The Most Straight Laced Mining Town in Utah Was Not What You Expect

This mining town near Milford, Utah was the opposite of what you would expect boom towns to be from this era. There were no brothels, and the one saloon was forced to be built a mile out of town. You may think this sounds like a Mormon thing, but you would be wrong. 

A Tale of Two Mining Towns 

There were two towns located near silver mines and just 7 miles apart during the turn of the century. They were filled with miners working the profitable veins, but that is the only thing these two communities had in common.  

Frisco was wild with 20 saloons, several brothels, and plenty of gambling dens. It was in its heyday in 1885 when a collapse buried the mine and led to its demise. A new shaft was opened later and mining continued until 1950. 

The town of Newhouse was established in 1900 when a man named Samuel Newhouse opened a silver mine and established the town after his name. Unlike Frisco, this place was ordered and family friendly. 

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Newhouse was a Mining Town Reflecting Utah Values 

Now a ghost town, Newhouse had nice stucco houses for the miners to live in. There was a hospital, dance hall, library, and a restaurant. The founder of the town gave presents every Christmas to the children living there. 

The only saloon around was not allowed in city limits. There were no brothels or places to gamble. It sounds like the kind of place that would reflect Utah religious values. However, the founder was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Founder of the Mining Town was a Child of Immigrants

Turns out Samuel Newhouse was Jewish. He was born in New York City and made his fortune in Colorado and then Utah as part of the copper mines established there. He kept a firm hand on the town named after him and kept it wholesome. 

Read More: Learn How Nuclear Tests Shaped Southern Utah’s History

You can see the remains of Newhouse in the video above. It is not the story we are used to when looking at the boom towns that sprung up in Utah and other western states.