Uintah Railway: The Gilsonite Route

Description

Author: Bender, Henry E., Jr.

Publisher: Howell-North Books

Pub Date: 1971 (Second printing)

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Fair to Good.  Binding tight.  No tears, bends or folds.  Without dust jacket.  There is a small area of Very light edge and corner wear.

Notes:  Bender’s revised Master’s degree thesis.  The Uintah Railway (1904-1939) was a narrow-gauge, short-line railroad, primarily designed and built to haul gilsonite, a naturally occurring, solid, black, lightweight organic material that originates from the solidification of petroleum, technically a bitumen or asphaltite.  The real mineralogical name for the material is uintaite, but was named for Samuel Gilson, an early prospector of the material.  The railway ran from Watson, Utah down to Mack, Colorado, where freight and passengers transferred to standard gauge railroads (Denver & Rio Grande).  Interestingly, the railroad agreed to deliver library books for free to or from any library customers on its route.  Lots of historic black-and-white photographs.  For more information about gilsonite and its history and uses see https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/gilsonite-an-unusual-utah-resource/