Dragon, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dragon
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 Dragon
Location in Utah
Dragon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Uintah |
| Established | 1888 |
| Abandoned | c. 1940 |
| Named for | Black Dragon Mine |
| Elevation | 5,771 ft (1,759 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1437547 |
Dragon is a ghost town located in Uintah County, in the far eastern part of Utah, United States. It was started around 1888 as a mining camp where people dug for a special substance called Gilsonite. Dragon became a busy town in the early 1900s because it was the last stop for the Uintah Railway.
Even though the railway's end moved north in 1911, Dragon remained the biggest town in the Gilsonite mining area. However, the town was eventually abandoned. This happened after mining stopped in 1938 and the Uintah Railway closed down in 1939. Today, only ruins are left of what was once a lively mining community.
Contents
Where is Dragon Located?
Dragon is found near a small stream called Evacuation Creek, at the entrance of Dragon Canyon. It's about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the Colorado state line. The closest major city, Vernal, is about 65 miles (105 km) to the southeast.
This part of the Uinta Basin has always been quite remote and empty. The town existed because of special natural asphalt veins, known as Gilsonite. At the time, these veins were found nowhere else in the world. They run through this region from the southeast to the northwest. Today, most Gilsonite mining happens in Bonanza, which is about 25 miles (40 km) north of where Dragon used to be.
The Story of Dragon Town
How Dragon Got Its Name
Commercial mining of Gilsonite began in 1888. A large amount of this black substance was found about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) up Dragon Canyon. People said that the vein of Gilsonite looked like a dragon along the ground. Because of this, the mining operation was named the Black Dragon Mine. Soon, both the canyon and the mining camp that grew at its mouth were called Dragon.
Early Days and the Railway
The mine and town grew slowly at first. It was hard to transport the Gilsonite out of the area. In 1901, Dragon got its first telegraph line, connecting it to Fort Duchesne.
In 1902, companies connected to the Gilson Asphaltum Company took over the Black Dragon Mine. They started building a narrow gauge railway to serve the mine. By 1904, the Uintah Railway reached Dragon and stopped there. The company also built toll roads to Vernal and Fort Duchesne. They even built ferries on the Green River and a toll bridge over the White River at Ignatio. This made Dragon an important center for transportation in the region.
Dragon's Boom and Challenges
Since Dragon was the final stop on the only railroad that ever entered the Uinta Basin, the town began to grow rapidly. Once the railroad was finished, Dragon had many buildings. These included a train depot, a warehouse, locomotive repair shops, a store, a boarding house, homes, two saloons, and a barber shop. The railroad company even built the Uintah Railway Hotel for passengers. A school was also opened in 1904.
Gilsonite is a type of hydrocarbon that can catch fire easily. Because of this, Dragon experienced several mining accidents. In 1908, a fire started in one part of Dragon's Gilsonite vein. This fire was very hard to put out, similar to a coal seam fire, and it was still burning two years later. Also in 1908, an explosion in the Black Dragon Mine tragically killed two miners. In 1910, a costly fire broke out in stored Gilsonite. It completely destroyed the Uintah Railway warehouse and hundreds of tons of freight.
A Unique Library
In 1910, a public library was started in Dragon. It had a very special system. The Uintah Railway would carry library books for free to and from anyone who borrowed them along its route. This made it easy for people living far away to read books.
Decline and Abandonment
By the 1910 census, the population of "Dragon Precinct" (the town and nearby area) was 287 people. However, the Black Dragon Mine was producing less Gilsonite. Also, new, richer Gilsonite deposits had been found further north.
In 1911, the Uintah Railway extended its line northward. They created a new end-of-line town called Watson, about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north of Dragon. A short spur line also went 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Watson to Rainbow, which became the new mining center.
Losing the railroad terminus caused Dragon to shrink a bit. But because the railroad's repair shops and roundhouse were still there, Dragon remained the main town in the Gilsonite mining area. The railroad wanted to encourage shipping other products. In 1912, they built large sheep shearing pens in Dragon. Enough people still lived in Dragon in 1917 to support renovating the schoolhouse. The census precinct, which was much larger but still named for Dragon, reported populations of 487 in 1920 and 452 in 1930.
By 1938, all Gilsonite mining had moved even further north, to the Bonanza area. The mines in Dragon and Rainbow closed down. Trucks started hauling Gilsonite to Vernal and Craig, Colorado, instead of trains. People began to leave Dragon, Rainbow, and Watson. In 1939, Dragon's population was only 72, mostly railroad workers. Since it had lost most of its freight business, the Uintah Railway stopped operating in 1939. The 1940 census recorded only 10 people in "South Dragon precinct."
Today, only ruins are left at the Dragon site. You can find a pile of rubble where the hotel once stood, a sidewalk that led to the old schoolhouse, some foundations, and a small cemetery.
Famous People from Dragon
- Art Pollard (1927–1973), a famous IndyCar Series race car driver.
