Helper in Carbon County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Rolapp
⎯⎯⎯
Royal
Photographed by Braden Orr, January 25, 2025
1. Rolapp / Royal Marker
The area around the rock formation known as Castle Gate was originally settled as Bear Canyon.
In 1913 Frank Cameron opened a small mine operation and the town was renamed Cameron.
In 1917 Cameron sold the mine to Henry Rolapp and the town was renamed Rolapp. As the town grew it spread across the canyon floor and up Price Canyon.
In the 1920's the mine was purchased by the Royal Coal Company and the name changed for the final time to Royal.
In 1930 the mine was sold to the Spring Canyon Coal Company, but the town remained known as Royal. At this time Royal had a school, hospital, general store, post office, and a small service station. The highway through Price Canyon was new in 1930 and it became the town's main street.
Four miners died between 1914 and 1916 when the town was known as Cameron. Between 1923 and 1957 while the town was called Rolapp / Royal the mine took the lives of 33 miners.
As happened with other coal camps in Carbon County, by the late 1950's Royal was just another ghost town.
ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ORDER OF E CLAMPUS VITUS
MATT WARNER CHAPTER NO. 1900
DEDICATED September 7, 2013
6018, The Year of Our Order
Erected 2013 by E Clampus Vitus - Matt Warner Chapter
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list.
Location. 39° 41.626′ N, 110° 51.713′ W. Marker is in Helper, Utah, in Carbon County. It can be reached from Helper Riverwalk. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Helper UT 84526, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Canyon Country. It is also in the American Mountain West, in Colorado Plateau, and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Carbon Fuel Company #2 Mine (here, next to this marker); Rainbow Inn (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); WPA - PWA (approx. half a mile away); Coal City (approx. half a mile away); Sweets Coal Company - Consumers - National (approx. half a mile away); Liberty Fuel - Latuda, Utah (approx. half a mile away); Peerless / New Peerless (approx. half a mile away); Western Springs Canyon - Rains - Mutual (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Helper.
Also see . . . Royal, Utah (Wikipedia). Overview:
Royal is a ghost town that existed in the early 1900s as a small coal mining town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. Originally called Bear Canyon, the town was renamed Cameron, Rolapp, and finally Royal when the Royal(Submitted on February 1, 2025.)Coal Company purchased it, changing names each time a new owner took over. All that remains of Royal today are some stone walls, a couple of the mines, and a miner's dwelling. These remnants can be seen in Price Canyon.Photographed by Braden Orr, January 25, 20252. Rolapp / Royal Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 25, 2025, by Braden Orr of Helper, Utah. This page has been viewed 375 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 25, 2025, by Braden Orr of Helper, Utah. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
