Railroad and Coal Mining History

Coal. Castle Country was built on coal. The vast coal fields of the Book Cliffs make this one of the richest coal producers in the West. Carbon and Emery Counties are the center of mining and railroad activity in Utah. Through the history of the counties there have been over 30 operating coal mines. Around each mine there was a community of hard working miners and their families. Thousands of immigrants gathered from around the world.

Helper received its name from the helper engines that pulled the trains over the steep mountain passes. Castle Country was once a criss-cross of railroad tracks - as most of the mines had railroad spurs to transport the coal.

On May 1, 1900, 200 coal miners were killed in the Winter Quarters Coal Mine disaster. It was the 5th largest mine disaster in United State's history.

The Helper Mining and Railroad Museum chronicles the areas history. It is an amazing resource. Along with 4 floors of exhibits, the archivists have hundreds of photographs, written accounts and histories. Also, visit the Carbon County Gen Web page to read many detailed histories of miners, coal mines and the railroad.