Spring Canyon, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spring Canyon
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Ruin in Spring Canyon
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 Spring Canyon
Location in Utah
Spring Canyon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Carbon |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Abandoned | 1969 |
| Named for | The canyon of the same name |
| Elevation | 6,634 ft (2,022 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1437694 |
Spring Canyon, also known as Storrs, is a ghost town located in Carbon County, Utah. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, and few or no people live there anymore.
The town started in 1912 when a man named Jesse Knight bought a large area of land. He wanted to mine for coal there. He built a town for the miners and their families. It was first called Storrs, after the person who managed the mine. Later, in 1924, the town's name was changed to Spring Canyon.
For many years, a lot of coal was mined here. During World War II, the mine produced even more coal. But after the war, people needed less coal. So, people started to leave Spring Canyon. By 1969, the town was completely empty.
How Spring Canyon Started
Before Spring Canyon was built, people living in Helper were already digging for coal nearby. In 1895, a man named Teancum Pratt built a road. This road made it easier to move the coal from the mountains.
In 1912, Jesse Knight bought a big piece of land. He started the Spring Canyon Coal Company. He built about sixty homes for the miners and their families. In 1913, he also built a railroad. This railroad connected the new town to a bigger train line in Helper.
Jesse Knight named the town Storrs. This was to honor George Storrs, who was the mine superintendent. Knight wanted Storrs to be a good place for families. He did not allow places like saloons or gambling houses in the town. In 1914, a school and a church were built. Most of the people living there were part of the LDS Church. By the end of 1914, the mine was already sending out 1,000 tons of coal every day!
Life in Spring Canyon
By 1924, Storrs was a busy town with about 1,000 people. It had a hotel, a swimming pool that was heated, and well-built homes, offices, and stores. Around this time, the town's name officially changed to Spring Canyon.
From 1924 to 1943, the mine continued to produce about 1,000 tons of coal daily. In 1940, the Spring Canyon mine was one of the biggest coal producers in Utah. During World War II, the mine worked even harder. It produced an amazing 2,000 tons of coal every day!
Why the Town Became Empty
By 1946, the Spring Canyon mine had dug up and moved a huge amount of coal. It had produced eleven million tons! By 1948, the Spring Canyon Coal Company was also running mines in other nearby towns like Standardville and Royal.
However, after World War II, people started using less coal. The demand for coal went down. By 1954, only a small number of miners were still living and working in Spring Canyon.
The mine finally closed in 1969. This happened because it was not producing much coal, and it cost too much to keep it open. In 1969, only three families were left in Spring Canyon. By the end of that year, everyone had moved away, and Spring Canyon became a true ghost town.
When the mine first closed, many buildings were left behind. The Spring Canyon Hotel, most of the homes, and the mine offices were still standing. But in 1975, almost all the buildings in the town's main area were torn down. Today, only the old railroad bridge and some ruins of the houses are left. They are a reminder of the busy coal mining town that once was.
