I was raised by wolves. Very kind, very nurturing wolves. I love riding to a town a just barely learned the name of on a Friday, making a decision at the intersection to get myself lost 1000 miles away from home on a Saturday, and trying to figure out how the hell I can get home on a Sunday. Just ride a place and see a thing.
I’m off today. Took off Thursday and Friday too. I did roll in on Thursday off the clock and had the biggest sale I’ve ever had. I had a conference call a board and CEO of a pretty big Boston Mass Company. At one point in the conversation, they were impressed a Utahn knew how to use the word “Mass-Hole” correctly. I want to thank my Massachusetts friends for that. They laughed, The conversation turned, and I ended up landing the deal.
Today I’m not doing anything. Last day off. I’m looking forward to hitting it tomorrow. I dig my job.
It’s spring. Its way nice in Utah right now. I’m nowhere near route 66 anymore, but I still have the itch to explore a thing, and figure out a mystery. It’s fuel for the fire. I Did some exploring for some ghost towns.
The southern part of Utah County has a pretty long and rich history of mining. Like most ghost towns, They were boom or bust and not all of them survived. Hell, I just needed to ride. If there was something cool to see, then that was a bonus.
Great Day to ride. In the upper 60’s. The road King was as ready as I was. The Road into Dividend. A concrete storehouse of some sort. This was a good Sign…This was even better. I’m not sure what this is, but I believe it was a place they loaded ore into mules driven wagons, one ton at a time, so they could get it to the railroad a few miles away. Later on, Dividend did well enough they routed Rails through it to make it faster to load the ore, where it was processed about 20 miles away.These doors must have been for Loading something. Pretty cool they were still there and that douche bags hadn’t ripped them off and cashed them in for metal. All I ever take is pictures from these kinds of places. I hope you do too.
Then I rounded the corner into Dividend. They started working Dividend in 1907, and by 1916 they struck it rich. It was called Dividend because how much money it had payed out to their stock holders. A company town soon sprang up: with a golf course, baseball fields and upwards of 200 residents. It was one of the first towns in Utah to have indoor plumbing.
Dividend Utah in 1925This mine shaft was at least 200 feet deep.Main Mine ShaftCheck out the Water Towers at the top of the hill. Dividend looking north
The History of Dividend pretty much came to an end in 1949 when the mine had run its course. I was able to get some stories from people who remember it as a kid. People played, worked and made their living here. Dividend was home. Ahhh, I love a good ghost town.
Dividend in 1940. Notice the water towers at the top that say “Tintic Standard”. They’re still there, and you can still read it, barely.
The missus and I went to to the local Hockey game last night. Great game. We both love hockey. Had a good night, had a dinner and a drink, and watched the Grizzlies win in overtime. She knows hockey, maybe better than I do. We drove home, basking in the win. Talked of getting season tickets.
Noticed this morning that one my favorite Penguins was on this team. Steve McIntyre. That man could fight. Maybe a few of the best fights I’d seen in the NHL.
Steve McIntyre could lay the lumber.
There’s good stories everywhere, if you just pay attention. Steve McIntyre is 34 now, got assigned down to a ECHL team, and I gotta think is near the end of his career. When he was with the penguins, the man just made me smile. You couldn’t wait for what he would do. He stood out. A favorite. You didn’t want all of him.
Glad he’s with the Grizzlies. I’m even more of a fan now. One tough sumbitch.
Support your local Grizzlies. Yeah, maybe Season tickets…
In hockey, you gotta be a quarterback, a safety, a linebacker and a wide receiver in the span of a 50 second shift. All while your teammates are trying to do the same thing.
This song will help you merge your car faster on the way into work, get like 5 more horsepower out of your bike, and will also help you conceive at least one more kid (if you’re tryin’).
