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Park City Group Aims to Restore Historic Mines

HISTORYTOGO.UTAH.GOV

A group of community leaders, avid skiers and history buffs is dedicated to preserving historical mining sites throughout Park City Mountain Resort. 

"I think it's pretty well understood that if you don't understand your past, you have no idea where to go in the future," said Sally Elliot, a former Summit County councilwoman and local historian. "So it's very, very important to me that future generations have these beautiful iconic structures to remind them of what the past of Park City is." 

Elliot continued, "We have a very strong feeling about our history and about our future and I think that the mine buildings are just simply a reminder of who we are and where we need to be going." 

The group, the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, is focused on preserving seven mines that they identified as historical and noticeable to the public. A couple of the mines are California Comstock -- visible from skiing down Keystone run at Park City Mountain Resort -- and the Silver King Mine Complex, Rory Murphy, a local business owner said. 

"The heritage of this town is very colorful, it's very deep, it's interesting, it has lots of nuances to it and everyone that lives here, we enjoy that, we take pride in that and a lot of us have made a great deal of effort and spent a great deal of money trying to preserve that," Murphy said. 

Murphy said Park City has succeeded in promoting the commercial aspects of its history and historic Main Street, but is working on promoting the structure behind all of that. The mines on the mountains, he said, are the industrial infrastructure behind the city's history. 

The Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History have drafted a five-year fundraising plan to preserve the mines in which they hope to raise $750,000. The first fundraiser will take place in June. 

More information can be found at http://parkcityhistory.org/friends-of-ski-mountain-mining-history/.