bring any personal items into the research area, and make you where gloves with some documents)
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