Kimberly, Utah
Kimberly | |
|---|---|
  Kimberly Location of Kimberly in Utah  Kimberly Kimberly (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 38°29′N 112°23′W / 38.483°N 112.383°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Piute |
| Established | 1890s |
| Abandoned | 1938 |
| Named for | Peter Kimberly |
| Elevation | 8,970 ft (2,734 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1446867[1] |
Kimberly is a
History
Foundation
Growth
The town, renamed Kimberly, began to boom. Mill Canyon's terrain naturally divided Kimberly into two sections: Upper Kimberly, the residential area higher up the canyon, and Lower Kimberly, the business district that had been Snyder City. Lower Kimberly's main street bent around the head of the canyon in a horseshoe shape.[3] Kimberly quickly became the leading gold camp in the state, with two hotels, two stores, three saloons, and two newspapers.[5] In 1900 the county formed the Gold Mountain School District, and a log schoolhouse was built. Enrollment peaked at 89 in 1903. Kimberly's school year was just the opposite of the North American norm: children attended school from April through November to avoid the deep snows of winter.[3]
The boom period of 1901–1908 is considered to be the town's heyday;
Like most mining camps, Kimberly was known as a wild and vice-ridden place. Its brothels were famous, and drunkenness was commonplace. The town had problems with violence, even murder.[4] The two-cell jail was said to be the strongest within 100 miles (160 km).[3]
Decline
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 104 | — | |
| 1910 | 8 | −92.3% | |
| 1920 | 3 | −62.5% |
Kimberly reached a turning point with the death of Peter Kimberly, in 1905. The Annie Laurie Company was sold to a British company that lacked experience running a mining operation. The new owners tried to cut labor costs using the
For years only a few men remained at Kimberly, doing minor maintenance.
Kimberly's high elevation makes it inaccessible for much of the year, but many remnants of the town are still visible. The upper part of the canyon is filled with tailings. Ruins of many log and frame buildings line the lower canyon, the skeleton of the Annie Laurie mill is still standing, and a few mine buildings are largely intact.[4]
References
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Upper Kimberly
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lower Kimberly
- ^ ISBN 0-913738-39-5. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-914740-30-X.
- ^ ISBN 0-942688-01-5.
Further reading
- Pace, Josephine (Spring 1967). "Kimberly as I Remember her" (PDF). Utah Historical Quarterly. 35 (2): 112–120. ISSN 0042-143X. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
External links
- Kimberly at GhostTowns.com
 | ||||
| Unincorporated communities | ||||
| Ghost towns | ||||
| ||||