Bingham Canyon, UT

(Associated names include Boston Consolidated Co., Kennecott Corporation, Magna Mill, Copperton, Garfield Smelter, Bingham Open Pit Mine, Bingham Canyon Mine, Bingham Copper Mine)

Jobsite

Utah Copper Company became a significant mining operation in Bingham Canyon beginning in the early 1900s.  One of the owners, Daniel Jackling, made the early decision to use open-pit mining, steam shovels and the railroad as a way to mine low-grade porphyry copper.  His decision to use open-pit mining has been attributed to its success.  As occurred with many mining companies located in the canyon, Utah Copper Company was eventually acquired by Kennecott Corporation and became part of what is now considered to be the largest open-pit copper mine in the world.

Address or general location

Bingham Canyon, Utah

Details

In 1903, Daniel C. Jackling and Enos A. Wall founded the Utah Copper Company which mined low-grade prophyry copper ore at Bingham Canyon using open-pit mining.  Along with American Smelting & Refining Company (ASARCO), the Utah Copper Company built the Garfield Smelter.  Additionally, the Utah Copper Company built the Magna Mill at Copperton.  In 1906, Utah Copper Company merged with Boston Consolidated Mining Company, and, in 1936, Kennecott Corporation purchased Utah Copper Company.  For a good part of its history, the area mined by the Utah Copper Company was still referred to as “Utah Copper” even after it was purchased by Kennecott Corporation.  

As part of the Bingham Canyon area in the Oquirrh Mountains west of Salt Lake City, Utah, the property near Utah Copper was settled by those who worked at the mines and mills until expansion required some of the communities to relocate.  In particular, employees of Utah Copper Company often lived in Garfield.  In 1956, Kennecott sold the Garfield homes to their residents and moved them to other locations in the Salt Lake Valley as the mine continued to expand.  The property formerly owned by Utah Copper Company is now a part of the very large, open-pit mine owned by Kennecott Corporation (now Rio Tinto) which is believed to be the largest in the world.