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Alta water line project digs up buried relics of an ‘opulent’ boom town.
Small Lake City
Last summer, Alta Ski Area was improving a water line when a cache of historical items from the mining days turned up with the soil. A review by the Forest Service, state archaeologist and Historic Preservation Office determined it was worthy of a dig. Thus began the first partial excavation of the town, located under today’s ski area.
It yielded thousands of artifacts that provide a look at life 150 years ago—leather items, ammunition, melted shot glasses, originating in Japan, China, Britain and South America, each telling a story about Alta’s past.
This is a 600 character excerpt. Read the full story at City Weekly, where it was published on March 18, 2026.
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