Black Diamond & Oliphant Coal Mines

The Black Diamond and Oliphant coal mines, located nearby, were family-operated mines representative of early Utah coal mining. Production at the two mines began around the turn of the century and ended when coal markets sagged following World War II. Coal was dug from the ground using hand drills, black powder, shovels, and the aid of a reliable horse or mule. Horse-drawn wagons hauled the coal to communities in Emery County and over the mountains to Sanpete County. By the 1930's trucks and machinery had replaced some of the hand labor, but the work remained difficult and dirty. These hardworking miners helped fuel the transition from the pioneer days to the modern era. The mine sites were reclaimed in 1983 by the Utah Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program in the Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with the Utah coal producers and the U.S. Forest Service.

Utah · United States