Ghost Town: Copper Globe, San Rafael County, UT

[Kevin B.]

Site: Copper Globe mine
County, State: Emery, UT
Years of Occupation: 1900-1905
Status of Site: Open
Classification: Class II
Type: Mining camp
Remnants: Shafts and adits, some half-standing cabins and mining buildings
GPS Coordinate:
NRHP Reference#:
Date of Last Visit: March 29th 2015

Site history: The Copper Globe was primarily worked from 1900 to 1905, although saw sporadic activity through WWII. It's the only copper mine in the Swell, which is primarily known for it's uranium mines. The mine was never successful.

Site status: Open. The Copper Globe is on BLM land, access is unrestricted. The site contains numerous relics of the mining operation, including shafts, adits, several shacks, and assorted rubble. There is a grave nearby purported to belong to a murdered shepherd.

Directions to Get There: I70 exit 116. Take the only road south and follow the signs. Rocky ledgy shelf road with sections of sandy washbottom, high clearance required, 4WD and good tires strongly recommended. Remote area with no services, come prepared.

Further Reading:

http://mojaveunderground.com/wiki/index.php?title=Copper_Globe
http://www.emerycounty.com/travel/san-rafael-swell-copper-globe-mine.html
https://www.fs.ogm.utah.gov/PUB/MINES/AMR/A015/917/SanRafaelOralHistoryReport4-16-2012.pdf

 

[Kevin B.]

I apologize for the lack of good pics, I was expecting to add a photo or two to an existing article. I'll add what I took. It'll be a crying shame if I have to go back to get more, I'll really hate that.

Rainwater catch pool?

Vein of copper.

Primitive smelter?

Ruins:

Shaft and primitive hoist:

This exploratory adit only goes back 50 feet or so:

There's much more that I didn't get quality photographs of.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Fantastic pics, thanks for contributing!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Did you make it to the big cabin around the corner? Still in good condition?

 

[Kevin B.]

I didn't, I only just saw it on satellite photos this morning and I'm kicking myself. A return trip is definitely in order now.

 

[DAA]

I hope it's still there. Probably is, with as much other stuff as your photos show still there. I do believe Copper Globe is on the official reclamation list though. Meaning, when they get around to it, there won't be anything left when they are through.

We'll see a prime example of this when we visit the Jennie Mine on the GTT in about ten days. What used to be the best "wild" in situ mining artfifacts/ghost town site in Utah and maybe the whole west, turned into piles of rubble and rubbish.

It's on-going, all around the state. Insidious.

I'll do a little google fu, see if I can find out the status on Copper Globe. But I'm pretty sure I read somewhere a year or two ago that all the cool sites on The Swell were up for "reclamation". A la MLK, etc...

- DAA

 

[DAA]

From: http://etv10news.com/san-rafael-swell-abandoned-mine-reclamation-program/

"John Baza, Director of Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, and Associate Director John Rogers attended the Emery County Public Lands Council meeting on Tuesday.

Baza explained at the meeting that the abandoned mine reclamation program is in the next phase of the San Rafael project to close certain abandoned mines. They are currently focusing on the south part of the San Rafael Swell. The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining is working collaboratively with the Bureau of Land Management and the contract is currently out for bid...."

Doesn't list Copper Globe specifically, but this is moving forward with the process that I read about a year or two ago. That was only 6 months ago this was written. Bid process shouldn't take much longer and then I imagine sites like Hidden Splendor, Lucky Strike etc. are going to start getting bull dozed and all the history and artifacts destroyed.

Enjoy 'em while you can people! Our gov't at work! Just be glad we don't get all the gov't we pay for!

- DAA

 

[Kevin B.]

Wow. Thanks for that, Dave, sounds like if I want to see the rest of the mining stuff in the Swell I better plan on doing it this year.

 

[NYCO]

very cool! and real shitty about the reclamation process....guess we'll need to make some more trips west this summer to explore

 

[flyjester]

I was leading a run down in the SRS with the Wasatch Cruisers a couple weekends ago. We stopped at the Dirty Devil Mine and came across this...

Pallets of blocks at the bottom of the tailings and a port-o-potty, sure signs people are working out there.

They already re-barred an exit and were prepping to seal off the main entrance with cinder blocks in the next couple days. I think it is safe to say we could have been the last group to be in there. Quite a few pallets of cinder blocks being staged at the mine openings in that area.

 

[frieed]

There is a grave nearby purported to belong to a murdered shepherd.

you drove right past the monument, Shepherds End

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