Castle Gate, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Castle Gate
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Castle Gate spires, near old townsite
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 Castle Gate
Location in the United States
Castle Gate
Location in Utah
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Carbon |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Abandoned | 1974 |
| Named for | Rock formation resembling the gate of a castle |
| Elevation | 6,152 ft (1,875 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1426382 |
Castle Gate was a ghost town in eastern Utah, in a place called Carbon County. It was once a busy mining town about 90 miles (145 km) southeast of Salt Lake City. The town got its name from a cool rock formation nearby. Imagine two tall sandstone walls on either side of the Price River. They look like a giant gate opening up as you get closer!
Contents
Why Was Castle Gate Built?
The Start of Coal Mining
Castle Gate became a town because of coal. The first coal mine, called Castle Gate Mine #1, opened around 1886. This happened after the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad built its railway line through the area. The mine produced excellent coal, which was perfect for powering the steam trains.
In 1912, another mine, Castle Gate Mine #2, started operating. People said it had the best coal in the entire region! By 1914, Castle Gate was officially a town. It was owned and managed by the Utah Fuel Company and the railroad company. A third mine opened in 1922, making the town even busier.
What Important Things Happened in Castle Gate?
Castle Gate is remembered for two big historical events.
The Famous Robbery of 1897
On April 21, 1897, a well-known outlaw named Butch Cassidy and his partner, Elzy Lay, carried out a robbery. They took $7,000 in gold from an employee of the Pleasant Valley Coal Company. This happened during the day at the busy railroad station in Castle Gate.
The Mine Disaster of 1924
A very sad event occurred on March 8, 1924. An explosion happened at the Utah Fuel Company's Castle Gate Mine #2. This terrible accident killed 172 miners. The miners came from many different countries, including Greece, Italy, Japan, England, and America. It was one of the deadliest coal mining disasters in U.S. history.
What Happened to Castle Gate?
The Town's End
Castle Gate was taken apart in the summer of 1974. The people who lived there moved to a new neighborhood near a town called Helper. The old town site was cleared away. In its place, new facilities were built to load coal onto trains.
Images for kids
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Castle Gate, with the former townsite to the left
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A Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad steam train near Castle Gate (around 1929)
