Dividend Utah Ghost Town

It’s spring.   Its way nice in Utah right now.   I’m nowhere near route 66 anymore, but I still have the itch to explore a thing, and figure out a mystery.    It’s fuel for the fire.   I Did some exploring for some ghost towns.

The southern part of Utah County has a pretty long and rich history of mining.   Like most ghost towns, They were boom or bust and not all of them survived.    Hell, I just needed to ride.   If there was something cool to see, then that was a bonus.

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Great Day to ride.   In the upper 60’s.  The road King was as ready as I was.  
Dividend Utah Ghost Town
The Road into Dividend.
Dividend Utah Ghost Town
A concrete storehouse of some sort.  This was a good Sign…
Dividend Utah Ghost Town
This was even better. I’m not sure what this is, but I believe it was a place they loaded ore into mules driven wagons, one ton at a time, so they could get it to the railroad a few miles away.    Later on, Dividend did well enough they routed Rails through it to make it faster to load the ore, where it was processed about 20 miles away.
Dividend Utah Ghost Town
These doors must have been for Loading something.  Pretty cool they were still there and that douche bags hadn’t ripped them off and cashed them in for metal.   All I ever take is pictures from these kinds of places.   I hope you do too.  

Then I rounded the corner into Dividend.    They started working Dividend in 1907, and by 1916 they struck it rich.  It was called Dividend because how much money it had payed out to their stock holders.    A company town soon sprang up:  with a golf course, baseball fields and upwards of 200 residents.     It was one of the first towns in Utah to have indoor plumbing.

Dividend Utah Ghost Town
Dividend Utah in 1925
Dividend Utah Ghost Town
This mine shaft was at least 200 feet deep.
Dividend Utah Ghost Town
Main Mine Shaft
Dividend Utah Ghost Town
Check out the Water Towers at the top of the hill.
Dividend Utah Ghost Town
Dividend looking north

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The History of Dividend pretty much came to an end in 1949 when the mine had run its course.    I was able to get some stories from people who remember it as a kid.    People played, worked and made their living here.   Dividend was home.     Ahhh, I love a good ghost town.

Dividend Utah Ghost Town
Dividend in 1940. Notice the water towers at the top that say “Tintic Standard”. They’re still there, and you can still read it, barely.

 

1 day, 3 counties, 138 miles

 

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