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This text message is used to keep the image from rotating in ocr process. Be sure to crop the top .25" off after the ocr process. MAXFIELD MINE BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, SALT LAKE COUNTY UTAH STATE HISTORY 11111111111111 1111 1111 11111111111111111111111 1111 1111111111111 11 3 9222 00535 3888 HISTORIC SITE FORM (UHCS version) Utah State Historic Preservation Office UHCS 10#: 1. Identification 262852 Property Name: MAXFIELD MINE Address: BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON City: County: SALT LAKE COUNTY 2. Documentation/Status Dates Surveyed or Added to SHPO Filing System: General/Miscellaneous File: 186 Reconnaissance Level Survey: I Intensive Level Survey: Evaluation: (U) UNDETERMINED National Register Status: National Register Listing Date: Delisted date: Thematic or Multiple Property Affiliation: 3. Building Information Date(s) of Construction: Height (# stories): Original Use: EXTRACTIONIMINING Plan/Type: Constr. Material(s): Architectural Style(s): Theme(s): Architect: Comments: 7 MILES UP CANYON, NEAR MILL A GULCH Outbuildings: (totaVcontrib.) I 4. Other SHPO File Information State Tax Project No. (s): 106 Case No.: Federal Tax Project No. : Historic Photo Date: Devel. Grant(s): HABS/HAER Record No. (s): Printout Date: 4/14/00 Ir iv'I::l tli·. { r -- \ ,,! ,: . '\:: FOREST )1~. ,'.t. c. h~F'. .;.r. ; :o.;. ;.n.t-;._ _ _ _ _ _ __ AREA ·\ STORY TITLES j.---- · ~/ils()tch -----_._---_._._------------- ), )i~ (----- · ===I---------~------·--· ~ ~rt-e-flil-m-c-: Maxfield mine devel.0pmell1:..L _____ _ : _Arl5~nt!_town~~~ei r~issipE.~_~!L~~~~ ______ _ DISTfUCr-- Salt Lnkc7 [3ountTfu-l- - ;.t 'i:'::; !T[~~IOU r!.:l~"..!.!L.~E G, m!...-_____~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _·-_-_··_·-_~~~~f~-__..._.-_._-.-_-_-_..._-_-_ ________________....___..~_ ~ IIITERPRH I VE ~ ~;Tn: ; \,' ------ -------...---------- ---.- .-- ·S i te Dcscr-rptTo--';:Abo'"ut7~llil3. up Big Cottonwood Canyo~, ne:u:J:1!.ll A Gulch, (Fi~\!.ttJf5) ....----- ....... I~ ~1a~rield !.lin~I----_-_ _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - _ - _ , ......... _ _ I.. I'~~"'" ~tory ------------.---------------------------------.------- _____::=:'=:==================================== . __to_t~h_e_S_t_o_r~y_'_,_~__~~_~____~___~______ Ind(·x Hos. Brief Summary of S~nifT~nc_e~o_f_S_I_te ~~Umt: ·. -<. ",' I ~ 1\ .·-- ......&:.9-l-b lL..... . ----- ___ _ _______ 'l'he H.'ldison ~imestone is, expo~neur here. I'--__.......:d~e:..;r.:.;.)o::..;s:;;:i:..;t:;;:i..fm i This fo:r;mation i~ a result of ra~o~__ ! of ca19E..reous llWterial .throu,;hout · the Missippian .Period.Consid~t....tJ.1iLSJ;..9.n. .____ l~>. . ------------ -------~--~~--~ for ge.2].or;y tour 8i te • . '. .-~~~----------------------------~----------------------,---------------------------a· ~~. ,------------....--.I--------------~----------------------------! ----------------------------,-,-;.-------------------. i ~/ / .. · E-H-'3-a-·. :.. : _ _-I-___~N.:.e.::..:;),~.r=__t~~tt.lt. of ~iill A Gulch was located the Naxfield : m::;:in:.:.e:::...=--...;S~o:;.::1~d::.._=f_=:o;.::.r_·~~~..:::8~O.l.•.I.• ....::.th=e_c.::..:l:=.;a;:.;~:..: ' m;:..-. ~~ roduced over one-!!!..!llion dollars worth of ore i by 1916. . Development of this mine ~--------' -'- .. resulted in the formation ofAr~enta, a town of 1,.,- Han "£ . ,- < //~ I \ to\offiS 200 locat~d ~ mile up from the mine. other nearby mines were dcveloned.The formation and growth of mines and mining would 'be ' a . I ! ~ood story~h:.;:e~r..;e;.:._ : '. ________________• ______________________. _ _ _ _ _ .. _ _ 1_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _- - - - " , . • I I c_7. :;O-::;:::- · '--·--::·:·:-:-·-7--··-~\~r"····-'----·1o~""'~t'r..~~;)""". ; ' ", ~ '4, I ... '" \ .. "-.. . . .:... . fO U U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGR ICULTVRE FOREST SERVIC.E WASATCH NATIONAL FOREST SALT LAKE D-j __ . :0.-._ [ ~ I MULTIPLE-USE PLANNING MAF Researcher: E . L.. . Date: 1-7-73 /7 / .5L. 0 Zqz/ Site No. 0 )(' Utah State Historical Society Historic Preservation Research Office Structure/Site Information Form 1z o Street Address: Plat u Name of Structure: T. R. UTM: Tax#: ~ u:: i= z w C 2 w II) ::J ...... Z o Present Owner: Owner Address: Original Owner: Q CJ Building Condition: z o u iii « Single-Family Multi-Family Public Commercial o Excellent o Good o Deteriorated o Park o Industrial o Agricultural ;x Site o Ruins o Religious o Other Integrity: o Unaltered o Minor Alterations o Major Alterations Preliminary Evaluation: Final Register Status: o National Landmark o National Register o State Register tJIl- Contributory o Not Contributory o Intrusion 4 Photography: ~ Research Sources: z o z w ::!: ::J U o C Date of Slides: Views: Front 0 Side 0 Rear 0 Other 0 o o o o o o o Abstract of Title Plat Records Plat Map Tax Card & Photo Building Permit Sewer Permit Sanborn Maps Occupants: )if Vacant )l Significant o o o o o o o B i bl i og raph i cal References 0 District 0 Multi-Resource 0 Thematic Date of Photographs : Views: Front 0 Side 0 Rear 0 Other 0 City Directories Biographical Encyclopedias Obituary Index County & City Histories Personal Interviews Newspapers Utah State Historical Society Library o o o o o o o Lot S. Demolition Date: Original Use: Present Use: o o o o i= Construction Date: BI. LOS Church Archives LOS Genealogical Society U of U Library BYU Library USU Library SLC Library Other (books, articles, records , interviews, old photographs and maps, etc .): 5 w a: ::J I- U w Architect/Bui Ider: Building Type/Style: Building Materials: Description of physical appearance & significant architectural features : (Include additions, alterations, ancillary structures , and landscaping if applicable) l- i: u a: ct 6 >a: o I- !!! J: Statement of Historical Significance: o o o o o Aboriginal Americans Agriculture Arch itecture The Arts Commerce o o o o o Communication Conservation Education Exploration/ Settlement Industry o B o o o Military Mining Minority Groups Political Recreation o o o o Religion Science Socio-Humanitarian Transportation " .1 , I •j ~ i\ : : i .. \ ; 1 ~ 1 i I . ; 1 i i I· I I 1, ) I I I One of the more notable points of interest in Big Cottonwood Canyon around the ' turn of the ~entury was the MaxflPld Mine. Located about a quarter mile below the minin~ community of Argenta, it was difficult . to miss, ~ for the cany('>n road nassed through a narrow defile bptweenthe ' ~ountainside on the north and the massive mine dump and ore bin~ on the south then ducked under the covered tramway running between the mine and the dump. Timbers to be used in the mine usually we were piled along the road to confine the traffic on one side, just as the four-story boarding and pump house, black smith shop, and machine sh~p confinfined it on the other side. Quite aside from its dominating the canyon scene, the Maxfield mine was somewhat legendary, for it yielded ore of tremendous wea~th and was; at the turn of the century, the only major producing mine in Big Cottonwood Canyon •. The mine was discovered in 1872, making it one of the oldest in Utah; At that time John 7 Maxfield was operatin~ a sawmill he had built at Mill A Fork. His sons, John and Robert, discovered mineral deposits up in the fork and filed claims. They sold the mine, however, before it was significantly developed. Its location hieh in the fork madA ore hauling - difficult, so the owners ran a tunnel much lower, but still well above the bottom of the ca.nyon • Later a main working tunnel was drilled a few feet above the canyon road, a tunnel that was used throughout the 11fe of the mine • The ore bodies developed in the mine rane:ed from the windine:, narrow Corkscrew fi~sure to the 18 to 24 foot wide Allip;ator fissure. When the ore was denleted at the tunnel level, several shafts were drilled to tap the fissures at greater depth, but before much depth wa~ gained, water was encountered and the shafts were flooded. The flow was greater than could be handled~ith the pumps and limited power available at the time. \ ... ~ .. , , ! 'j, I] Ano Lhe r shaft was sunk some d istance awa y in an attempt t o rea ch th e are body, but avo i d the water course, This v en t llre, too, 1ll1ed, for it s t ruck wa t er in such volume that t he whole workin~s we re flooded he fore the mine cars, tools, and pumps could he removed. Although many att.emp t. s , we r e made to check the flow and salva e-e the mine, v'ater pured from the main tunnel for many yearR. In 1915 the mine waR sold a gain and th~ new owners were success f ul in their attempt to p lace it back into operation. But the i r succeSR had a precarious edg e, for whenever the Pl~rS stopped for any reason elec t ric Rl power failure was a common occurrance in the canyon t he wa ter level rose and often work had to ston inside the mine. So Rerious was ~he water prob~ 1em th a t the Corr.pany announced in 1916 that it would dri 11 a dra in tunnel from th e mouth of Mil lCree k Ca nvon to their workin ~s , a t unn el p ass in ~ 6, SoO f eet h e low th e crest of th e mountai ns , and 2,000 feet below the Big Cott onwood road at th e mine. Of course the tunnel never ~ent b ey ond the planning stage, and eventually the water reclaimed the mine, Since that time most of the visual remains of the Ma xfield mine have vanished. Durin g the widenin g of the highway in the early 1960's the last remains of the dump were scattered and the tunnel mouth i t self was almost obliterated. If one looks carefully, its remains are sti 11 there, just below MiJ 1 A Fork. And water still pours from it just aS ' it d i d seventy years ago - a reminder of the past.,.a leaf from the Old Wasatch. ; I I" " A sturdy, but small, ~roup drove into American Fork Canyon to the Campground on Deer Creek, We were glad to leave the crowded con~ines of the campground and start UP the trail, » The fi rst 2.000 feet are en.0 veloped by folia~e and view iR limited (plus the day was hot and dry, typical of late July) Soon our steady trekkers broke into the open at the saddle overlookirig the deep cut in the terrain at Wi~e Hollow. Taking the high trail we soon came into view of Box Elder ' Peak, our g oal. After a fairly short climb to another saddle, we were directly south of the peak and had a glorious view of the Salt Lake Valley on a clear day with the absence of . Kennecott fallout (strike time). Two more breaths of air and onward up the scree slope to the peak which was reach ed 2 J~ hours after our start. Some pictures, lunch, and , eye-strain occupied our lon~ stop at the toP. Prom this peak the entire Little Cottonwood Rane-e and Mt. Timpanogos are clearly v~sible • . We returned to the saddle and George decided to return by the same route we approached. The rest of us took the rid~e route to the peak south of the saddle, descended the southwest ridge to the trail which skirts the peak. This lon~er r e turn route ~ave us some new sights of the -area before it joined the other trail again. Soon we were back into the heat and enclosed area ·of the lower trail, Our group included LeRoy Kuehl, Fred & ~vellne Bruene-er, George Sears and 'niver Richards. f t t I . r f. I r r !,. f