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* This was a hand written account of one persons knowledge of Utah
mining.

Mining In North Ogden

The first known record of mining in Utah began in 1863, when George
Ogilvie found a piece of ore in Bingham Canyon and gave it to Colonel
Patrick E. Connor who became known as the "Father of Utah Mining".
At this time the Weber Mining District of Utah was established. It
included Ogden, North Ogden and Huntsville. In 1876-1877, the mountains
east of Ogden were invaded and within two years 43 separate mining
claims were recorded.
It took but a short time for the mining fever to reach North Ogden.
While searching the mining records in the Weber County Court House,
Mining Index and Mining Book A, the first recorded claim I could find
was filed by Thomas C. Chamberlain, Etal, and L.J. Reed, Etal, on 16
July 1877 called the "Reed District" and was located six miles north of
Ogden.
In 1888, I find four claims recorded: 19 July 1888 Andres and Wesley
Rose, Etal, recorded "Rose Quartz Mine", located between Bold Point and
White Bank. 15 October 1888, Fred J. Kohlkipp, Etal, and John Jones,
Etal, recorded "Powder Horn", between Waterfall and Goodel Canyons. 28
November 1888, John Anderson, E.O. Eadlesoff, P. Fronberg and N.P.
Fronberg, Sven Mattson and August Pearson all filing on "Black Rock" at
North Ogden.
On 2 October 1889 I find William Bell filing on "Red Bird" between Cold
(Coal?) and Cutler Canyon. located behind Ben Lomond Peak.
In 1891 three claims were filed and one claim re-filed. 1 August,
Catherine W. Sharp, "White Queen", located in North Ogden Canyon. 1
August, J. Granville Sharp, "Regina", in North Ogden Canyon. 10 October,
"Moonlight" in Cutler Canyon, and William Bell re-filed on his claim
"Red Bird" on October 2.
James A. Fletcher filed the only claim in 1892, 18 March he filed on
"Young America" in Goodell Canyon.
In 1894, 23 April, E.N. (Nate) Warren filed on two claims "Luck Boy
Places" and "Birds Nest Placer" both located in section 22-7-W. Lee
Gibson filed on the "Uintah Placer" on the 21 of May in section 16-5-1W.

Mining in it's "Hay Day" in North Ogden, seemed to be the years
1895-1897. 7 August 1895, David B. Rice, Adelbert F. Judkins, Joshua B.
Judkins, Richard Jones Jr., Etal, filed on the "Last Chance"
between Cutler and North Cold (Coal?) Canyons behind Ben Lomaond Peak. On
20 August, three claims were filed. George E. Johnson "Last Chance" in
Jump Off Canyon. O.A. Johnson "Maple Grove" in Jump Off Canyon. W.J.
Doyle, "Aetna" in Jump Off Canyon. 29 August George W. Doyle filed on
the "Friday" in Jump Off Canyon. 3 September, Jone Jones, Etal, filed
the "Nevada" in Jump Off Canyon. 14 January 1896 E.N. (Nate) Warren and
William Bailey filed the "Sixteen to One" in Ogden Canyon. 27 March 1896
Hilma Atwall and Charles G. Anderson filed on the "Pre Eminence" North
of Waterfall Canyon in North Ogden. 30 September John Jones, W.G.
Gilbert and O.D. Bowen filed the "Elsie" in Cutler Canyon behind Ben
Lomond Peak. 30 September E.D. Bowen, John Jones and W. G. Gilbert filed
the "Clifford" also in Cutler Canyon behind Ben Lomond peak.
1 March 1897, John A. Boyal and George F. Seager filed a claim on the
"Eldarado" mine, four miles North of North Ogden. 11 March 1897, G.S.
Alden filed a claim on the "Alden" mine North of Jump Off Canyon. 9 July
1897, A.D. Bowan and John Jones filed claim on the "Ben Loman" mine,
four miles north of North Ogden.
In addition to these claims, there were others being prospected at the
time, not yet recorded and many more never recorded. In 1897 the mining
industry seemed to come to a stand still. According to my information
John Jones seemed to have stayed with mining longer than most.
In a pocket magazine entitled "Lost letters found" by F. Will Ellis, we
find this quote: "John Jones is, if all the signs do not belie
themselves the coming "Bonanza King" of all these parts, for he has
recent assays of ores, by no less an expert then John H. Trolson, of
Austin, Nevada, showing that one of his mines has rock producing 26
ounces of silver to the ton and another mine with yielding 30% copper".
The silver mine "Ben Loman" is but one mile North of here, has a
fifteen foot vein and the croppings are over one thousand feet long.
The copper mine "Eureka" is seven miles to the north with a vein six
feet and croppings over eight hundred feet. Are these facts not worth
the while of eastern capitalists to look into? *end quote from "Lost
letters Found"
This pocket magazine contained letters written by Co. Sago West of New
York to Judge Reasoner of Boston. This particular quote was found in the
May issue 1897, Volume 1 Number 1. It was published monthly and sold for
fifty cents a year.
John Jones, my grandfather, staked out eleven claims, that I could find
record of. Namely, "Last Chance", "Lone Tree", "Black Canyon",
"Eldorado", "Ben Loman", "Eureka", "Powder Horn", "Nevada", "Elsie"
(named after his daughter), "The Clifford", and another mine near
Chicken Creek.
Here is a quote from Uncle Charlie Jones' diary. "I remember staking
out mining claims. The first time I went on the mountain (Ben Lomond)
was when father and I went up to stake out mining claims. We went on
horse back up the White Bank, tied the horses up and left them. We
climbed the mountain and staked out six claims, returning the same day."

The first six claims mentioned proved to be the better mines:
1. The "Last Chance" mine was on the northeast side of Ben Lomond about
one mile from the top. Here is another quote from Uncle Charlies diary,
"The first year behind Ben Lomond, we lived in a tent, that was the time
the mountain lion tore a hole and stole a sack of food we had hung in
the top of it. We found the empty sack the next spring, over a mile from
camp. We put out poison but did not get the lion, but we did get two red
foxes instead. When the cabin was built in 1898, there were pine trees
on both sides of the ridge. By building the cabin on top of the ridge we
thought we would stay out of the deep snow, however we soon found out
our mistake. It was a windy place and the snow deep and drifted. The
first winter the snow covered the cabin, we had to clear the snow from
the roof for air, so the fire would burn. We had a sheet iron stove for
cooking and a fireplace in one end of the cabin for warmth. In the other
end was a double bunk where we slept. In the cabin were two windows and
one door, and a bowery built over the front to keep the snow from
blowing in. The snow so covered the cabin that we could hardly tell
where it was.
For firewood we cut off the tops of the trees even with the snow. Down
behind the cabin, after the snow was gone we could see how deep it had
been. Some of the trees are still there (1956) with their tips cut off,
40 to 50 feet high. The snow kept the cabin warm and dry.
Once after returning from North Ogden we were getting dinner when Jake,
our little bulldog, set up such a barking that Pete McFarland went t o
the door to see what it was. When McFarland opened the door there was a
big bear eating the food we had just thrown out. We got the gun and
followed the tracks but couldn't find the bear.
In the winter we would go by bob-sleigh up into the valley
(Huntsville), to North Fork Canyon, then from there up to the cabin on
snow shoes, carrying our food and supplies to the cabin near the top of
the mountain.
Three years after we built the cabin Pete McFarland and I were coming
down from the mine afoot, down by the White Bank, we met Bill Bailey,
who told us that President McKinly had been killed, 14 September 1901.
He seemed pleased, he was a democrat and Pete was Republican, they
exchanged heated words.
A few names to remember are: Pete McFarland, Will Jones, Bishop Joshua
Judkins, Jerry Josiah, Melvin Godfrey, Chris Lind, Benny and Clarence
Jones, Danny Smith and the Southwick Boys.

2. The "Lone Free" mine was behind Ben Lomond Peak in Cutler Canyon,
north west toward Willard Peak. There was a big spring coming out of the
rocks nearby, so John and his sons, Johnny and Charlie built their cabin
there.

Here is another quote, concerning the mines, taken from Uncle Edmunds
journal:
"Father and I were working up at the mine at "Lone Free". I think Chris
Lind was with us. Father knew the day the train was to go over the
cut-off so we walked to the top of the mountain about one mile. Father
had his field glasses and we saw the freight train go over the lake.
The "Lone Free" mine was on the north side of Ben Lomond Peak about one
mile from the top. I think I was 4 or 5 when father first took me to the
mine with him. Our packhorses were Boxer, Ginger, and Old Florrie. I
nearly always was put on Boxer, sometimes Florrie. I was put on one side
and the groceries in the other side to balance the pack saddle and away
we went.
One time we had a 5 gallon can of syrup in the pack saddle. At that time
the can was encased in wood. As we went along a limb caught the side and
ripped it, letting the syrup roll down the hill. I chased the syrup
while father fixed the packsaddle. Another time when we were at the mine
near Chicken Creek we saw a mother bear and her two cubs.
Another time the horses got away and came home, father left me at the
mine while he went after them. I must have been ten, because I had a
gun, a twenty-two of my own. I imagined I heard mountain lions and
everything, but father told me they were rats. We had to hang everything
up so the rats couldn't pack it away. They would take our knives, forks,
spoons, or anything else they could carry, and then they would leave
rocks in their place.

3. The "Black Canyon" mine was also on the north side of Ben Lomond
peak, towards Willard Peak, located in Black Canyon. They used
a tent for shelter when they worked there.
4. High upon the face of "Old Ben" (Ben Lomond), just above the ledge,
the "Eldorado" mine was staked out. Another cabin was built there.
5. About five miles north of the center of North Ogden, on the south
side of Ben Lomond Peak was a staked and claimed silver mine, the "Ben
Loman" spoke of in the "Lost Letters Found" magazine.
6. The copper mine "Eureka", also mentioned in "Lost Letters Found" was
on the south side of the mountains about seven miles north of here.

A road would later be built to reach those lower mines. These mines were
not worked extensively during the summer months because of the farm
crops to plant and tend to. As soon as possible after the harvest Grandpa
and Uncle Charlie would head for the mines. When they arrived at the
mines behind Ben Lomond they would hike to the top of the mountain, over
looking North Ogden, and build a signal fire so grandmother would know
they had arrived safely. The signal fires, from the mines on the south
side, were built close to the mines so they could be seen easily. The
work from these mines added a few dollars to help the family survive in
those rough times.
Eventually the mining fever died down in this district since the mines
did not prove to contain rich mineral deposits, however, John continued
to work his mines until 1907 when he was stricken with arthritis and was
forced to quit mining. The cold and dampness of the mining ventures had
finally taken its toll.

Written by Jeanette Shaw Greenwell

Researched by:

Brent & Amanda Code

Picture Ron Gibson

Picture taken between 1910 -1915

Picture of Cabin 1979

Picture Ron Gibson

Looking north East from Cabin site 1979

Picture Ron Gibson

Picture looking North east 1919

Picture Ron Gibson

Picture Taken 1919

Picture Ron Gibson

Byron Chadwick & Lee Gibson 1919.

The new pictures were taken by myself (Ron Gibson); Lee Gibson in the picture is my father. Byron Chadwick was a good friend of my Dad. They used the cabin when they were hunting deer.

The cabin was built about 1890 by John Jones. He left the cabin in 1902. Sheepherders used it until about 1920; they then built a new cabin at Cutler Pond up behind Ben Lomond.

. A friend and my self went up to find the cabin and the old mine. We spent ten years looking for it before we finally found the cabin. I took pictures in 1979 at the same location that Dad had taken pictures in 1917 and 1919. You can see the changes that were made in the 60 years, trees had died and the cabin had fell in. All that was left was the rock fireplace and some rotten logs. We found the old wood-burning stove and that was about all; we left all the things where they were undisturbed.

When I started to work the claim, I found some gold, but not enough to do anything with. The mine is covered with tons of dirt and rock from slides in the area. I have seen what looks like gold in other areas but it is mica and it floats. There is a type of mineral up there, when mixed with water, smells like sulpher; farmers used it to heal cuts on horses and cows. I have never pursued looking for this mineral. I also don't know anywhere else it could be found.

My father had a mine claim in North Ogden that he claimed in about 1930, nothing was really found there. He let the claim go. There are many claims in North Ogden but most of them did not pay off. Some claims were dug for water. They were not wells but mines to water orchards up on the hillsides, most of them have been blasted and some of them have fallen in. There are some mines today that still can be worked, but some are patented and it would be trespassing to go on the claims.

There are silver and also gold mines. There are also copper mines there but they would be too expensive to mine.

Ron Gibson

Special Thanks to Ron Gibson for Donating These Pictures