UTAH LEGENDS

Thompson Springs - Dying in the Desert

Soon, the little community was large enough to convince the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, which had been completed through the region in 1883, to add a stop in the settlement, Cattle and sheep men welcomed the railroad, which soon became a small shipping point for their stock.

A post office was established in 1890 and called "Thompson’s” after the original owner, E.W. Thompson. Sometime later, ambitious Harry Ballard discovered a large vein of coal on land adjacent to his ranch about five miles north of Thompsons. Keeping his discovery quiet, he soon bought the surrounding property and started coal operations on a small scale. However, Ballard sold his operation to Salt Lake City investors in 1911, and the coal mining town of Sego was born, bringing more prosperity to the area.

Thompson became even more important in 1914, when the Ballard and Thompson Railroad was constructed from the mines at Sego to connect at the Thompson railhead. Though the town never grew very large, it contained two motels, a saloon, the railroad station, a couple of stores, a school, a restaurant, and a number of homes.

In the meantime, commercial mining in was progressing rapidly, brining out numerous loads of high grade coal. Though the coal was in high demand; the mine suffered financial difficulties from the start, due to lack of water and management issues. Railroad operations to the mine ceased in 1949, which placed further operational issues on the mine. However, the mine continued in Sego Canyon until 1955, when the railroad began to use diesel engines, replacing the coal powered steam engines and reducing the need for the mine’s products. Sego then became a ghost town. Unfortunately, Thompson wasn’t far behind.

Another blow was dealt to Thompson when I-70 was built through the area in the 1970s. Thompson had survived the mining decline, as it was  situated on a main highway through the area -- NV-128, and provided services to travelers passing through the region.

However, when the interstate was developed, the town found itself just a few miles north of the new highway and traffic through the small community dramatically decreased and businesses began to close. Those few remaining residents reinstated the original town’s name of Thompson Springs in 1985.

Though the railroad still runs through Thompson today, the final death knell occurred when Thompson’s flag stop station, which provided service for Amtrak travelers, was finally closed in 1994.

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Custom Greeting Cards - Combining our great vintage photographs with words, wisdom and proverbs of the Old West, these photo cards are unique to the Rocky Mountain General Store.