Maid Appleton @ the Kennecott Copper Mine in Bingham, Utah
“Facts about Haulage Truck Tires: Tire Size – 55/80R63 Steel Belted Radial Tubeless; Height-12 feet, 6 inches; Diameter-153 inches; Weight-10,183 pounds: Tread Width-55 inches: Rim Size-63 inches: Tire Pressure-100 psi (pounds per square inch): Tire Life-One year (about 50,000 miles): Approximate Cost Per Tire-$25,000: Number of Tires Per Truck-Six”
“No 114: Erected December, 1948 – Bingham Canyon ~ Bingham Canyon was named for Erastus Bingham and sons, Sanford and Thomas, Utah pioneers of 1847, who in 1848 took up grazing land in this vicinity, first for private herds and later as a community enterprise. They built a small cabin at the mouth of the canyon, where Sanford, his bride Martha Ann Lewis, and Thomas, a member of the Mormon Battalion, made their home. Accidental discovery of mineral-bearing rock led to some prospecting with promising indications. Advised by Brigham Young that production of food for the settlers and thousands who were coming was more urgent than mining, the Binghams abandoned prospecting with the intention of development later. In 1850 the Bingham family moved to Ogden and established Bingham’s Fort as protection from hostile Indians and assisted in pioneering Weber County. They did not return to Bingham Canyon. – This marker erected by the Bingham Family and the Utah Pioneer Trails and Landmarks Association”
“Rocker Shovel Loader – Invented in 1938, this machine was called ‘The first successful device to replace human labor’ in narrow, confined tunnels in underground hard-rock mines. Operating by compressed air, the bucket scooped up the ore and waste rock that resulted from blasting. The bucket was lifted overhead and dumped the material into a mine rail car, which hauled the rock from the mine. About 29,000 of these machines, manufactured by EIMCO in Salt Lake City, were sold throughout the world.”
“Kennecott Utah Corporation – 1903-2003 – A Legacy in Mining”
“The Richest Hole on Earth – Bingham Canyon: A Living Legacy”
“Bingham Canyon – 1900”
“Bingham Canyon Mine – 1930”
“Bingham Canyon Mine – 1960”
“Bingham Canyon Mine – 1990”
“Bingham Canyon Mine – 2015”
“Drill bit from a Bucyrus-Erie 49R drill”
“Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine – has been designated a registered National Historic Landmark – Under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1955 thsi site possesses exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating the history of the United States – U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service 1967”
“Beginning in 1905, the Bingham Canyon Volunteer Fire Department used newly installed cast iron fire hydrants, with leaded-in brass fittings similar to this. Before that, fires were fought by bucket brigades formed by local citizens.”
“How Bingham Canyon’s Ore Becomes Metals You Use”
“Kennecott Utah Copper Bingham Canyon Mine – The World’s First Open-Pit Copper Mine and Man’s Largest Excavation: Drilling and Blasting | In-Pit Crusher | Loading and Hauling | In 1906, This Was a Mountain”
“To bring one to the surface from early underground mines, buckets such as this were used. Miners would often ride up the shafts along with the ore.”
“Remnant of Stamp Foundation from the Rogers Mill where Daniel C. Jackling in 1898-1899 conducted the original mill tests on ore from this deposit. On the results of these tests the Utah Copper Enterprise was conceived and to January 1, 1949 had produced: 9,563,841.413 pounds of copper: 537,618,374 tons ore mined & milled: 1,175,639,355 tons ore & waste removed”
I am interesting in knowing if the Bingham Memorial placed at the visitor’s center is still there and if it will be displayed when the center is opened. The question may be odd since I do not know the disposition of the Visitor’s Center since the slide and when and if it will be reopened.
Dawn, thanks for writing. As you know a crazy landslide in 2013 filled 150 million tons of debris into the open-faced pit. They are still cleaning it up! The visitor’s center is currently closed and according to this article (http://fox13now.com/2015/04/16/kennecott-still-cleaning-up-debris-2-years-after-massive-landslide-at-bingham-canyon-mine/), they have no plans to re-open it anytime soon. I enjoyed my visit to the visitor’s center, but to them that is very low priority at this point. They need to make sure everything is safe just for the mine to become fully operational again. Since you can’t make it thee right now, check out the site and perhaps you’ll find other places you’d like to visit. Remember to take a juice box with you and send us your pics.
Thank you so much for the reply. At least I have a photograph. Also, thank you for the link to information about the slide. I knew of it, but didn’t have much information.