Utah GeoTour-Juab-Old Knightsville School Traditional Cache

Knightsville Ruins

In 1869 suddenly the word “Eureka” was gold on everyone’s lips. Large gold nuggets were found in the Tintic Mountains, and hundreds moved in to stake their claims. By 1870 the tent city was called Eureka. Sunshine Mine with its motherlode of rich ore produced millions of dollars in gold, silver, lead, and other metals. On the other side of the mountain, another large discovery was made. The extent of the motherlode was so large, it was named Mammoth (see the photo of the Mammoth Mine Entrance as seen today), and a city grew there also. However, like other boom towns in mining regions, when the ore ran out people moved away leaving the mining towns deserted. Today you can relive the past by visiting these nearby places where gold was once king.

Enter Jesse Knight (see photo), who came to the Mining District in 1896, with little money and no previous mining knowledge or experience. Against the advice of experienced geologists, he sank a mine shaft that quickly reached a rich body of ore. In response to those who had doubted, he named it the Humbug Mine. Opening about a half dozen mines in the east Tintic area, Knight became one of the region's richest mine owners, yet was colloquially known by his employees as "Uncle Jesse" for his fairness and generosity. 

He decided to build his own model town to house the miners near the Humbug Mine. He started Knightsville (named after himeself) by having 20 houses built on Godiva Mountain, but soon expanded to 65 homes (see the photo with one of the mining families from the town), two boarding houses, a few stores, churches, hotels, and even a post office. Yet he didn't stop in Knightsville; to learn more about another one of his ventures, check out the Spring Canyon GeoTour Cache

Sadly, in 1915 the valuable ores in Knight's mines began to run out. Some of the mines were gradually closed. Houses were moved out of Knightsville, many of them to nearby Eureka. By 1924 only two mines were still running, and by 1940 the entire operation was closed down. The site of Knightsville was emptied. Today nothing remains but some assorted debris and the nearby schoolhouse foundation, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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