You’ll find Copperfield’s remains in Utah’s Bingham Canyon, where it thrived as a bustling mining town from 1929 until 1950. During its peak, this company town supported the massive Kennecott Copper Mine operations with housing, shops, and cultural centers that served diverse immigrant communities, particularly Greek, Italian, and Japanese workers. The town’s complete evacuation for mine expansion transformed it into a ghost town, though its rich heritage lives on through preserved artifacts and documented stories.
Key Takeaways
- Copperfield was a thriving mining town established in 1929 near the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah that is now completely abandoned.
- The town was forcibly evacuated by 1950 due to expanding mining operations, with residents relocating to nearby Garfield and Magna.
- During its peak, Copperfield housed diverse immigrant communities, including Greeks, Italians, and Japanese, who worked in the copper mines.
- The Bingham-to-Copperfield tunnel, completed in 1939, served as a vital transportation link for over 1,200 miners daily.
- Community preservation efforts include GPS mapping, documentation of 1,100 unmarked graves, and collection of oral histories about the town.
The Rise of a Mining Community
While many mining towns emerged during Utah’s copper boom, Copperfield established its foothold in 1929 as an important alpine settlement in Bingham Canyon, southwest of Salt Lake City.
During the Utah copper rush, Copperfield became a vital mountain settlement, strategically positioned within Bingham Canyon near Salt Lake City.
You’ll find its roots deeply intertwined with the “Richest Hole on Earth,” as the Bingham Canyon Mine shaped the community dynamics through extensive copper operations. Previously known as Upper Bingham, the town’s strategic position near the expanding open-pit mine made it essential for ore transportation and mining support.
The economic challenges of the 1930s didn’t hinder Copperfield’s growth, as Kennecott’s Utah Copper Division acquisition in 1936 brought new energy to the area. The mine’s impressive 4,000 feet deep pit in the Oquirrh Mountains stood as a testament to the scale of operations. The completion of the Copperfield vehicular tunnel in February 1939 revolutionized access to the area, handling over 1,100 vehicles daily.
The town flourished alongside major developments like the Magna and Arthur concentrators, becoming an integral part of Utah’s booming copper production landscape.
Life in Copperfield’s Company Town
As Utah Copper Company and later Kennecott established their dominance in Copperfield, the town evolved into a quintessential company settlement where nearly every aspect of daily life centered around mining operations.
You’d find yourself living in company-owned housing, ranging from simple wooden structures to brick cottages built during the 1920s redevelopment.
Life in Copperfield revolved around these key elements:
- Work schedules dictated by mine shifts, with over 1,200 men passing through the Bingham-Copperfield tunnel daily.
- Housing conditions varying greatly, from crowded boarding houses for single workers to family cottages with basic utilities.
- Distinct ethnic neighborhoods forming tight-knit communities, complete with cultural clubs and mutual aid societies.
- Company-controlled amenities, including stores and meeting halls, serving as the backbone of daily commerce.
The community became particularly vital during World War II, when the Bingham mine supplied one-third of the copper needed by Allied forces.
Children found creative ways to earn money by acting as unofficial tour guides, leading tourists to observation points where they could view mining operations while providing commentary about the area.
Transportation and Infrastructure Development
In Copperfield’s early years, you’d find miners and residents traversing treacherous routes through Bingham Canyon’s active mining operations until the completion of the Bingham-to-Copperfield tunnel in 1939.
Similar to the Uintah Railway that boosted Dragon’s economy until 1939, the 1.5-mile tunnel revolutionized access with its one-way traffic system, three turnouts, and electric lighting, serving as the town’s primary transportation artery for decades.
Your journey through Copperfield would’ve also revealed an intricate network of narrow-gauge railways, aerial tramways, and the Copper Belt Railroad, which efficiently moved ore, supplies, and passengers throughout the mining district. The E-line Bridge provided a crucial wooden trestle connection that separated the residential areas from the dangerous mining operations.
Early Canyon Access Routes
Before construction of the Copperfield Tunnel in 1939, residents faced challenging transportation routes through Bingham Canyon, with access primarily dependent on either walking or driving through the active copper pit amid ongoing mining operations.
Early access to Copperfield was particularly treacherous as you’d navigate through these canyon trails while mining activities continued around you. The massive tunnel construction began in March 1937, costing an estimated $1.4 million to complete.
The main transportation challenges included:
- County road access that interfered with eastern edge pit mining expansion
- The E-line Bridge trestle that separated Copperfield from the main mining operations
- Constant exposure to active blasting zones while traveling through the pit
- Limited options for reaching the community until mining activities forced infrastructure changes
These difficult conditions ultimately led to the development of more sustainable transportation solutions, including the vital Copperfield Tunnel project. The Bingham-Garfield Railway provided an essential transportation link during this period, helping to move both workers and materials through the challenging terrain.
Rail Network Evolution
The evolution of Copperfield’s rail network began with the ambitious Bingham & Garfield Railway project in 1907, marking a pivotal shift in the region’s mining transportation capabilities.
You’ll find that railway innovations transformed the area’s mining logistics, replacing an 1875 horse tramway with the more efficient Copper Belt Railroad around 1900. The railroad’s construction was completed in just three months, with 52-pound rails supporting the challenging terrain.
The railway transported an impressive 11,515 tons daily of ore through the region, establishing itself as a crucial link in the mining operations.
1939 Vehicular Tunnel Impact
When regional transportation needs intensified in the late 1930s, Bingham County undertook construction of a 7,000-foot vehicular tunnel that would reshape Copperfield’s connectivity to the lower valley.
The tunnel’s significance became immediately apparent through:
- Reduced travel times between mining camps and valley communities
- Enhanced freight efficiency with flexible road transport options
- Improved access for maintenance crews and light supply vehicles
- Greater multimodal resilience by complementing existing rail networks
You’ll find the tunnel’s impact lasted until 1960 when it shifted from public to private control.
This change altered access patterns and freight movement rules. By 1973, the tunnel’s permanent closure and burial forced traffic back to surface routes, eliminating the direct connection that had served the mining district for over three decades.
Cultural Heritage and Social Fabric
You’ll find that Copperfield’s immigrant communities, particularly Greeks, Italians, and Japanese, formed tight-knit social networks through mutual-aid societies and cultural organizations that helped newcomers adjust to mining life.
The Greek population maintained especially strong cultural traditions, establishing Orthodox churches and community centers where they celebrated traditional holidays and preserved their customs despite the challenges of frontier mining life.
These ethnic enclaves created a vibrant social fabric through local festivals, religious observations, and shared community spaces, helping workers and their families maintain cultural identities while adapting to life in the American West.
Immigrant Communities Unite
Despite ethnic tensions and segregated living arrangements, immigrant communities in Copperfield forged remarkable bonds through shared labor struggles and cultural exchanges.
You’ll find that immigrant solidarity emerged through:
- Joint participation in the pivotal 1922 coal strike, transcending previous ethnic rivalries
- Sunday baseball games between camps, enabled by inter-camp passenger trains
- Latino families’ practice of compadrazgo, creating extended support networks
- The West Side Family Cooperative’s cross-cultural credit support system
Even as companies maintained segregated living quarters and work gangs, you’d witness workers finding common ground through shared experiences.
Father Gerald Merrill’s advocacy for Latino education and political rights after 1958 built on these foundations of unity.
Despite harsh conditions and discrimination, these immigrant communities transformed their separate settlements into interconnected networks of mutual support and cultural preservation.
Greek Cultural Traditions Endure
The Greek community of Copperfield stood out among immigrant groups for its remarkable cultural resilience and religious dedication.
You’d find their one-domed brick church serving as the heart of Eastern Orthodox life, where priests in their distinctive black robes and kalimafkions performed sacred rites.
Their traditions encompassed both joyous celebrations and solemn occasions – from elaborate Greek weddings to the poignant “Death Weddings” for the unmarried deceased.
Cultural festivals brought the community together, particularly during Christmas, Easter, and the Dormition of the Virgin, while the Salt Lake City Greek Festival grew to become the nation’s largest.
Despite the challenges of living in a Mormon-majority society, you’d witness their determination to preserve their heritage through language schools, folk customs, and the passing down of traditional foods and practices to new generations.
Mining Town Social Life
Several thousand residents shaped the vibrant social fabric of Copperfield, where daily life centered around the mining community’s unique housing arrangements and shared experiences.
You’d find neighbors gathering in both single-story and two-story duplexes, creating tight-knit bonds that strengthened their community spirit.
The daily rhythm of mining life created distinct social patterns:
- Workers coordinated their schedules around warning whistles that signaled blasting times.
- Community gatherings often took place at Joe Berger’s Combination Café/Bar.
- Social events brought together the 15,000 residents during the town’s peak in the 1920s.
- Families’ presence transformed the workforce culture, especially as women arrived.
This social fabric endured until 1958, when the last 15 families evacuated as the expanding mine operations claimed their beloved community spaces.
The Mining Expansion’s Impact
Under Daniel C. Jackling’s leadership, Utah Copper Company’s 1903 open-pit mining expansion transformed Bingham Canyon, bringing both economic ramifications and environmental consequences you can still see today.
Jackling’s bold vision for open-pit mining forever altered Bingham Canyon’s landscape, leaving an enduring mark on Utah’s economy and environment.
The massive operation displaced smaller underground mines, making Bingham Canyon Utah’s copper powerhouse. You’ll find that production skyrocketed from 63 million short tons in 1910 to 143 million by 1917.
The expansion’s appetite for land proved insatiable. By 1950, it had completely devoured Copperfield (Upper Bingham), forcing residents to evacuate.
A new vehicular tunnel replaced the main road in 1945, while a $5 million ore railroad connected Copperton to Magna by 1946.
The mine’s growth also reshaped nearby communities, as Garfield and Magna developed solely to support copper operations.
Preserving Copperfield’s Memory
Despite Copperfield’s physical disappearance beneath Bingham Canyon Mine’s expanding operations, dedicated community efforts have preserved essential pieces of the town’s heritage through systematic documentation initiatives.
The preservation of Copperfield’s memory continues through carefully coordinated projects that protect its archaeological integrity from vandalism, fire damage, and mining activities.
Key community documentation efforts include:
- GPS mapping and transcription of 1,100+ unmarked graves
- Volunteer-led photographic surveys capturing deteriorating headstones and artifacts
- Oral history collections recording memories of iconic structures like the E-line Bridge
- Digital archiving partnerships between local historians and municipal owners
These preservation efforts guarantee that while Copperfield’s physical structures may be gone, its cultural and historical significance endures through protected records and artifacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Was the Average Salary of Miners Working in Copperfield?
You won’t find specific mining wages for Copperfield in the provided records, though the economic impact of copper mining operations supported thousands of laborers through Kennecott’s extensive Utah operations.
Were There Any Major Accidents or Disasters in Copperfield’s History?
Mining accidents lurked around every corner, but you’ll find no major town disasters recorded specifically in Copperfield. Daily hazards included tunnel collapses, blasting debris, and dangerous transport infrastructure.
What Happened to the Graves and Cemeteries When the Town Relocated?
You’ll find that families had two choices: arrange grave relocation to nearby town cemeteries with company assistance, or leave remains in place where they’d later be buried beneath expanding mining operations.
Did Any Famous People or Notable Figures Come From Copperfield?
You won’t find any nationally famous residents documented from Copperfield, though local mine managers and ethnic community leaders made their mark within the broader Bingham Canyon mining region’s history.
What Were the Typical House Prices and Rental Rates in Copperfield?
You won’t find documented real estate prices or housing market rates for Copperfield. Most residents lived in company-provided housing, from basic shacks to modest cottages, prioritizing affordability over comfort.
References
- https://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ut/copperfield.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dimal7ZUEo4
- https://www.kennecott-groundbreakers.com/stories/lark-history
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgzlTGdBR4k
- https://onlineutah.us/copperfieldhistorya.shtml
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwju_iKuWu8
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bingham_Canyon
- https://exhibits.lib.utah.edu/s/mining-the-west/page/digging-into-utah-mining
- https://www.mininghistoryassociation.org/Meetings/ParkCity2024/Bingham Canyon Orientation Guide FINAL AO31.pdf
- https://utahrails.net/bingham/bingham-1936-1981.php
