Western Mining & Railroad Museum, Helper, Utah

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Helper Photographs

Helper, Utah was originally a railroad town and served as the "hub" for all the mining camps surrounding it. All the buildings and homes on main street, with the exception of four, were built between 1898 and 1939 and now make up Historic Mainstreet, all named on the Historical Register. Available are pictures dating 1891 to 1950. As a center for miners and railroaders there were saloons, hotels, bordellos, pool halls, gambling halls, Greek Coffee houses, theatres for entertainment from Kabuki theater, silent movies, boxing and dancing. There were also grocery stores and mercantile stores.

Please keep in mind that these photographs have been reduced in size to approximately 1 1/2" to 2" to save on server space and download time. The original size of the photograph varies. Please see the Introduction page for details on ordering photographs along with the price list.

	Photo #: 91-2-1 Date of origin: Item Name: Round House Description: Stalls with engines in for repairs, Helper Depot, roundhouse
	Photo #: 91-2-4 Date of origin: Item Name: YMCA Description: Railroad YMCA building for Railroad workers.
	Photo #: 91-2-7 Date of origin: Item Name: Engine Description: Steam Engine #843, Helper Yard
	Photo #: 91-2-18 Date of origin: Item Name: Steam Engine Description: Steam Engine in Helper Railroad Yard
	Photo #: 91-2-24 Date of origin: Item Name: Depot Description: The Denver and Rio Grande Depot, Helper, Utah
	Photo #: 91-2-41 Date of origin: 1955 Item Name: Steam Engine Description: Abba set of F-7's diesel engines (1957). Moving out of Helper Yard. 3610 Steam Engine, 2882 - class L 131 (Herbert Draper Collection)
	Photo #: 91-2-42 Date of origin: 1900 Item Name: Steam Engine Description: 1002 C-41 steam engine switching at Roper yard used in switching service at Helper (Herbert Draper Collection)
	Photo #: 91-2-43 Date of origin: 1926 Item Name: Steam Engine Description: L131 3611 Helper pushing on Carbon County coal train (Herbert Draper Collection)
	Photo #: 91-2-63 Date of origin: Item Name: Roundhouse Description: Roundhouse in Helper Terminal
	Photo #: 91-2-78 Date of origin: 1900 Item Name: Helper Depot Description: Helper Depot
	Photo #: 91-2-79 Date of origin: 1956 Item Name: Steam Engine Description: Last steam engine in Helper Railroad yard
	Photo #: 91-2-110 Date of origin: 1920 Item Name: Helper Railroader Description: Japanese Railroader in the Helper Railroad yard.
	Photo #: 91-3-1 Date of origin: 1930 Item Name: Main Street Description: Helper Main Street
	Photo #: 91-3-7 Date of origin: 1930 Item Name: store Description: Castle Rock Store with Rudy Rebol behind the counter on the right.
	Photo #: 91-3-8 Date of origin: c1909 Item Name: main street Description: This picture would have been taken after the Barboglio building was built in 1907 and the the right is the Lowenstein built in 1906 and before the Helper State Bank was built.
	Photo #: 91-3-9 Date of origin: 1914 Item Name: Helper State Bank Description: Helper State Bank, A.D. Sutton Drug and Tokyo Restaurant on Helper mainstreet in 1914. This was the year the bank was constructed.
	Photo #: 91-3-10 Date of origin: 1914 Item Name: Main Street Description: Helper Main Street 1914
	Photo #: 91-3-13 Date of origin: Item Name: store Description: inside of Main Street store
	Photo #: 91-3-25 Date of origin: 1915 Item Name: Main Street Description: Helper Main street with buildings on the left side: Colonial Hotel (1913), Barboglio building (1907), Lowenstein (1906), Elegante Bar (c1915), Helper State Bank (1914). On the right side of the street is the City Hall, which looks like the building next to the present City Hall.
	Photo #: 91-3-29 Date of origin: c1910 Item Name: Main Street Description: Horse and wagon on Helper Mainstreet. Picture taken after Barboglio building built in 1907 and before the Colonial Hotel was built next to it in 1913.
	Photo #: 91-3-36 Date of origin: Item Name: YMCA Description: YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) for railroad workers in Helper, Utah
	Photo #: 91-3-44 Date of origin: Item Name: Mainstreet Description: Helper Mainstreet
	Photo #: 91-3-70 Date of origin: 1908 Item Name: Helper Description: View of a part of Helper showing a row of houses with the Railroad YMCA and the Railroad Boarding House.
	Photo #: 91-3-71 Date of origin: 1910 Item Name: Mainstreet Description: Mainstreet shows hotel, meat market, grocery and bakery, Flaim Saloon, the Zang Bar and Helper restaurant.
	Photo #: 91-3-75 Date of origin: Item Name: Helper Central School Description: Helper Central School, burned in 1963.
	Photo #: 91-3-82 Date of origin: 1934 Item Name: Helper Description: Helper Mainstreet with arch on south end
	Photo #: 91-3-86 Date of origin: Item Name: Saloon Description: inside a Helper Saloon
	Photo #: 91-3-91 Date of origin: Item Name: Store Description: The Toggery clothing store.
	Photo #: 91-3-107 Date of origin: 1899 Item Name: Chapel Description: Non denominational Chapel built by the Denver and Rio Grande railroad in 1899
	Photo #: 91-3-144 Date of origin: 1936 Item Name: Auditorium Description: Helper Auditorium built by WPA in 1936
	Photo #: 91-3-162 Date of origin: 1930 Item Name: Service Station Description: Service Station built by Giolotti, Italian block mason of native stone
	Photo #: 91-3-163 Date of origin: 1925 Item Name: Mutual Merc Employees Description: Employees of the Mutal Merc. Co. during the inventory of 1925. Store owned by John Skerl and J. Rolando. (In the Dalpiaz Building.)
	Photo #: 91-3-222 Date of origin: 1930 Item Name: Candy Store Description: Jim Pappacostas, Palace Candy Store, 1930, Helper, Utah
	Photo #: 91-3-241 Date of origin: 1910 Item Name: Main Street Description: Old Post Office and barber shop on Helper mainstreet. The three floor building to the right burned in 1919 and Helper Furniture replaced it in 1919.
	Photo #: 91-3-257 Date of origin: 1932 Item Name: East Side Main Street Description: East side of Helper Main street. One story red brick commercial block containing seven businesses originally owned by Helper Securities. Safeway store, Central Cleaners, drug store, post office, shoe store, Success Meat Market.
	Photo #: 91-3-264 Date of origin: 1938 Item Name: Helper Main Street Description: Mutual Mercantile Store in the Dalpiaz building north of the Bank Building. It was operated and owned by John Skerl between 1924 and 1945 when they moved into the Lowenstein building. The photo includes John Skerl and John Batista Ferraro.
	Photo #: 91-3-294 Date of origin: 1920 Item Name: Helper Main Street Description: Mainstreet before the LaSalle was built in 1922 and after the Helper Hotel (museum) was built in 1914.
	Photo #: 91-3-320 Date of origin: 1910 Item Name: Helper Description: Overview of Helper.
	Photo #: 91-3-332 Date of origin: 1930 Item Name: Mainstreet Description: Helper mainstreet - first building is Mutual Furniture
	Photo #: 91-3-411 Date of origin: 1999 Item Name: Post Office Description: Helper City Post Office, 45 South Main; National Register of Histocial Places in 1976
	Photo #: 91-3-419 Date of origin: 1927 Item Name: Main Street Description: 127 South Main, Helper Securities, Pennies, Cleaners, Jewelry Store, Et. National Register of Historical Places 1976
	Photo #: 91-3-534 Date of origin: 1922 Item Name: Main Street Description: Commercial Building constructed in 1922 by Charles Bertolino. Had the Athens Restaurant and the Krissman Shoe repair Shop. The Piggly Wiggly store was also in this building. Purchased by Kenneth Mower for a clothes cleaning business and sold to John Skerl in 1965 for storage.
	Photo #: 91-3-536 Date of origin: 1920 Item Name: Outdoor Oven Description: Outdoor oven still standing at the Verde home in Helper, across the street from the Helper Baseball park.
	Photo #: 91-3-538 Date of origin: 1925 Item Name: Main Street Description: Helper Main Street after the Flaim building was built in 1919 and before the O.P. Skaggs store was built in 1928, next to the Utah Hotel. City Cafe, Noodle and Chop Suey at the Chop Suey House.
	Photo #: 91-3-540 Date of origin: c1910 Item Name: Peddler Description: Wagon being pulled by a team of horses. A peddler hauling items to sell in the town and in the mining camps.
	Photo #: 91-3-570 Date of origin: 1922 Item Name: Grocery Store Description: John Giacoletto with wife Mary Giacoletto in their store, Workmens Market. They built the store in 1922. This photo was taken in 1948.
	Photo #: 91-3-572 Date of origin: 1930 Item Name: Grocery Store Description: Workman's Market in Helper showing the grocery store and the fruit stand where the Giacoletto's own produce was sold. The photo also shows an ICE truck parked outside.
	Photo #: 91-3-585 Date of origin: 2003 Item Name: school Description: Helper Jr. High School was built as a WPA project during the depression. Photo donated by SueAnn Martell.
	Photo #: 91-3-586 Date of origin: 2003 Item Name: swinging bridge Description: The Swinging Bridge is a Helper landmark. It was built in 1936 and is a suspension bridge over the Price River. Photo donated by SueAnn Martell.
	Photo #: 91-3-588 Date of origin: 2003 Item Name: swimming pool Description: The Helper Swimming Pool located near the City Park. Photo donated by SueAnn Martell.
	Photo #: 91-3-655 Date of origin: 1992 Item Name: store Description: Cornet Store, a variety store on Helper Main Street for many years. Torn down in 1992. The counter from the store is in the Company Store in the Western Mining and Railroad Museum. The Blacksmith shop in the museum is lined with old boards from the store.