Eagle City, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eagle City, Utah
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Country | United States |
State | Utah |
County | Garfield |
Founded | 1890 |
Abandoned | 1970s |
Elevation | 7,789 ft (2,374 m) |
GNIS feature ID | 1435476 |
Eagle City is a ghost town located in Garfield County, Utah, United States. It was a gold mining camp, high in the remote Henry Mountains of southern Utah. Eagle City was settled around 1890, but most people left by the start of World War I. One person stayed there alone until the 1970s.
Contents
The Story of Eagle City
How Eagle City Began
In 1889, two prospectors found gold in an area called Bromide Basin. This discovery started a small "gold rush," where many people came hoping to find their fortune.
Owners of two mines, named Bromide and Oro, built special mills on Crescent Creek. These mills helped to process the gold. A small town quickly grew up around these mills.
Life in the Mining Town
Eagle City soon had important buildings like a store, a hotel, a doctor's office, and a saloon. At its busiest time, about 100 people lived in Eagle City.
Famous outlaws, like members of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, were known to visit the town sometimes.
Why People Left Eagle City
As the miners dug deeper into the ground, the mine shafts began to fill with water. This made it very hard to get the gold out.
Miners planned to dig a very long tunnel to drain the water, but they never finished it. They simply ran out of money.
In 1911, the Bromide Mill, which was important for processing gold, burned down. Soon after, World War I began, and many young men left Eagle City to join the war.
Only one person, Frank Lawler, stayed behind in Eagle City. He lived there by himself for about 60 years. He spent his time looking for a famous, lost gold mine called the "Lost Josephine Mine."