History
Situated south and east of the Wasatch Plateau and west of the Book Cliffs, Carbon County’s history dates back thousands of years to when the Fremont Indians lived extensively throughout the area, leaving behind numerous rock art panels. Before these ancient natives called it home, the land was roamed by dinosaurs, the footprints of which have been found in many of the area coal mines.
The first European settlers were the Mormons, who began to cross the Wasatch Plateau, building numerous small communities all along the Price River in the late 1870s. The initial roads into the region included paths off the Old Spanish Trail, the Nine Mile Canyon freight road from Price to the Uinta Basin, and a route over Soldier Summit, were utilized by the early farmers and ranchers for transporting goods and supplies.
Helper, Utah was originally a railroad town and served as the "hub" for all the mining camps surrounding it. All the buildings and homes on main street, with the exception of four, were built between 1898 and 1939 and now make up Historic Main Street, all named on the Historical Register. As a center for miners and railroaders there were saloons, hotels, bordellos, pool halls, gambling halls, Greek Coffee houses, theatres for entertainment from Kabuki theater, silent movies, boxing and dancing. There were also several grocery and mercantile stores. The mining camps were populated with immigrants from all over the world, so much so that Helper became known as the town of "57 Varieties" due to its ethnic diversity.
With the arrival of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1881-82, Helper began to develop as a population center. By 1887 the D&RGW had erected some twenty-seven frame residences, with more built later in the year. In 1892, Helper was designated the division point between the eastern and western D&RGW terminals in Grand Junction, Colorado, and Ogden, Utah, respectively, and a new depot, hotel, and other buildings were constructed.
Trains traveling westward from the Price side to the Salt Lake City side of the plateau required additional "helper" engines in order to make the steep (2.4% grade) 15-mile (24 km) climb up Price Canyon to the town of Soldier Summit. Helper was named after these helper engines, which the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad stationed in the city.
Helper was fast becoming the center of the Carbon County coalfields, providing service functions to the outlying camps. A 1903-04 business directory listed sixteen separate businesses in Helper; by 1912-13 the number had grown to twenty-nine, with a population of about 850. By 1914-15 there were 71 businesses listed for Helper, with 84 in 1918-19, and 157 for the years 1924-25, around the time that our building was constructed.
As new immigrants arrived to work the railroads, many of Helper's business enterprises were associated with specific ethnic groups, but this fact illustrated the business opportunities then available in the town, enabling immigrants to "break the ranks of labor." Italian and Chinese-owned businesses were joined in the 1910s and 1920s by Slavic, Greek, and Japanese establishments. Specialty shops, cafes, coffeehouses, saloons, theaters, general mercantiles, and various service-oriented businesses formed Helper's commercial district.
The rail workers and coal miners provided a steady stream of customers for the brothels and the brothels brought a steady stream of “hunting trips” from Salt Lake City. When most of the mines, “hired scab workers,” (non-union labor), the mines began cutting corners and closing due to safety issues. Actor John Wayne owned a non-union mine in Helper, and Guiterrez said John Wayne personally visited the town to promote the concept of non-union labor. A quintessential mining and railroad town, Helper's history is brimming with storied events and visitors. On April 21, 1897, Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay robbed the Pleasant Valley Coal Company in nearby Castle Gate; they stayed in Helper the day before. It was said that Butch Cassidy later came back to Helper for occasional visits.
In 1999, artists David Dornan, Dave Johnson, Paul Davis, Marilou Kundmueller and David Katz relocated to Helper from successful art studios and careers elsewhere. They envisioned Helper as a destination for artists, and believed the town had the potential to become much more than a sleepy drive-by city on the way to Price or Moab. The intervening years have seen the realization of their vision, and Helper continues to grow and evolve into an arts mecca that includes an expanding number of galleries, studios, and celebratory arts events, such as monthly First Friday gallery openings and the annual Helper Arts, Music, and Film Festival.
Situated south and east of the Wasatch Plateau and west of the Book Cliffs, Carbon County’s history dates back thousands of years to when the Fremont Indians lived extensively throughout the area, leaving behind numerous rock art panels. Before these ancient natives called it home, the land was roamed by dinosaurs, the footprints of which have been found in many of the area coal mines.
The first European settlers were the Mormons, who began to cross the Wasatch Plateau, building numerous small communities all along the Price River in the late 1870s. The initial roads into the region included paths off the Old Spanish Trail, the Nine Mile Canyon freight road from Price to the Uinta Basin, and a route over Soldier Summit, were utilized by the early farmers and ranchers for transporting goods and supplies.
Helper, Utah was originally a railroad town and served as the "hub" for all the mining camps surrounding it. All the buildings and homes on main street, with the exception of four, were built between 1898 and 1939 and now make up Historic Main Street, all named on the Historical Register. As a center for miners and railroaders there were saloons, hotels, bordellos, pool halls, gambling halls, Greek Coffee houses, theatres for entertainment from Kabuki theater, silent movies, boxing and dancing. There were also several grocery and mercantile stores. The mining camps were populated with immigrants from all over the world, so much so that Helper became known as the town of "57 Varieties" due to its ethnic diversity.
With the arrival of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1881-82, Helper began to develop as a population center. By 1887 the D&RGW had erected some twenty-seven frame residences, with more built later in the year. In 1892, Helper was designated the division point between the eastern and western D&RGW terminals in Grand Junction, Colorado, and Ogden, Utah, respectively, and a new depot, hotel, and other buildings were constructed.
Trains traveling westward from the Price side to the Salt Lake City side of the plateau required additional "helper" engines in order to make the steep (2.4% grade) 15-mile (24 km) climb up Price Canyon to the town of Soldier Summit. Helper was named after these helper engines, which the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad stationed in the city.
Helper was fast becoming the center of the Carbon County coalfields, providing service functions to the outlying camps. A 1903-04 business directory listed sixteen separate businesses in Helper; by 1912-13 the number had grown to twenty-nine, with a population of about 850. By 1914-15 there were 71 businesses listed for Helper, with 84 in 1918-19, and 157 for the years 1924-25, around the time that our building was constructed.
As new immigrants arrived to work the railroads, many of Helper's business enterprises were associated with specific ethnic groups, but this fact illustrated the business opportunities then available in the town, enabling immigrants to "break the ranks of labor." Italian and Chinese-owned businesses were joined in the 1910s and 1920s by Slavic, Greek, and Japanese establishments. Specialty shops, cafes, coffeehouses, saloons, theaters, general mercantiles, and various service-oriented businesses formed Helper's commercial district.
The rail workers and coal miners provided a steady stream of customers for the brothels and the brothels brought a steady stream of “hunting trips” from Salt Lake City. When most of the mines, “hired scab workers,” (non-union labor), the mines began cutting corners and closing due to safety issues. Actor John Wayne owned a non-union mine in Helper, and Guiterrez said John Wayne personally visited the town to promote the concept of non-union labor. A quintessential mining and railroad town, Helper's history is brimming with storied events and visitors. On April 21, 1897, Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay robbed the Pleasant Valley Coal Company in nearby Castle Gate; they stayed in Helper the day before. It was said that Butch Cassidy later came back to Helper for occasional visits.
In 1999, artists David Dornan, Dave Johnson, Paul Davis, Marilou Kundmueller and David Katz relocated to Helper from successful art studios and careers elsewhere. They envisioned Helper as a destination for artists, and believed the town had the potential to become much more than a sleepy drive-by city on the way to Price or Moab. The intervening years have seen the realization of their vision, and Helper continues to grow and evolve into an arts mecca that includes an expanding number of galleries, studios, and celebratory arts events, such as monthly First Friday gallery openings and the annual Helper Arts, Music, and Film Festival.