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Diamondville
got its name from the quality of the superior-grade coal from
the local mines that seemed to resemble black diamonds.
In
1868, a man by the name of Harrison church discovered coal
near the Hams Fork River. He built a cabin on the hill where
part of modern Diamondville now stands. Realizing the area’s
potential, he sought financial backing from a group in Minneapolis,
who eventually formed the Hams Fork River Coal Company, incorporated
in 1884. Later S.F. Fields, a promoter from Salt Lake City,
Utah, took over management of the company and with the financial
backing of the Anaconda Mining Company, renamed it the Diamond
Coal & Coke Company. |
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The
Diamond Coal & Coke mine workers |
Eight
Diamondville miners in the late 1800's |
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The
Diamond Coal & Coke mine office workers |
Diamondville
view from the hill facing north. Circa 1910 |
Diamondville's
Early Pioneers
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Most
houses then were painted in red. |
Tipple
in center with boiler house, 11 stacks and part of "shack
town" |
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The
Diamondville mine next to the river and the trains. |
Steam
locomotive entering town from the North. Circa 1938 |
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Diamondville
was incorporated about 1896 with a Scot immigrant, Thomas
Sneddon, as the first Mayor. Most of the original settlers
came from Almy, Wyoming, where they had been working in the
Almy mines, which had been closed after explosions in 1881,
1886, and 1896.
Since
there were no houses, the people lived in what was called
“Shack Town,” shacks and dugouts in the side of
the hill in proximity to the mine. About one hundred feet
from Shack Town, the Hams Fork River provided water. Some
of the ruins of Shack Town were still visible until the summer
of 1977 when the Union Pacific Railroad Company realigned
the railroad tracks. |
The
original town was on top of the hill at the south end of town.
In 1898, after the river was rerouted, the town was platted
and the valley area became the main part of the town.
The first
school building was a one-room log house, later replaced by
a six room building in 1915 on the same site.
In
1896, the first houses of worship appeared: the Methodist
Church (called “the Mission Church”), and the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The
town had a school and two churches, but no store. People had
to shop for supplies in Hams Fork River, northwest of Diamondville,
until the Diamond Coal & Coke MercantileDepartment was
opened under the management of E.M. Roberts. Later, the store
changed ownership and became the Mountain Trading Store. Stocked
with quality merchandise, it was a complete one-stop store.
For many years after it was closed, the building was used
as a wool storage house.
The
Jones Brothers operated the first butcher shop from a log
house. There were also two bakeries, a photography studio,
a theater operated by Cal Cousins, a dress shop, hardware
store, numerous boarding houses, and a grocery store. |
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The
Daly Hotel in 1919. Telephone and power poles a new
fixture. |
The
two story Palace Market Store, circa 1920 |
Bootleg
raid. Revenue agents. 6-25-1931 a huge raid of 5,334
gallons. |
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In
1899, the Daly Hotel, a three story, fifty room building was
completed. The hotel included a dining room, barbershop, and
a saloon. In the early 1900’s there were thirteen saloons
but during Prohibition, when such businesses were forbidden,
many of the locals were active bootleggers, providing both
moonshine and homemade wine.
The
local jail was built of rock hauled from a stone quarry about
one mile southeast of town near the mining community of Oakley.
The Rock Grocery Store and the Mountain Trading Company buildings
were made with rock from the same source.
Still
standing, the Fire House was built in the early 1900’s,
and has recently had its exterior renovated. Moved from its
original location, it now stands next to the Town Hall. The
Firehouse bell was stolen in 1968 and has never been recovered.
The volunteer fire department, organized in 1912, is no longer
in existence. It had its own handcart and about 500 feet of
hose. The cart remains in the firehouse, which has become
the Stolen Bell Museum.
Immigrants
from many countries settled Diamondville, and each nationality
had their own lodge or meeting house used for meetings and
cultural entertainment. The Finns had their Finn Hall where
the annual “Bobby Burns” celebration was held
in honor of Robert Burns, the famous Scot poet. The Slovenian
people built their meeting house called the Slovenski Dome,
which was always referred to as the “Sloppy Dome”.
An Italian Lodge was organized in the summer of 1900.
The
Diamondville Mine closed in August of 1930, but the town continues
to thrive, with miners no longer going underground, but working
the open-pit mine (Pittsburgh & Midway Coal Co.), a major
local employer.
Special
thanks to:
The
Martin Hangich Studio - Linda Shannon - Ben & Virginia
Elmlinger - Calvin Cousins - George R. Walker - Jack Podlesnik
- Paul Canoso -
For the loan and use of the historical prints.
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