What if the place is gone? Reinvigorating Place, Memory, and Identity through New Media

Summary

While Utah is not known for its mining heritage, the Bingham Copper MIne located west of Salt Lake City is one of the few human manifestations visible from space. While the massive open-pit is a testament to human engineering, fortitude, and profit, the copper extracted from its stony core brought thousands of immigrants to Utah during the 19th and 20th centuries. These immigrants created places, communities, and a cohesive social identity. The same mines that created their community in the late 1800s, also swallowed many of them in the 20th century. Nearly a dozen towns have been consumed by the mine or cleared of their above-ground structures. These communities persevere, however, though the physical place disappeared or was razed by mining corporations. Social media and 3D reconstructions is bringing these communities back together to remember, honor, and carry forward the memories of their families and friends into the 21st century.  

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017   •
• Exploring Place in the American West

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 699