Near Snowville in Box Elder County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Ten-Mile
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 20, 2017
1. Ten-Mile Marker
Ten-Mile was part of the long, circuitous route around the northern edge of the Great Salt Lake. Dry, inhospitable geography and steep railroad grades requiring helper locomotives in several locations led the railroad companies to look for an alternative, more direct route. Once the Lucin Cutoff was built across the Great Salt Lake, the distance was reduced by 43.8 miles and the new route was much less steep. The towns along the abandoned northern route declined once the new section was established.
Ten-Mile was a section station established in 1869. The name was derived from its distance west of the Lake section station. The station consisted of a section house, train car body, and a water tank, though nothing but disturbed soil and broken glass mark the spot today. Four years after it was established, the section facilities were moved to the nearby Seco townsite.
Erected by Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars
this page online
Location. 41° 42.992′ N, 112° 52.735′ W. Marker is near Snowville, Utah, in Box Elder County. Marker is on Transcontinental Railroad Back Country Byway, on the left. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Snowville UT 84336, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Bidwell/Bartleson Trail - Monument Point (approx. 2 miles away); Monument (approx. 2 miles away); Nella Siding (approx. 2˝ miles away); Seco (approx. 3.4 miles away); Elinor (approx. 7.3 miles away); Centre Siding (approx. 12 miles away).
More about this marker. The Transcontinental Railroad Back Country Byway is a 90 mile dirt/gravel track on top of or beside the old Central Pacific Rail Road grade between Old Lucin and Promontory Summit. Other than markers designating old station and sidings there are few, if any, road signs identifying any of the side roads. Any other road names or numbers use on this marker page have been taken Google Maps which identifies the road variously as Golden Spike Loop Road, Old Railroad Grade Road, Salt Wells Road, etc.
Neither are there any mileage posts, though one could do the arithmetic using the "Mile ... from San Francisco" on the markers to determine distances.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 20, 2017
2. Ten-Mile Marker
Photographed By A.A. Hart, circa 1868
3. Laying Track on the Desert
Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 308 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 10, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
