Main Street, Eureka, Utah

While traveling in Utah, there is a strange mixture of the old and the new. Everywhere there is dramatic scenery with endless vistas of mountains and valleys, but much of the state shows the effects of time on old buildings, farms and even whole towns. Eureka is a mining town that has seen better days. It was originally known as Ruby Hollow and was incorporated in 1892. It was the center of what was then the Tintic Mining District. It is located only a short drive from my home in Utah Valley, but it is like visiting a different world. Here is a description of the town from Wikipedia:

Eureka's role as the central financial point for the district ensured its survival. It housed business establishments, including the second-ever JCPenney store (then called the Golden Rule Store), financial institutions, local and county governmental buildings including Eureka City Hall (1899) and a Juab County Courthouse (1892), various churches, and the meeting places for numerous labor, social, and fraternal organizations. Mining entrepreneurs such as John Q. Packard, John Beck, Jesse Knight, and Walter Fitch Sr. were important figures in Eureka and Tintic history. In 1979, Eureka was placed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Tintic Mining District Multiple Resource Area, recognizing the importance of remaining buildings and sites.

We are seeing just such a change today with many of the large department stores, such as J. C. Penny, struggling to stay in business. Tomorrows abandoned stores may be today's malls.