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ANNIE LAURIE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Piute County, Utah
National Gold has acquired the Annie Laurie Mine Property. This property consists of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) patented mining claims and THREE (3) patented mill sites, which includes the ghost town of Kimberly, Utah, being a total of approximately THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (3,150) acres. There are also SEVEN (7) unpatented mining claims for a total of ONE HUNDRED FORTY (140) additional acres.
With the price of gold over $1,000.00 per troy ounce, National Gold intends to open the mine again. We will have to do an exploration program to determine where to mine and organize a mining program that will be profitable.
In the meantime, we have a prime piece of real estate with historical significance. National Gold will develop an old time western style town that can, and will be, a major resort attraction. And, because of the elevation of the property we will have pristine summers with hiking and camping, and thrilling winters with skiing, ice skating, and snow sledding.
The property is located in the Tushar Mountains of the Fishlake National Forest, Beaver Ranger District, Piute County, Utah at an elevation of 8,400 ft.
Piute County was the scene of another gold rush. The Gold Mountain Mining District and its central town of Kimberly flourished in the early 20th century. The Annie Laurie Mine was a famous gold producer. In 1902 a new cyanide mill in Kimberly processed 250 tons of ore a day. According to George A. Thompson, writing in the Frontier Times of June-July 1974, Gold from Kimberly's mines was shipped in bars 6"x10"x10" valued at over $20,000 each, on the Shepard Brothers Stages to the railroad in Sevier, eighteen miles to the northeast. The heavy yellow bars were stacked on the floor of the stagecoach, between the passengers' feet. An armed guard always rode ahead of the coach.
But Kimberly, too, enjoyed only a short if gaudy career. Its boom was over by 1907.
The 1917 photo was taken in the spring before the aspen trees leafed out. Years of mining had disturbed the surrounding vegetation. The 1999 photo shows how well the area has revegetated naturally. Most of the aspen has been heavily invaded by conifers, primarily Spruce and Douglas-fir.
 1917 Photo of Annie Laurie Mill |
 1999 Photo of Annie Laurie Mill |
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The ghost town of Kimberly, Utah is located on the mining property. The town is located in Piute County, and was named for Peter Kimberly. The town is at an elevation of 8,970 ft. The town is located high in Mill Canyon on the side of Gold Mountain in the Tushar Mountains. Originally settled in the 1890s, it lasted until 1910. Kimberly had a minor rebirth in the 1930s, but has been uninhabited since about 1938. The town is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Ivy Baker Priest, a former United States Treasurer. |
 Lower Kimberly |
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The Annie Laurie Resort is within an easy days drive of more National Parks, Monuments, and Historical Sites that any other resort in the Country. National Gold will create a western style town called Kimberly, just like the town used to be known. There will be a bank - which will get robbed once a day by Butch Cassidy and his gang. It is reported that Butch, who grew up in Circleville, Utah, about 80 miles south of Kimberly, hid out at Kimberley when the law was after him. There will be a dance hall and saloon that also presents stage plays. There will be a stage coach that takes people from the western town to their modern motel accommodations. There will be a stable and livery where hay rides will be conducted There will be a general store where guests can shop while visiting Kimberly There will be a theater where stage plays will be put on and old time movies will be shown There will be a variety of old style homes and buildings to add to the flavor of the town |
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Prospectors began to strike gold in the Gold Mountain area as early as 1888. Newton Hill located the famous Annie Laurie mines here in 1891, and Willard Snyder developed the Bald Mountain Mine. Snyder platted out a Mill Canyon townsite, which he named Snyder City. A few businesses sprang up in town, but the real growth began in 1899 when Pennsylvania investor Peter Kimberly bought the Annie Laurie and other area mines. Kimberly incorporated his holdings as the Annie Laurie Consolidated Gold Mining Company, which established a gold cyanidation mill here. |
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The town, renamed Kimberly, began to boom. Mill Canyon's terrain naturally divided Kimberly into two sections: Upper Kimberly, the residential area higher up the canyon, and Lower Kimberly, the business district that had been Snyder City. Lower Kimberly's main street bent around the head of the canyon in a horseshoe shape. Kimberly quickly became the leading gold camp in the state, with two hotels, two stores, three saloons, and two newspapers. In 1900 the county formed the Gold Mountain School District, and a log schoolhouse was built. Enrollment peaked at 89 in 1903. Kimberly's school year was just the opposite of the North American norm: children attended school from April through November to avoid the deep snows of winter. |
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The boom period of 1901–1908 is considered to be the town's heyday; the Annie Laurie Company absorbed several other mines and paid out nearly $500,000 in dividends during this time. By 1902 the Annie Laurie employed 300 miners, and Kimberly's population reached 500. The steep canyon road was constantly filled with wagons carrying ore, bullion, and supplies to and from the railroad station at the town of Sevier. The heavy traffic kept the road passable through the winter. It was during this period that Ivy Baker Priest was born in 1905, in a house at the north end of Lower Kimberly. She later became United States Treasurer under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. |
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Like most mining camps, Kimberly was known as a wild and vice-ridden place. Its brothels were famous, and drunkenness was commonplace. The town had problems with violence, even murder. The two-cell jail was said to be the strongest within 100 miles. Kimberly reached a turning point with the death of Peter Kimberly, in 1905. The Annie Laurie Company was sold to a British company that lacked experience running a mining operations. The new owners tried to cut labor costs using the truck system, paying workers in scrip redeemable only at the company store. Miners began resigning in disgust. The company borrowed heavily to build a new processing mill, and was caught in a vulnerable position by the Panic of 1907. The Annie Laurie Consolidated Gold Mining Company declared bankruptcy in 1910, closing the mines and the town. Combined company assets, for which Peter Kimberly had refused an offer of $5,000,000 in 1902, sold at auction for $31,000. The 1910 United States Census recorded Kimberly's population as 8 |
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Kimberly's high elevation makes it inaccessible for much of the year, but many remnants of the town are still visible. The upper part of the canyon is filled with tailings. Ruins of many log and frame buildings line the lower canyon, the skeleton of the Annie Laurie mill is still standing, and a few mine buildings are largely intact. For years only a few men remained at Kimberly, doing minor maintenance. Then in 1931 a new vein of ore was opened up and a smaller mill built. The company hired some 50 men to work the mine, and Kimberly was revived. The new body of gold and silver ore was mined out by 1938; Kimberly was re-abandoned. Most of the salvageable buildings were moved away by 1942. Both Piute County and the Gold Hill Mining Company claimed ownership of the old jailhouse; after staying at Kimberly for many years it was moved to Pioneer Village, at Lagoon Amusement Park in northern Utah. |
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Two members of National Gold's Board of Directors owned a western resort facility in southern Utah. They have plans that were developed for that property, but, since they no longer own the resort, the plans can easily be brought to the Annie Laurie. National Gold will construct major hotel and condominium units for its guests. Luxury condominiums will be constructed within Victorian Style homes. Each home will feature a maximum of 16 condos so the homey atmosphere can be maintained and still give the modern conveniences expected by our guests. |
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Another member of the Board of Directors was the County Planning Director for Summit County when Park City, Utah went from being a virtual ghost town to the world class resort it now is. The daughter and son-in-law of National Gold's CEO have been through management training courses at Disney World and work there, on a special program, a couple of times each year. They are excited about the opportunities and, not only have very useful experience, but the ability to call upon their friends at Disney World for advice. |
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There will be rides and other entertainment,
including an 18 hole championship golf course, swimming pool, spa, and gym.
There will be a health and wellness center
We plan for an education center to teach the concepts of our founding fathers and the constitution.
Kimberly will have its own Sheriff,
and all court proceedings will be in the Saloon under the provisions of the Common Law.
In short, we will build a first class end destination world class resort for all seasons.
Since the property is virtually vacant, National Gold will have to plan and construct all of the facilities.
We are having a theme song written and we have cartoon characters who will present the development to the public.
National Gold will turn the time-share sales program over to its wholly owned subsidiary
Vagabond Recreation, Inc., a Utah corporation.
We will also pledge part of the rooms and activities to Freedom Cooperative Associates.
National Gold will finance this project from its mining operations.