Shiny Rocks to Silver Bars: Milling and Refining in Park City, with Mining Engineer Donovan Symonds

Shiny Rocks to Silver Bars: A Brief History and Explanation of Milling and Refining in Park City, with Mining Engineer Donovan Symonds, Thursday, December 6 from 5-6pmHow were the ores mined in Park City turned into silver, lead or gold bars? Why were they crushed and concentrated? Practical demonstrations and videos will explain the processes involved in sorting the ores into concentrates and tailings.Early prospectors used simple sorting methods and these will be compared against the more complex processes used in the Silver King and California Comstock mills. The refining process was predominantly conducted in large furnaces in the Salt Lake valley but a brief description of what was involved will be presented.Donovan is a long time resident of Park City, moving here in 1977. He is a retired consulting mining engineer specializing in mineral processing and holds a degree in mining engineering from Newcastle University in England and a PhD in gravity concentration from Nottingham University. He has enjoyed being a museum docent for about 8 years.This program is held at the Education and Collection Center, 2079 Sidewinder Drive.