Mammoth History
The Tintic Mining District was organized in 1869 following the discovery of valuable mineral deposits in the mountains southwest of Utah Lake. The original Mammoth claim was located on February 26, 1870, and additional claims were located nearby during the following months.
Among the early prospectors were members of the Wimmer and Crismon families. George Crismon began developing the property, and a small mining camp formed near the mine. Log and stone cabins were constructed, and the early residents included immigrant miners and their families. The lack of a reliable local water supply was a serious problem, with water reportedly hauled from Eureka and sold for ten cents per gallon. During the 1880s, a wooden pipeline was constructed from Jenny Lind Spring, improving the settlement's water supply.
In 1873, brothers Samuel and William McIntyre acquired George Crismon's interest in the Mammoth property in exchange for a herd of Texas cattle. Mining activity remained relatively modest during the 1870s, but the property was worked continuously by at least a small workforce. Initially developed for copper, the mine was found to contain silver and gold by 1876. These discoveries increased the property's value and helped sustain the small settlement.
By the 1880s, the Mammoth Mine was among the Tintic District's principal ore shippers and dividend-paying properties. Railroad transportation reached the mine by 1883, improving access to outside markets and reducing shipping costs. These developments helped establish the foundation for the mine's expansion during the following decade.
During the 1890s, substantial investments transformed the Mammoth property into a major industrial operation. In 1893, the Mammoth Mining Company constructed a pipeline approximately twenty miles long from Cherry Creek to supply water for milling. The project included a pumping plant capable of delivering 600 gallons per minute and reportedly cost about $130,000. A new mill was completed at the nearby settlement of Robinson in December 1893, with additional facilities constructed as ore production increased.
Mammoth received a post office in 1890 and developed rapidly during the following decade as mining operations expanded. Robinson grew around the milling facilities, and the two communities gradually formed a continuous town. New homes, boarding houses, hotels, stores, and other businesses were established to accommodate the growing workforce.
Mammoth reached its greatest prosperity during the first decade of the twentieth century. In 1910 the community contained 350 houses, 354 families, and around 2,800 residents. Housing was in such demand that multiple families sometimes occupied a single dwelling, while others lived in tents. The town supported four hotels, a school, hospital, newspaper, stores, saloons, and professional services. Mammoth was incorporated that year.
Declining ore production and fluctuations in metal prices contributed to Mammoth's decline beginning around 1911. By 1912, the population had reportedly fallen to approximately 1,700. Although mining continued, the town never regained its former prosperity. Fires and disputes over municipal boundaries and taxation added to its difficulties during the 1920s. Mammoth was disincorporated in November 1929, and by 1930 its population had declined to approximately 750.
Despite the town’s decline, mining continued intermittently at the Mammoth property for several more decades, although significant operations had largely ceased by the late 1950s. Mammoth’s post office closed in 1973.
Mammoth remains a small community in the East Tintic Mountains. Historic buildings, abandoned mine workings, waste-rock dumps, and the remains of milling facilities provide evidence of the extensive mining activity that once supported the town. Although only a fraction of the original settlement survives, Mammoth remains an important reminder of the Tintic District's contribution to Utah's mining industry.
Principal Gold Districts of Utah
Utah produced approximately 17,765,000 ounces of gold through 1960, making it sixth among the gold-producing states. Thirteen districts in nine counties yielded more than 10,000 ounces of gold each. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Utah.