Deaths in the Park City Shafts lecture given by Brian Buck
2025-10-29 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Denver)
Park City Museum will host a lecture called Deaths in the Park City Shafts given by Brian Buck on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
The mines around Park City were dangerous places to work. Miners lost their lives under rock falls and explosions underground or by avalanches and ore wagons on the surface. Then there was miners’ consumption that caused fatal illness in many miners. The most horrific mine accidents happened in the many mine shafts around town. These were always newsworthy and the local Park Record published descriptions of at least 48 shaft accidents between 1880 and 1980. The author of this presentation has done the research to uncover these news articles. He will describe a number of these accidents, the causal factors involved, traumas to the victims, and measures employed over the years to reduce the occurrence of the accidents.
Brian Buck has degrees in Geology and Geological Engineering and has worked with the mining industry in the U.S. West since 1976. He studies the local mining history of Park City and enjoys sharing this history with others. He has presented multiple lectures on mining topics for the Park City Museum, contributes to the Way We Were columns in the Park Record, and has led a number of tours to the remaining
mining structures around Park City. He is a member of the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, a committee of the Park City Museum, where he is the Project Manager for the mine stabilization projects of that committee.

Sisters of the Holy Cross Lecture given by David Nicholas and Stuart Stanek
2025-11-12 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called Sisters of the Holy Cross by David Nicholas and Stuart Stanek on Wednesday November 12, 2025 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
Our lecturers will discuss the remarkable history regarding the Sisters of the Holy Cross and their 150 years serving the underserved in Park City and Utah. These “Angels of Mercy” dared go where others would not. They harbored no fears, confident both in their faith and female “superpowers”. Initially they provided health care and counsel to Irish immigrants – an ethnic group comprising a significant percentage of workers laboring in the area’s mines. Eventually their services expanded to serve all minorities and/or marginalized groups. A commitment still flourishing in our community. The Beehive State benefited immensely from their Ministry – they established twelve schools, two hospitals, one orphanage, one nursing school, one college and managed Park City’s Miners Hospital for twenty-four years. And arguably one of their bravest initiatives, serving on the front lines during the AIDS crisis.
David Nicholas serves on the Board of the Park City Museum, is interested in local history, and frequently contributes to the Way We Were series. Also, he conducts periodic lectures and historic hikes. His particular interests include but are not limited to Park City’s transportation history and local plane crashes.
Stuart Stanek is a forty-year broadcasting veteran. He managed one hundred and twenty-five radio stations in twenty-five different markets across the country. He served as a general manager and a regional President for iHeart Radio which is the nation’s largest broadcaster. He was involved in all facets of the business including sales, programming, operations, and marketing. He is married to Ann Crooks and they have lived in Park City for thirty-five years.

R.C. Chambers Part 2 lecture given by Brian Buck and Sandy Brumley
2025-11-19 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum and Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will host a lecture called R.C. Chambers Part 2 given by Brian Buck and Sandy Brumley on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
Robert Craig Chambers was a man of many connections. Perhaps most prominently, he served as the agent of George Hearst in the acquisition of The Ontario Mine. Sandy explored the Hearst relationship in some depth with Mark Danninger in a lecture on June 26, 2024. Chambers also had extensive relationships with John Daly, of Park City, and Marcus Daly of Butte, Montana. While the relationship with Marcus was fairly arms-length, the relationship with John was more extensive and complicated. For most of their activities, R.C. was the president while John was the VP. When did these relationships begin and how did they evolve? Brian and Sandy will explore these issues and more!
Brian W. Buck has resided in Utah since 1973. He obtained a B.S. in Geology from the University of Wisconsin in 1973 and an M.S. in Geological Engineering from the University of Utah in 1976. He began a career working with the mining industry in 1976 and has experience in various positions including government, a mining company, and consulting. He has experience in all facets of mining including exploration, mine design/operations, permitting/government relations, and final mine closure/reclamation. He has presented lectures and short courses on mining topics, served as an expert witness related to mining practices, and since 2015 has been a researcher of Park City mining history. He has given lectures on mining for the Park City Museum and written articles on mining for the Park Record newspaper. He is the Project Manager for the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, a committee of the Park City Museum, and did their planning for closing the Silver King Coalition Mine shaft. Brian and his wife have lived in Park City since 2009.
A mountain host and hiking guide at Park City Mountain Resort, Sandy Brumley is a descendent of iron miners in Minnesota and an avid student of Park City History. This will be the seventh in a series of presentations he has made for the Museum. He is a hike leader for the Museum and a member of Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History.

John J. Daly and the Daly West Mine lecture given by Brian Buck
2025-12-03 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called John J. Daly and the Daly West Mine given by Brian Buck on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
John J. Daly was a mining entrepreneur who arrived in the Park City area in 1876. His story is intertwined with the early leaders and development of the mining industry around Park City where he became immensely wealthy by the time he was forty. He was influential in the growth of Park City and Salt Lake City until 1916. Brian will describe the early mining development of Park City in general and then focus on how John Daly built a local mining empire. This history will include the worst mining disaster to hit Park City with the deaths of thirty-four miners in the Daly West Mine in 1902. The history will culminate with the tragic collapse of the Daly West headframe in 2015 and its triumphant raising in 2022. This restored headframe will continue to be a monument to the miners who died in the Daly West and to the memory of John J. Daly.
Brian Buck has a B.S. in Geology and M.S. in Geological Engineering and has worked with the mining industry in the U.S. West since 1976. He studies the local mining history of Park City and enjoys sharing this history with others. He has presented multiple lectures on mining topics for the Park City Museum, contributes to the Way We Were columns in the Park Record, and has led a number of tours to the remaining mining structures around Park City. He is a member of the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, a committee of the Park City Museum, where he is the Project Manager for the mine stabilization projects of that committee.

Zula Nelson: The Life of a Miner’s Wife in Park City 1937-1952 lecture given by Mike Nelson
2025-12-10 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum and Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will host a lecture called Zula Nelson: The Life of a Miner’s Wife in Park City given by Mike Nelson on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
Zula Floyd Gordon Nelson lived from December 14, 1909, to December 17, 1997. Her early life was among three close families—the Nelsons, the Gordons, and the Orgills—all of whom lived in Wasatch County. She finished the eighth grade, and then went to work, first in the Railroad Inn, a boarding house for railroad workers, and later at Keeley’s Soda Fountain, both in Provo.
Zula married Carl Henry Nelson in July of 1927, while he was working at the Ontario mine. Over the next 25 years they survived the Depression and World War II, and they raised four kids. For most of that time, they lived in Park City. Zulu helped support her family by working as a “cleaner and spotter” at Butler’s dry cleaning in Park City, and during the war she commuted every day to the Remington arms plant in Salt Lake. This presentation will provide a glimpse into Zula’s life as a miner’s wife in Park City, from 1937 to 1952. Zula is Mike Nelson’s grandmother.
Mike Nelson is a senior mining consultant at Stantec Engineering. He previously taught mining engineering at the University of Utah, and worked in the mining industry for Kennecott Copper, Consolidation Coal, and EIMCO Process Equipment Co. Mike’s dad grew up on Ontario Avenue in Park City, and worked at the Silver King mine while he went to college. His grandfather worked in the Park City mines for over 30 years, whenever he wasn’t “…laid off or on strike.” Mike is a Distinguished Member and Fellow of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME), and in 2020 he received the General Patrick E. Connor Award for Service to Utah’s Mining Industry from the Utah Mining Association.

Who Was Lady Morgan? The Life and Times of Philip Morgan lecture given by Michael O’Malley
2026-01-07 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum and Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will host a lecture called Who Was Lady Morgan? The Life and Times of Philip Morgan given by Michael O’Malley on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
Who was Lady Morgan? It’s a question you often hear when skiing at Deer Valley Resort, where the Lady Morgan Express chairlift serves the Empire Canyon area. There are several hypotheses, which we will weigh while discussing the mining career of Philip Morgan. A native of Wales, Morgan filed or acquired 15 claims in the Empire area, spurring several decades of contention. Morgan was involved in everything from corporate negotiations and lawsuits, to an armed takeover of the Grizzly Tunnel. He was at times a partner with and an adversary of other mine developers like John Daly and Simon Bamberger.
Michael O’Malley has skied in Park City since 1980 and lived here since 1997. A graduate of Pomona College, where he met his wife Lauren, he’s held marketing positions in a variety of industries over his career, the most recent stint with the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. He is a mountain host and hiking guide at Deer Valley Resort, and leads Fox School of Wine’s “Mines & Wines” tours. He volunteers at the Park City Museum, regularly contributing to the “Way We Were” history article series. He is author of the recently published “Attitude at Altitude: The People’s Guide to Park City and Summit County,” which is available at the Museum gift shop, Swaner Eco-Center, and local bookstores.

Preserving Park City Mine History lecture given by Brian Buck
2026-01-15 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum and Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will host a lecture called Preserving Park City Mine History given by Brian Buck on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. Please note the change of day of this lecture from Wednesday to Thursday. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
The original reason for Park City was mining. Between 1872 and 1982 mining attracted workers from all over the U.S. to build a city that became famous nationwide for the mineral riches in over 120 mines around town. Reduced metal prices in the 1950s and 1960s shut down most of these operations and caused the remaining large mining company to repurpose its land holdings from mining to recreation. Today Park City is widely renowned for its outdoor recreation and the remaining structures of its past mining history have been left to the damaging effects of time and weather. In 2015 the Park City Museum organized to save these remaining structures and has since collaborated with the ski resorts; local, state, and federal government; and private supporters to stabilize over a dozen mining structures around town. Brian Buck is the project manager for two of the largest of these projects. He will describe these efforts and discuss the importance of preserving our mining history as an important aspect of Park City’s future.
Brian has degrees in Geology and Geological Engineering. His career has been with the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, Getty Mining Company, JBR Environmental Consultants, and Stantec Consulting. All of his 49 years of professional experience has largely involved working with the mining industry in the U.S. West. Since his retirement, Brian has focused on studying the history of the Park City mining district. He joined the local Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History committee in 2016 and has been the Project Manager for their major construction projects for the last five years. Brian has presented a number of mining history lectures for the Park City Museum and written Way We Were Articles for the Park Record regarding mining.

The Wright Brothers and Their Flying Machines lecture given by Dorian DeMaio
2026-02-04 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called The Wright Brothers and Their Flying Machines given by Dorian DeMaio on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
There is a common misconception that the Wright Brothers “tinkered” their airplane together in a bicycle shop and flew it into history, realizing humankind’s long-held dream of flight. But this simplification diminishes the full scope of their achievements. Who were the Wright Brothers and how did they succeed where others failed? The real story is complex and a tribute to their inventive genius and persistence.
Their success was the product of applying a scientific approach involving years of thoughtful analysis, experiment, design, test and redesign, the foundation of today’s airplane development. Not only did they risk their lives flight testing each of their new airplanes, but they struggled to gain recognition and to preserve their legacy as the inventors of true flight.
On the centennial anniversary year of the Wrights’ famous first flight, Park City resident and pilot Dorian De Maio flew his airplane to Dayton and Kitty Hawk to follow the Wrights’ journey in unraveling the mystery of flight. Join him in discovering how the Wrights created their flying machines overcoming numerous technical and personal obstacles–a human interest story that still resonates today.

The Flinders Family Ranch - Park City’s First Multi-Season Business lecture given by Stuart Stanek and David Nicholas
2026-02-11 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called The Flinders Family Ranch – Park City’s First Multi-Season Business given by Stuart Stanek and David Nicholas on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Park City Museum Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive, Park City UT.
In 1949 the Flinders Family purchased a 900-acre dairy farm from Archie and Annie Carter. The property encompassed parts of both Kimball Junction and Snyderville Basin. Besides dairy operations, the family would experiment with different activities to diversify income and ameliorate risk. Their innovations ultimately created a template on how to develop a robust financial enterprise. We’ll follow the family’s quest that established nine separate yet inter-related businesses.
This lecture was made possible by the generous contributions of the surviving Flinders children – Leland Flinders, Melvin Flinders and Elizabeth Hanny. Please join for a fascinating discussion complete with extensive photographs from the Flinders family archives.
David Nicholas serves on the Board of the Park City Museum, is interested in local history, and frequently contributes to the Way We Were series. Also, he conducts periodic lectures and historic hikes. His particular interests include but are not limited to Park City’s transportation history and local plane crashes.
Stuart Stanek is a forty-year broadcasting veteran. He managed one hundred and twenty-five radio stations in twenty-five different markets across the country. He served as a general manager and a regional President for iHeart Radio which is the nation’s largest broadcaster. He was involved in all facets of the business including sales, programming, operations, and marketing. He is married to Ann Crooks and they have lived in Park City for thirty-five years.

The Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail lecture given by Marcos Van Dalen
2026-02-25 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called The Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail given by Marcos Van Dalen on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
Come learn about the important but often overlooked or misunderstood history of the Buffalo Soldiers and their specific connection to Utah’s cultural heritage. Their story, which begins shortly after the Civil War, is one of resilience and lasting contribution, woven directly into the fabric of the country’s westward expansion and Utah’s unique history. Recently the State Historic Preservation Office, Sema Hadithi African American Heritage & Culture Foundation, and several other stakeholders worked together to develop the Utah Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail.
In this presentation we will discuss the research, challenges, volunteer involvement, and trail locations associated with the Buffalo Soldiers and their time spent in Utah. This specific project transforms extensive research into accessible educational resources, including interpretive signage and a comprehensive website and ongoing research. Our ultimate goal is for this Utah heritage trail to provide travelers with a unique opportunity to experience history in the exact places where it happened, fostering a richer understanding and appreciation for the people who helped shape the state. The State Historic Preservation office will also be providing free copies of the Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail booklet, there will be an opportunity to experience actual artifacts and other lesser-known artifacts like photographs and documents connected to this story.
Marcos Van Dalen is the History Researcher for the Utah State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), where he has worked for the past year and a half. In this role, he leads historical research for the Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail and contributes to multiple public history initiatives, including ongoing work documenting the mining history of the Tintic Mining District. He is an undergraduate student at the University of Utah pursuing degrees in History and Asian Studies with a regional focus on China. He is also an active duty U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant with eight years of service, currently pursuing a commission through the University of Utah NROTC program.

Park City Turns to Skiing lecture given by Larry Warren-CANCELED
2026-03-11 17:00 - 18:00
Due to a bad injury while skiing, this lecture has been postponed until next year. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes. We wish Larry well in his recovery.

On the Trail of Fremont Shield Bearers lecture given by Elizabeth Hora
2026-03-25 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called On the Trail of Fremont Shield Bearers given by Elizabeth Hora on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
If you’ve been hiking through many of Utah’s canyons you likely have seen Fremont Shield-Bearers: a striking, if uncommon, human form that appears to hold a large circular shield in front of them or off to one side. Many past researchers have theorized the connection between Fremont shield-bearers and similar human forms in both Puebloan and Plains rock imagery traditions, but so far no quantifiable data have been suggested to evaluate the nature of their relationship, or even confirm its existence. In this presentation we will sample areas of prehistoric rock imagery to learn how their shield-bearers relate to each other in form, frequency, and time.
Elizabeth Hora is founder and Executive Director of High Desert Heritage and Research She has been a professional archaeologist for over 20 years and has worked in nearly every state in the west. Her interest in prehistoric rock imagery grew from her thesis work in the Uinta Basin studying whether environmental and population pressures may have driven territorial actions, like warfare. Now in her professional role she brings archaeological interpretations to the public and teaches about the importance of preserving cultural heritage and repatriating Native American artifacts.

The Ferris-Haggarty Mine and Boston & Wyoming Smelter lecture given by Mark Danninger
2026-04-15 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum and Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will host a lecture called The Ferris-Haggarty Mine and Boston & Wyoming Smelter given by Mark Danninger on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
The Ferris-Haggarty Mine and the related Boston & Wyoming Smelter were located in the Encampment, Wyoming area and supplied copper for the burgeoning electrification of the United States. The mine and smelter (including a mill/concentrator) were the only sizeable copper operations in Wyoming in the history of the state and operated from the 1890’s until 1907. It is a remarkable story of determination and optimism which resulted in a successful albeit short-lived mining and processing operation in a very remote location.
Mark is a mining engineer with over 30 years’ experience in underground mining, maintenance, welding, project management, safety and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Mining Engineering and Welding Engineering, as well as a Master’s Degree in Physical Metallurgy, all from Montana Tech., in Butte, Montana. His is a long-term resident of Park City.

Ute History Revealed lecture given by Forrest Cuch
2026-04-22 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called Ute History Revealed given by Forrest Cuch on April 22, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
Forrest S. Cuch is an enrolled member of the Ute Indian Tribe. He was born and raised on the Uintah and Ouray Ute Indian Reservation in northeastern Utah. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in the Behavioral Sciences from Westminster College. Forrest has held many challenging jobs during his 38-year career having worked for several Indian tribes in various capacities to serving as director for Utah Division of Indian Affairs. He published, A History of Utah’s American Indians, Utah State University Press, 2000. Forrest played a key role in the PBS/KUED sponsored curriculum project entitled; We Shall Remain, which features a video series of the histories of the Utah tribes with accompanying materials. Currently retired, he provides lectures on healing trauma, Native American History, and conservation. In 2022, he was appointed to Jane Goodall’s Legacy Foundation. He also recently co-authored a book entitled, A Native Way of Giving, 2022, Episcopal Church Publishing.

Latter-day Saint History 101: Prophets, Pilgrims, and Pioneers lecture given by Matt Grow
2026-05-06 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called Latter-day Saint History 101: Prophets, Pilgrims, and Pioneers given by Matt Grow on Wednesday, May 6th from 5-6 p.m. at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
How did members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known as Mormons or Latter-day Saints) come to settle in the Mountain West? And how did their religious beliefs shape the settlement of Utah? This presentation will trace the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from its founding in 1830 through the early settlement of Utah in the late 1840s and 1850s. We will discuss the role of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (prophets); the practice of converts gathering together in communities (pilgrims); and the journey to the Salt Lake Valley (pioneers).
Matt Grow is the author of many books on Latter-day Saint and American religious history, including studies of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. He earned his PhD in history at the University of Notre Dame and is the managing director of the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Rooted in Tradition: Native American Food Sovereignty lecture given by Darren Parry
2026-05-20 17:00 - 18:00
Park City Museum will host a lecture called Rooted in Tradition: Native American Food Sovereignty given by Darren Parry on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 from 5-6 p.m., which will be held at the Park City Museum Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.
Darren Parry is the former Chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. Darren serves on the Board of Directors for Utah Humanities and the PBS Utah. He attended the University of Utah and Weber State University and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Education. In 2024, he received an Honorary PhD in Education from Utah State University. Darren is the author of “The Bear River Massacre, A Shoshone History” and teaches in the Environmental Humanities department at the University of Utah. He lectures around the country on Native American issues surrounding history and Indigenous views related to sustainability. He recently gave a lecture at the University of Copenhagen and spoke about Indigenous views to Climate and Environment. His passions in life are his wife Melody, 7 children and 17 grandchildren. His other passion is his Tribal family. He wants to make sure that those who have gone before him are not forgotten.
