Item Detail
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12131
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3
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0
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English
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Tale of Two Towns : The Social Dynamics of Eureka and Helper, Utah
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University of Utah
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Ph.D. diss.
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"Utah figured prominently in the mining industry, and developed towns and districts where the extraction of minerals and coal gave rise to growth and development. Two Utah towns have been singled-out to provide insights into the social dynamics of their maturation. In contrasting Eureka, a metal mining town, with Helper, a railroad division point in the midst of vast coal resources, four basic themes central to both were studied--the nature of the respective industries, peopling, social order, and labor and politics. Eureka, the service center for the Tintic Mining District, contained rich silver and lead producing mines. Labor demands and timing of the town's initial settlement in 1870 dictated that its population would be primarily American-born and peoples of northern European heritage. The community reflected homogeneity with accepted norms including being American-born, resident families, educated, conservative in action, and imbued with public and civic consciousness. Housing styles and patterns, folktales, labor relations, and social, religious, and political organizations also mirrored the town's social environment. Helper served as both a railroad and coal center. The town began to grow in the 1890s, which coincided with the "new" immigration of southern and eastern Europeans. Heterogeneity marked Helper, distinguishing it even from nearby Price, also a service center for Carbon County coal mines. Fraternal groups, inter- and intra-group rivalries, and the ethnic landscape reflected the town's diversity. Labor activity was turbulent in the county, with immigrants branded as radical. Helper, not controlled by any coal company, represented a neutral ground. The comparison of these two towns yields significant evidence concerning the way in which physical environment, occupation, and ethno-cultural composition influence the building of community." [Author's abstract]