Inferno: The Apocolyptic End of Mercur, Utah

I recently purchased a book titled "Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures" by George A. Thompson. Its an interesting historical read. The book is more of myth and legends about "lost" treasure than factual details but there are some very interesting tidbits in the book about old Utah settlements. Its just the right book for a history and real estate nut like myself.

One captivating story relates to the mining town of Mercur, Utah located south of Tooele. The place burned to the ground in 1896 just the day before celebrating Utah Statehood.

Mining was so productive that the city was entirely rebuilt. Here is a picture of it June 26, 1902.


Then, a careless flame caught the Preble Hotel on fire. Whoops!


This photo makes you thankful for modern fire codes. With this fire, the city was never rebuilt. However, the site is still mined today and what was once the former city site has been totally excavated for mineral extraction.