Park City was world renowned as a great producer of silver. 
In 1905 the area produced more in precious metals than all 
the mining camps of neighboring states.

The cage is like an elevator which takes men,
supplies and ore to the surface and back 
underground. Most cages held eight men.

Within the hills of Park City there are piles of dirt
remaining from mining. Some are large, some tiny. The
tiny ones, referred to as "digging," may have been small
potatoes but represent many of the 200 mines in this area.

In 1903 men at the Ontario worked 10 hours a day mining.
They had two days off; Christmas and July 4th.

Stretching over an area of 11,000 acres are mine
workings which measure over 1200 miles in length.

As late as the 1950s any child who was in the Fourth of
July parade received a dime for his efforts. A few children
hurried back into line again and paraded by one more time 
for another dime.

Difficult to believe now, but $3 a day was a good wage in 
1903, even for 10 hours of work, six days a week. Less 
skilled laborers and muckers made $2.75; the skilled
carpenter made $3.50.

In 1878 when the Ontario mine opened the first school, all
the children studied in the same room with one teacher,
who kept busy making sure everyone was learning, whether
six years old or sixteen.

In the prosperous 1920s it was estimated that over 1,925
men were employed in Park City mines at a variety of
jobs, including carpenter, hoistman, motorman, assayer,
geologist, surveyor, mill worker, machinist, mucker, steel
nipper, shift boss and miner.

In the 1940s and 1950s, The Park Record newspaper was
sold on the street by children. For one nickel each child
could buy two papers which sold for a dime each, leaving
enough for a movie or good-sized treat.

The number of working mills was an indicator of the 
prosperity of Park City. When a mill closed for any length
of time, it was usually because the mine it served was lacking 
ore to process. The sound, smell and smoke from mills 
affected residents. Those with wealth retired to Salt Lake
City.

As late as the 1950s, one penny could buy a piece of candy,
sometimes two depending on size and flavor. Favorites 
were peppermint sticks, rock candy and jawbreakers.

In 1880 the Utah Eastern Railroad sent its first passenger
train into Park City from Echo. Soon railroad travel was
possible up Parleys Canyon from Salt Lake and into Provo
Canyon through the Heber Valley. Rail lines were plentiful
within the Park City area. Some connected mines to their mills.
Many are hidden underground in mines and used to move ore.
At the surface one set of rails ran to the edge of the dump for 
the leftover rock (overburden); another set took the ore rich
with mineral to the mill.

Not every small town had its own brand of soda pop, but
Park City did! What were the eight flavors? Grape, black
cherry, orange, strawberry, root beer, cream, lime and 
lemon.

In 1977, a dozen women were on the payroll at the Ontario
mine. Some worked above ground in the mill, in the warehouse, 
surveying or running hoists. Others worked underground 
operating pumps, making primer for blasting or mucking. Only
one woman worked as a hard rock miner.