Bingham Canyon

The family that gave this canyon its name walked away from a fortune. Erastus Bingham and his sons took up grazing land here in 1848 and built a cabin at the canyon's mouth — and when they turned up ore-bearing rock, they thought about mining it. But Brigham Young told them the settlers needed food more than metal, so the Binghams gave up prospecting, moved north to Ogden in 1850, and never came back. The canyon kept their name. What lay beneath it became the greatest open-pit copper mine on earth.

What the plaque says

Bingham Canyon was named for Erastus Bingham and sons, Sanford and Thomas, Utah Pioneers of 1847, who in 1848 took up grazing land in this vicinity, first for private herds and later as a community enterprise. They built a small cabin at the mouth of the canyon, where Sanford, his bride Martha Ann Lewis, and Thomas, a member of the Mormon battalion, made their home. Accidental discovery of mineral-bearing rock led to some prospecting with promising indications. Advised by Brigham Young that production of food for the settlers and thousands who were coming was more urgent than mining, the Binghams abadoned prospecting with the intention of development later. In 1850, the Bingham family moved to Ogden and established Bingham's Fort as protection from hostile Indians and assisted in pioneering Weber County. They did not return to Bingham Canyon.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Bingham Canyon Mine — 0.9 mi
  The largest man-made excavation on Earth
• Saltair — 15 mi
  A haunting lakeside resort with a storied past
• International Peace Gardens — 17 mi
  A hidden garden where 28 countries are represented in miniature
• Lehi Roller Mills — 19 mi
  The flour mill from the movie Footloose

More markers nearby

• Tooele's First Cemetery — 8.3 mi
• Wight's Fort Cemetery — 9.8 mi
• Adobe Rock — 11 mi
• Broom Factory and Wagon Train terminal — 12 mi