Mercur Cemetery in West Mercur, Utah

A lonely grave.

Located 25 minutes west of Tooele, Utah, is the site of a former booming mining town that was full of life and promise.

A distant memory of the Old West, Mercur became one of Utah’s first mining districts in 1893. At one point, the town was home to well over 5,000 people. However, in 1902 a fire ravaged the town and it never recovered. By 1913, the last mine closed. 

All that’s left are the memories of a town that was once a vibrant scene in this region of Utah. One of the lasting testaments to the town’s legacy is the cemetery. As visitors wander through this abandoned graveyard, it’s almost as if you can hear the voices of the past carried through the wind. Pennies scattered amongst graves surrounded by worn wooden slats are said to help spirits pay their toll into the afterlife.