While this is not exactly a lost mine story, it takes place near the present day site of Minersville, Utah, a town that was very closely related to early mining in the territory. I include it here because it is a great story, and worth repeating.

The "Lady in Black" legend.

The town of Minesville, Utah was setteled in the spring of 1859. Prior to that, the area had been known by several names; The Cottonwoods,The Farm, Grundyville, Lower Beaver, and more.(1)

It's location was on a path that emigrants and others had used for years. This legend deals with one of those early traveling parties and the elements that make up so may good legends; gold, greed, and cold-blooded murder.

This particular party had camped near the present day site of Minersville along the Beaver River beneath a large cottonwood tree. Among the party was a very wealty single lady carrying a large quantity of gold coins and other valuables. Fearing that some of the rougher members of the party who had learned this fact might try to steal her valuables, she slipped away in the dark and burried her treasures somewhere along the river's edge.

Her fears were well founded, for shortly after her return to camp she was confronted by those same ruffians who demanded to know exactly what she had, and more importantly, where she had hidden it. When she refused to tell, in frustration, the angry bunch murdered her on the spot. She too was burried in a shallow grave near the rive's edge. Left behind as the rest of the party moved on the next morning.

The hidden cache was never seen again. The same cannot be said for the lady. Not long after the events of that murderous night, sightings began, and stories circulated. Tales of a "Lady in Black", a ghostly apperition, wandering the banks of the Beaver River near Minersville, frightening the locals, scaring off would-be gold seekers and watching over her still hidden treasure.

The legend tells that she is always dressed in a long black dress, a silk dress to be exact, its pettycoats swishing in the darkness as she went about her nightly walk. Some say its just the wind in the cottonwoods and runaway imaginations, then again...

  A number of sighting have been reported over the years, including more modern-day sightings. Tales of which have been been passed down from generation to generation and told around campfires for decades. That's where I heard it (2), and I share it with you now.

So... If you ever find yourself near Minersville, perhaps walking along the rivers's edge at night, watch out for the Lady in Black. After all, if she's nearby, it's a pretty good bet that the hidden gold isn't to far away either. Right?   

Happy hunting!