Bingham Canyon, First Mining Company
This page was last updated on April 13, 2008.
Minutes of the First Mining Company
(from Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 7, pp. 81-83)
At a meeting of the quartz miners of West Mountain Quartz Mining District held at Jordan Ward House, Salt Lake Valley, on September 17, 1863, the following bylaws were passed:
Article No. I. This District shall include that portion of territory situated in the Territory of Utah and bounded as follows: Commencing at the confluence of the River Jordan with Great Salt Lake and running thence in southerly direction along the east bank of said River Jordan to its point of exit from Utah Lake and running thence along the west margin of said Lake Utah to the 40th degree of north latitude (Greenwich) to the 114th degree of longitude (Greenwich) thence along said 114th degree of west longitude to the 41st degree (p.82) of north latitude to Great Salt Lake, thence along the margin of said lake in a south-easterly direction to the place of beginning.
Article No. 2. The extent of a claim on any quartz lead or vein shall be two hundred feet to the claims with all its dips, angles and variations.
Article No. 3. No person shall be permitted to hold more than one claim by location on any one vein--by purchase can hold any number of shares.
Article No. 4. All claims located must have a notice posted upon them stating the number of shares, the probable course claimed and also recorded in the books of the district recorder within ten days.
Article No. 5. Each company must do one faithful day's work on their claims each month after the first day of April, 1864. A failure to do so the claims will be jumpable, provided, however, that if the company is prevented by local insurrection or rebellion from working, a failure to do so will not forfeit their claim.
Article No. 6. The discoverer of a vein of quartz containing gold, silver, copper, or other valuable metals or minerals, will be entitled to locate two shares.
Article No. 7. There shall be a district recorder elected from among the miners of the district, whose duty it shall be to record all claims presented for the purpose, giving the name of each location or owner, and receive as compensation a sum not exceeding one dollar per location or owner. His term of office shall be one year, or until his successor is chosen.
Article No. 8. These laws will apply to locations of claims on veins of coal, iron, or other metals or minerals in this district.
Archibald Gardner was elected District Recorder of West Mountain District for one year from the date above written.
Archibald Gardner, President
G. W. Carleton, Secretary
The undersigned members of the Jordan Silver Mining Company, claim for mining purposes, one share of two hundred feet each and one additional claim of two hundred feet for the original discoverer, George B. Ogilvie, on this lead of mineral ore with all its dips, spurs and angles beginning at the stake situated one hundred feet northeast of Gardner's shanty in Bingham Kanyon in West Mountain and running five thousand two hundred feet in a westerly direction along the side of said mountain on a line with Bingham Kanyon and intend to work the same according to the mining laws of this mining district:
| Archibald Gardner | 1 share | M.G. Lewis | 1 share |
| George B. Ogilvie | 2 | Alex Bexted (Beckstead) | 1 |
| Alex Ogilvie | 1 | James Timothy | 1 |
| P. E. Connor | 1 | Sam'l Egbert | 1 |
| R. C. Drum | 1 | G.W. Carleton | 1 |
| Wm. Hickman | 1 | Nell Anderson | 1 |
| Robert K. Reid | 1 | Edwd. McCarry | 1 |
| John Harcastle | 1 | M.J. Jenkins | 1 |
| C. J. Sprague | 1 | H.O. Pratt | 1 |
| Thomas Bexted (Beckstead) | 1 | Robert Pollock | 1 |
| James Brineget | 1 | Daniel McLean | 1 |
| Henry Bexted (Beckstead) | 1 | N.B. Eldredge | 1 |
| Hugh O'Donnell | 1 |
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