The Bingham Canyon Mine is the world’s largest excavation site and is visible from outer space. This mine and the now buried Bingham Canyon have kept the interest of many. The Bingham Canyon History group is especially unique because the town of Bingham Canyon no longer exists. Almost the entire town has been mined away by the Utah Copper open-pit mine or has been buried beneath its waste dumps. This curiosity has evolved and created an effort to have them remembered.
“Yes, it is a history that is unique in all the world. I live in Daybreak, which literally lies in the shadows of the copper mine and the ghost towns of Bingham Canyon,” club founder Anne Sheppard-Kurek said. “Two years ago I started the Bingham Canyon History Club of SpringHouse Village so that our residents could better appreciate the interesting, quirky history of Bingham Canyon.”
When Sheppard-Kurek found out that 2026 was the centennial year for the small town of Copperton, which is the last surviving town of Bingham Canyon, she thought this was a great chance to expand her club and educate a wider community. Author and Bingham Canyon expert Tim Dumas has been a guest speaker at their club.
They have made a 100th anniversary quilt that will be displayed at the Daybreak library, then it will be specifically showcased at Copperton’s Fourth of July celebration in 2026. For more information, check their Facebook page at Bingham Canyon History.
“My first book talks about Bingham Canyon and its people. My new book talks about the mine and the work to get the ore out of the ground,” Dumas said.
“Many people in this area (South Jordan, West Jordan, Riverton, Midvale, Murray and Sandy) worked at the mine. If you didn’t, you knew someone who did.”
Dumas’ book became available Feb. 24.
The activity in the Bingham Canyon Mine was first recorded in 1863 when ore was discovered. It was Daniel Jackling’s idea to mass-produce what was mined there. The catalyst to major growth was when they processed low-grade copper with steam shovels and trains. This was a genius start to the mine’s success. When open-cut mining started in 1906, it needed many more employees. These men and their families lived right next to the mining operation. The town grew with stores and schools to accommodate the growing population.
“It was a booming town; I think at one time it was the third-largest town in Utah,” Dumas said. “Communities around Bingham like Copperfield and Highland Boy were the first to go; they were eventually dug away. Bingham the town was both buried and dug away.”
A narrative history and research notes about railroads and mining in Utah’s Bingham Canyon can be found at utahrails.net. This includes information about Kennecott Utah Copper’s railroad locomotives and is found in the index under Bingham Canyon – “To Move A Mountain.”
“My goal of these two books is to keep Bingham History alive,” Dumas said. “Thanks for your interest. I love Bingham’s history.”