Abandoned buildings provide interesting clues to Utah’s history. We tend to be fascinated by them – what people once roamed these halls? What happened in the past that has left this structure vacant? We’ve written about some of Utah’s abandoned places before – click here to read about those.
Here’s another interesting piece of Utah’s history. This paper mill has been abandoned for years, but still stands on the side of the mountain.
The Deseret News built the Cottonwood Paper Mill in 1883. Equipment was purchased from the defunct Sugarhouse Paper Mill.
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The mill used lumber from Utah’s canyons, as well as old clothing to produce pulp for paper making.
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In its heyday, Cottonwood Paper Mill produced as much as five tons of paper every day.
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In 1892, the paper mill was sold and renamed the Granite Paper Mill. Just a year later, on April 1, 1893, a fire started in the mill.
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Workers hearing the alarm thought it was an April Fool’s Day joke, and ignored it. By the time they realized there was really a fire, it was too large to contain.
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The mill sat vacant for many years. It was renovated in 1927 and briefly operated as a dance club; in the 1980s it was open in the fall as a haunted house and boutique.
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The paper mill still stands at 6900 Big Cottonwood Canyon Road. It was condemned by the city in 2005 and is not accessible to the public. If you want to get a look at this beautiful, historic abandoned building, please view it from the road - don’t trespass.
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Are you interested in Utah’s abandoned places? Here’s another abandoned place in Utah with an interesting history.
Scott Gauvin/flickr
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