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Eureka was originally known as Ruby Hollow before it developed into a bustling mining town. Incorporated as a city in 1892, Eureka became the financial center for the Tintic Mining District, a wealthy gold and silver mining area in Utah and Juab counties. The district was organized in 1869 and by 1899 became one of the top mineral producing areas in Utah. Eureka housed the "Big Four" mines -- Bullion Beck and Champion, Centennial Eureka, Eureka Hill, and Gemini-and later the Chief Consolidated Mining Company. The Chief was developed by the Walter Fitch family, who not only had their own mine in Eureka, but also the company headquarters, family residences, and family cemetery -- a most unique feature in any western mining town.
As with other mining towns, Eureka developed from a camp to a settlement then town. It benefited from competing transportation services of the Union Pacific (1889) and the Denver and Rio Grande Western (1891) railroads. By 1910, after 40 years of activity, more than $75 million in ore had been dug from the area’s mines. And the town’s population had reached 8,000. In fact, in 1909, 80% of the stocks being traded on the Salt Lake Stock Exchange were Tintic properties.
Eureka's role as the central financial point for the district ensured its survival. It housed business establishments, including the second-ever JCPenney store (then called the Golden Rule Store), financial institutions, local and county governmental buildings including Eureka City Hall (1899) and a Juab County Courthouse (1892), various churches, and the meeting places for numerous labor, social, and fraternal organizations. Mining entrepreneurs such as John Q. Packard, John Beck, Jesse Knight, and Walter Fitch Sr. were important figures in Eureka and Tintic history. Over the years, the reachable ore gradually ran out. High costs, lack of water, and lower prices shut most of the mines down by 1940. The last major mine closed in 1957. In 1979 Eureka was placed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Tintic Mining District Multiple Resource Area, recognizing the importance of remaining buildings and sites. Eureka is now a living ghost town with around 800 residents.
Eureka Utah became an EPA Superfund Cleanup Site in the early 2000s, due to high concentrations of lead and arsenic in the soil. The cleanup of approximately 700 residential and commercial properties with lead in soil concentrations greater than 231 parts per million (ppm) were performed. The cleanup generally consisted of removal of 18 inches of soil and construction of an 18-inch cap consisting of vegetated soil or rock. Numerous residential retaining walls and yard slopes were capped with 18-inch cap of rock. Mine waste/tailing piles near Eureka, which posed a human health risk, were capped with an 18-inch cap of rock. Money for the clean up came from previous mine owners and of course, us taxpayers.
When staying in Eureka, the place to stay is the historic Tintic Goldminers Inn Bed & Breakfast. The B&B is a restored home once owned by Lillian Fitch and J. Fred Johnson, superintendent of the Chief Consolidated Mining Co. The B&B resides in a small community on the south side of Eureka once called Fitchville as the homes were built for Mr. Walter Fitch and his family. The current owners Norman and Margaret Gillen have restored this mansion to bring visitors modern day amenities all while maintaining the original character and authenticity of this former C. Fred Johnson residence.
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