More Mining Claims added in South Fork of Neversweat Wash.

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  The Kaiser Mining Company of Salt Lake City has added nineteen more mining claims to its patented property in the old Summerville District, east of Cedar Mountain, and more particularly in the south fork of Neversweat Wash.  Extended development on this property is contemplated in the immediate future.  Plenty of low grade ore is in sight, carrying copper and silver. 

Eastern Utah Advocate
February 22, 1906

Mining near Woodside at Cedar Mountain.

THROUGH THE KINGDOM OF EMERY

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  Felix Presset was one of the Woodside delegation in town early in the week and spoke enthusiastically of the mining outlook in his section of the country.  He confirmed all the good reports published concerning the quality and quantity of ore Harvey Hardy and his associates are getting on Cedar Mountain, five miles west of Woodside, and further informs us that the Azurite Mining Company, of which George W. Richmond of Salt Lake is manager, is also sacking a quantity of lead ore on its property one and one half miles south of the Hecker property.  The Azurite people have three men at work and the Hecker fold five.--Castle Dale Progress. 

Eastern Utah Advocate
February 27, 1902

Emery County Marble.

EMERY COUNTY MARBLE

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  Expert opinions lately obtained on samples of marble from the claims located by Ira and E. S. Day of Lawrence together with several others are very encouraging.  There are said to be as many if not more varieties of colors in this new marble find than can be found in any other marble property in the United States.  The coloring too is said to be of the prettiest uranium tints.  So far however there is no pure white but it is expected that this may be encounter with further development work.  The stone dresses nicely.  Mr Hayden, an expert eastern stone cutter, is now engaged in making some pretty ornamental work at Huntington.  He too pronounces the Emery County stone the equal of any he has heretofore seen.  There are several ledges of the marble exposed on Lost Spring wash east of Cedar Mountain and about 27 miles from Lawrence showing the deposit to be of great quantity.  An effort will be made to get the stone on the market and secure the endorsement of some prominent builder in Salt Lake and elsewhere.  There is enough of the material in Emery County to build several cities and it is expected that a good industry will soon be established about the stone deposits along the eastern edge of Cedar Mountain. 

Emery County Progress
August 2, 1902

Silver Lead Copper and Gold at Cedar Mountain.

MINING ON CEDAR MOUNTAIN

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  According to reports someone has started a little mining boom around Cedar Mountain.  Chris Larsen and Ervin Draper of Castle Dale were over in that direction a few days ago delivering a few tons of oats to Peter Olsen at Woodside.  They noticed about a dozen men prospecting and working in the district and ascertained that a few Denver men were in the party for the purpose of examining the territory with the view of prospecting and developing same.  Considerable work has been done there in the past by various parties and ore has been found that runs very high in silver and lead with some gold and copper.  Ex-Sheriff Hardy of Salt Lake City and the Hecker Mining Company have also done considerable exploitation work and obtained fairly good results but the distance from the railroad and the heavy freight charges from Desert Switch to a smelter point have discouraged the proposition of mining very extensively.  With some method of treating the ore locally thee is enough of it already exposed and of good value to warrant mining operations on an extensive scale. 

Emery County Progress
December 12, 1908

Pleased with Showings

PROSPECTORS PLEASED

WITH THEIR SHOWINGS

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  Lars Frandsen came back to Price the other day from the Cedar Mountain country, where he left Ed Stewart, R. Pace and Jack Whiting working several claims recently located by himself and others.  They have a fourteen inch vein in place on one claims, says Frandsen, and this will be sunk to considerable depth.  The crowd will take up about twenty claims, locating among others the old Hoyt mine, worked as far back as 1892. 

  The twenty-two tons of ore recently shipped from there to Salt Lake City by Peter Frandsen of Castle Dale gave an average value of twelve dollars to the ton, says Lars Frandsen.  Provo parties were down there last week, figuring to put in a mill or leaching process, for the treatment of the ore, which carries lead, silver, gold and copper.  

  Lars Frandsen's claims are located about six miles west of Desert Switch.  There is plenty of water for milling and mining purposes.  Good springs of water flow the year around, while wood and coal may be had in close proximity. 

Eastern Utah Advocate
March 8, 1906

Fortunes near Woodside.

PRICE PEOPLE SEEKING
FORTUNES NEAR WOODSIDE
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  Lars Frandsen, R. Pace, Ed Stewart and Jack Whiting pulled out of Price last week for the Cedar Mountain country, where they expect to make a mine and a fortune along with it.  Supplies were taken along to keep several men at work for a considerable time.  The property gives assays of gold, silver, copper and lead and the claims are most encouraging as far as prospected.  They adjoin those of Peter Frandsen, the latter having recently shipped out a car of twenty-two tons to Salt Lake City, and which, it is claimed, it will pay to work.  The nearest shipping point is Desert Switch.

Eastern Utah Advocaate
Marach 1, 1906

More on mining near Woodside Utah.

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Hardy Makes Strike

  Word reaches here that Harvey Hardy, who has been working in the Woodside district for two years or more, has made another strike on Cedar Mountain.  Some years ago a man named Brandon from Leadville located a claim on the east slope of the mountain, and was grubstaked by the railroad operator and pumpman at Woodside while he and a man named Eldridge sank a forty foot shaft on the claim, all men owning a fourth interest.  The Leadville man died and the property was abandoned.  Since that time it was located by Hardy, who has lately had a couple of men on it doing the annual labor.  A few days ago they encountered a rich paystreak at a depth of fifty feet that runs extremely high in silver and carries some gold and copper. 

Eastern Utah Advocate
November 13, 1902

October 1, 2011 Trip to Cedar Mountain

I went to Emery County, Castle Dale and finally Cedar Mountain on the first of October.  It was very interesting.  We got there in late afternoon and frankly, I have never seen it so crowded.  There were people camping, rounding up cattle, four wheeling, senior citizens, (who looked like teenagers when they went by in the bus), treasure hunters and whoever else was just out there for a trip.  The view was spectacular.  I had my cousin and his son-in-law with me and I believe the son-in-law, NoWay, was overwhelmed with the view.  He had a better time than any he could ever have in the city.  He wants to go back again. 

Joseph Augustus Curtis, Jr. (Dode)

Joseph Augustus Curtis, Jr. was eventually known as Dode.  Dode was never baptised into the LDS Church despite his rich pioneer heritage not only for pioneers in Utah but also pioneers in the LDS Church.  Dode was born in Castle Dale.  From what I can tell he never really went far from  the area of the Price River drainage and spent his life in Carbon and Emery Counties near Woodside, Summerville, Humbug and Grassy.  I could also throw Cedar Mountain into that mix.

Dode is often associated with two men.  His father Joe and his brother Guy.  Dode had many mining claims with different family members.  That will be explored in more detail in later posts.  Dode once bought a horse with his father Joe and the Whitmores.  That too will be explored more in future posts.  Where as my grandfather Nicholas was a city dweller, Dode spent a lot of time on the desert.  A lot of this time was spent in a tent.  A lot of that time was also spent alone as far as I know.

There are a few landmarks which bear the name of Joe or Curtis which I believe are attributed to Dode's father who was one of the first settlers of Woodside.  Joe's Holes near Cedar Mountain is one of those.  There is also a Joe Spring near Park Wash which I believe is a strong candidate for being associated with Joe Curtis, Sr.  Dode had mining claims in Park Wash.  There is also a story of Dode having a wolf attack a young colt in the Park.  The colt later died from it's injuries.  The Park is in the Bookcliffs just above Horse Canyon and at the head of Park Wash.

Joe, Dode and Max had much in common.  I know Joe and Max herded sheep and I suspect Dode did as well.  Dode and Max had mining claims and it is also reported that Joe was known to prospect when he had time.  Joe and Max were farmers and Dode even attempted a homestead on Cedar Mountain with Guy.  I believe they were the first to attempt farming on Cedar Mountain.

I would also like to mention another landmark which I believe was named for Joe Curtis.  In the San Rafael Group of formations there is one called the Curtis Formation.  It borders the Summerville Formation which was named for another early settler of Woodside named Summerville.  I believe that the Curtis Formation was named for Joe simply because he was one of the first settlers of Woodside.   The Curtis Formation reaches as far as Flaming Gorge, Moab, near Hanksville and surrounds the San Rafael Swell.  The Entrada Formation, Summerville Formation and Curtis Formation were all named at the same time.  At the same time the formations were named there was also places named.  Entrada Point, Summerville Point and Curtis Point were named where these formations were prominent. 

In my next post I will summarize my comparison of my two grandfathers.