A Brief History of Alta, Utah In the early 1850′s Mormon
settlers began mining granite lower in the canyon for material
to build a temple. Word filtered down canyon that there was
evidence of silver ore up the road. The pioneers weren’t much
interested as they were struggling to settle. A Col. Patrick
Connor had been dispatched to the area from the army to help
protect the overland mail route newly opened across the U.S. He
shrewdly sensed the great wealth which lay underground high in
the hills. He attracted a number of prospectors into the canyon.
Individuals made millions and lost them, but the town of Alta
got a start. By 1869, with the completion of the east-west
railway link from Nebraska to California, mining reached a new
peak. An economic depression in the late 1890′s slowed things
down, but there was a resurgence in 1904. A narrow gauge railway
was built in 1916 up to Tanner’s Flats. From there an aerial
tram joined the rail system to Alta. By 1919 the railway
extended all the way up the canyon. Pro