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, all of which are perhaps unprovable. Here’s what we know.
In August 1878, Philip Morgan, 31, filed the Lady Morgan claim, located halfway down what is now the Supreme ski run, off the Empire Express chairlift. It was one of 15 claims that ultimately became known as the Morgan Silver Mining Co. A number of these claims underly what skiers call Lady Morgan Bowl, skier’s left of Supreme.
Philip had emigrated from Glamorgan, Wales, an area known for coal mining. He and his brother Henry were attracted by the possibilities of Park City’s hard rock. This brings us to the naming hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1: Philip left behind in Wales his mother, Mary, and sister, Emma. (One of his brothers, Henry, joined him in Utah). Were either of those women memorialized in the Lady Morgan claim? Answers remain mute on the question. Since Philip’s branch of the family was not likely to be Welsh royalty, would he borrow a title for a claim name? Given the mores of the time, probably not.
Hypothesis 2: Lady Morgan was a lady of the night. There’s no evidence of this, but you do hear this salacious speculation on chairlift rides. As mentioned, the Morgan brothers owned claims in the area, and some of these claim names – Lizarina, Abby, Maryetta, and Cora – could just as well be ladies of the night. Or just as likely, they could denote girlfriends or relatives. As above, the record is silent. A perusal of Park Record archives reveals no solicitation arrests associated with those names. Perhaps the chairlift expositors are confusing Lady Morgan with Mother Urban, Park City’s most famous madam.
Credit: Park City Historical Society & Museum, Hal Compton Collection
Hypothesis 3: Was Lady Morgan the miner’s wife? Philip married Fidella “Dell” Roark in Evanston, Wyoming in 1893, long after filing the Lady Morgan claim. Furthermore, Fidella filed for divorce less than two years later. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, her court petition stated that for more than a year, Philip failed to provide “common necessaries of life,” although he was worth a substantial $14,000 at the time.
The article continues, “Mrs. Morgan also alleges that her husband has continuously treated her in a cruel and inhuman manner charging her with having committed adultery with various parties. He also threatened her on one occasion … to ‘knock her d___ head off,’ at the same time breaking a lot of dishes and chairs and throwing plaintiff’s birdcage upon the floor.”
Timing and marital struggles do not seem to support this hypothesis.
Hypothesis 4: Early in 1878, the Philadelphia Mint struck what coin collectors call the “Morgan Silver Dollar.” Designed by Englishman George T. Morgan, it had an image of Lady Liberty on one side. The choice of Morgan’s design was controversial and was covered in newspapers nationwide at the time. Perhaps Philip Morgan was wryly referring to this coin as a “Lady Morgan” when he filed the mining claim.
Hypothesis 5: A tip of the hat to former Deer Valley ski instructor Karl Lund for uncovering this possibility. Sydney Owenson was a female Irish novelist whose most famous work, The Wild Irish Girl, was published in 1806. She became Lady Morgan in 1812 upon marrying Sir Thomas Charles Morgan, and continued to publish outspoken works under her new name. In her time, she was a well-regarded, internationally known writer, and did not shy away from politically charged topics. Her books sometimes caused controversy, and the poets Shelley and Byron both came to her defense.
Lady Morgan was a spirited woman of the world and even appeared in the Park Record. One article describes the witty woman besting Irish jurist John Philpot Curran in a drawing room “conversational contest.” A bit scandalously, Lady Morgan was wearing a dress with no sleeves, merely straps over her shoulders. As Curran left the room after the verbal parrying, Lady Morgan called out for him to acknowledge that he had been fairly beaten in the matter of repartee. In a face-saving comeback, he replied, “I have this consolation, Lady Morgan, that you can’t laugh at me in your sleeve.”
Philip Morgan may well have heard of the famous novelist and honored her with the claim name. It would be like naming a claim today after Margaret Atwood or J.K. Rowling. Given that others at the time named claims after presidents, generals, and literary characters (among other notable figures), this hypothesis seems plausible, though, like the others, it lacks documentary evidence.
In 1915, Morgan died of stomach cancer in a modest home in the Marmalade District of Salt Lake City at the age of 76. On the death certificate, his occupation is listed as miner and marital status as divorced.
An upcoming article will discuss other aspects of Philip Morgan’s time in Park City. It’s a tale of hard work, unfulfilled hopes, litigation, shotguns, and mergers and acquisitions. Typical Park City stuff.
Michael O’Malley is a Museum volunteer researcher and hiking/ski guide. He is publishing “Attitude at Altitude: The People’s Guide to Park City and Summit County” this month on Amazon.
The Park City Museum has our annual Glenwood Cemetery Tribute Event, featuring actors portraying ghosts of the cemetery’s residents, on October 11. To claim a spot and buy your ticket for the morning show, go here. For an afternoon slot, go here.