Whose life was more valuable in 1899 – a horse’s or a miner’s?
This is Diane Foster, with your weekly Park City History Bit.
Park City residents have always been fond of their animals, but during Park City’s silver mining days, some animals were treated better than the miners! Mining company animals spent years underground, and they were expensive to buy and train, leading to more consideration from their employers than their human counterparts got. The horses were affectionately called “hay burners” and had stables underground. Miners also brought cats to keep mice out of the stables and hay. The cats were often found sleeping on the horses’ backs for warmth.
This Park City History Bit is brought to you by the Park City Museum, where you can explore Park City history every day on Main Street, and sponsored by Julie Hopkins of Keller Williams Real Estate.
