Winter Quarters, Utah
| Winter Quarters | |
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| Ghost town | |
 Winter Quarters
Winter Quarters
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| Coordinates: 39°43′14″N 111°11′16″W / 39.72056°N 111.18778°WCoordinates: 39°43′14″N 111°11′16″W / 39.72056°N 111.18778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Carbon |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Abandoned | 1930 |
| Elevation | 8,084 ft (2,464 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1447486 |
Winter Quarters is a ghost town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. Coal was discovered in the area in 1875, and later that year, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company began coal mining operations. A group of coal miners were delayed during an early winter storm in 1877, which led to the town's name of Winter Quarters. On May 1, 1900, an explosion in the Winter Quarters Number Four mine killed 200 miners. Despite the mine explosion, the coal mining operations remained active until 1922, when the opening of a new mine in Castle Gate caused many people to relocate there. By 1930, Winter Quarters was abandoned.
Winter Quarters is located west of Scofield, near Winter Quarters Canyon. Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is located west of Winter Quarters. Clear Creek and Electric Lake are south of Winter Quarters.
Prior to the discovery of coal in 1875, several pioneers had settled in Pleasant Valley, where Winter Quarters was located. In late 1875, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company began coal mining operations. In the winter of 1877, a group of fourteen coal miners led by Peter Morgan were traveling from Fairview to Sanpete County. They became trapped in snow for several months, which led to the camp's name of Winter Quarters. As the Winter Quarters mine developed, miners began to move into the area. As the town grew, the need for a railroad increased. In response to the town's high demand for a railroad, in 1879, Milan Packard, a merchant from Springville, financed the construction of a railroad from Springville to Winter Quarters and Scofield. The railroad was named the Utah and Pleasant Valley Railroad until it was purchased by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1883. Approximately 1,800 people were living in Winter Quarters by 1900, and the mine was considered the safest in the state. The town's Main Street was over a mile long, and it had many businesses, most of which were made of stone.
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