Skip to main content

Historical Birthday!



Yesterday was my birthday.

Being the genealogy geek that I am, I thought it would be fabulous to spend the day visiting some Utah Ghost Towns including Silver City. Silver City was a booming mining community established in 1870 and was part of the Tintic Mining District. The area was rich in silver and at its peak had a population arou
nd 1500. The town was abandoned in the 1930's. All that remains are some foundations. It's my understanding that the remaining buildings burnt in a brush fire several years ago. My great great grandparents, Victor Reno and Nellie Bune are listed as living in Silver City in the 1880 US Census. I can't tell you what a thrill it was to think that I was standing on the same ground that they were on in 1880. My gg grandfather immigrated from France and my gg grandmother immigrated from the Netherlands, Holland. I would love the entire story as to how they got from there, met and married, and ended up in Silver City, Utah.


















We also visited Mammoth, Utah in which there are still some residents. Honestly, this is a creepy place. My husband pointed out a can which was rolling uphill. Scary stuff.
Both Silver City and Mammoth are just a few miles south of Eureka, Utah. Eureka is populated and has that "small town" feel. There are also mine remains, enormous amounts of tailings and old buildings in Eureka. We visited the old mine where the old mine shaft is covered with metal mesh and steam escapes its vast depth. Throwing rocks down the shaft we never did hear them hit the bottom. I can't imagine climbing onto one of those OLD elevator cars and slowly being lowered into that shaft. Talk about frightening!












































































Our last stop of the day was to Dividend, Utah. Dividend was a very
profitable mine of silver and lead just east of Eureka. Much of the old mine buildings remain although they are crumbling. The homes were moved around the 1940's after the mine lost all profitability.


Last but not least, if anyone is interested in investing in some property in this area we did find a nice little fixer-upper for sale. :)

















Comments

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Popular posts from this blog

Close To Home Event Kick-Off!!

We're so excited to have you here participating in our April blog event... "Close To Home Camping and Nature Art" Just in time to get ready for summer! To find out more about all the fun stuff we will be doing this month, please visit the Close To Home Event page for all the details and upcoming goodies. We'd like to start with a bang with our sponsor HealthyHikerGear.com !  Sound good?  We think so. There are so many things to do and places to go for a vacation close to home.  I've heard some refer to this as "staycationing".  Camping, hiking, picnicking or even hanging out in the backyard with a fire pit and some marshmallows can be loads of fun for you and your families. This picture is one of my very most favorite places in the whole world to go and it's just over an hour away! There are so many products which make camping, picnicking and hiking easy and affordable and shopping is right at your fingertips.  HealthyHikerGear.com is an onlin

Endo Review and Giveaway!

We're so excited to introduce you to Endo ! Endo is here for all your outdoor t-shirt needs with incredible graphic designs to wear.  Cyclist?  Camper?  They're here for us all.  Seriously, what's better than a bright yellow tee with a huge tricycle on it?  Yes, a huge yellow real tricycle would be nice but hey, you couldn't wear that and it would undoubtedly be much harder to come by! We were happy to discover that the Endo t-shirt is longer than some which is definitely a bonus.  You know, no risk of the bad "low rise jeans - shorter tee - don't bend over or sit" dilemma.  It's also pretty dang soft and comfy. In addition to this great t-shirt, Endo also sent their logo tote bag.  These kind of backpack tote bags, or "man bags" as all the local teens call them (because all the boys in junior high have them!) are perfect for a light backpack to carry a water bottle, camera, cell phone, snacks, etc., for an impromptu hike, nature walk

Sit-upon Tutorial By Rachel Beyer

As a former Girl Scout, I have lots of fun camp memories. I remember learning to tie knots, set up camp and to cook over the campfire. An essential Girl Scout tradition is making a sit-upon. A sit-upon is a homemade waterproof cushion. They are easy to make and I remember using them every time we did any activity while sitting on the bare ground, which most often was damp or scattered with uncomfortable sticks and pebbles. A sit-upon is great for sitting around the campfire, your backyard, or even a sporting event.  There are lots of ways to make a sit-upon. When I was a Brownie Girl Scout, we made ours from old vinyl tablecloths and foam. But in a pinch, you can use a plastic garbage bag and a stack of old newspapers for padding. To revisit this simple craft project, I decided to use a roll of vintage vinyl wallpaper I found at a thrift store and some foam I bought at my local craft store. Essential Supplies: Waterproof Material (vinyl tablecloth, or other store-bought vinyl or