The Daly West Mine. A name that whispers of boom and bust. Of fortunes made and lives lost. Stand here with me and let its story unfold.
The Daly West Mine wasn’t just a mine. It was a sprawling complex. Impressive structures once housed the machinery that pulled riches from the earth. John J Daly a man with little formal education arrived in Park City in 1876. He had a vision a dream fueled by campfire stories and years spent learning mining techniques in Nevada. He wasn’t alone. He teamed up with John Judge and R C Chambers. Three unlikely partners who would soon become incredibly wealthy.
Daly believed the Jones Bonanza ores shared a vein with the Ontario Mine. He secured claims in Empire Canyon. By 1885 he had 24 claims and the Daly Mining Company was born. Chambers and his Ontario partners joined the venture. The Daly West Mining Company followed in 1891. It grew to encompass 1200 acres. The Ontario Mine’s ore vein heading west made the Daly West expansion inevitable. The Morgan Group Quincy Mine and Little Bell Mine all became part of this vast operation.
But success brought conflict. Disputes arose with the Ontario owners. Eventually the Bamberger family gained control of the Daly West stock. Then disaster struck. On July 15 1902 dynamite exploded underground. Thirty-four miners perished. The explosion and the fumes claimed lives. It was one of the worst mining accidents in the area’s history.
Years passed. The Daly West Headframe a towering steel structure stood as a silent testament to the mine’s past. But in 2015 it collapsed. The shaft caved in. A project to save the headframe began. It involved the Empire Pass Master Owners Association Park City Municipal and Deer Valley Resort. Using two of Utah’s largest cranes the 80000 lb structure was raised. It now proudly stands near the Montage and Empire Lift at Deer Valley Resort. The cost of this remarkable feat 680250 dollars a testament to the enduring legacy of the Daly West Mine.
The Daly West Mine a story of ambition hardship triumph and tragedy. A story etched in the very landscape. A story we remember here today.