Sesquicentennial Celebration

View the Photographs

The community of Bingham Canyon was located 26 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. The Bingham brothers, Thomas and Sanford, settled the canyon in 1848. The town incorporated in 1904 and was classified a city in 1938.

These unique black and white photographs depict the living conditions and economic stability of the Canyon preceding the depression. Although these images were taken in the 1930's and 1940's for tax purposes, the date listed with each photograph reflects the date the building was built.

Utah Copper Company, now called Kennecott Copper, was just beginning to expand their mining operations. Employment was up 50 percent from the previous year, and Utah Copper had just purchased the Hotel Ritz, Copper and Bingham. Additionally, all 18 beer halls were in operation, boarding houses were full, and the federally funded "Works Project Administration" was providing the money needed for the construction of the first sewer system in the Canyon.