Park City Turns to Skiing by Larry Warren

Park City Museum will host a lecture called Park City Turns to Skiing given by Larry Warren on Wednesday, March 11, from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and
Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. The lecture will be about how Park City transitioned from mining as its main industry to the recreation industry we know today. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.

Park City first became famous as one of the largest mining boom towns in Western America, home of the second largest silver strike in America, attracting miners and their families from the U.S. and many countries. But by the 1950’s, mining was on the ropes. Metals prices were depressed, mines were shuttering, and Park City’s population was dwindling. A few hardy sportsmen and women embraced skiing as recreation and with no other future for the town, city leaders embraced creation of a ski resort as a potential new economic driver for the town. After many ups and downs, the idea took hold and Park City began to build a reputation as a destination ski resort. The arrival of the Olympics cemented the town as one of the premier ski destinations not just of the United States, but internationally as well.

Larry Warren is a retired journalist, documentary producer and author who has focused much of his writing on the history of Park City, skiing, and the Olympics. He has produced four documentaries about Park City and Skiing, written the book, “Park City—Mountain of Treasure,” and has lectured about the subjects to a wide variety of audiences. His work preserving skiing history has been recognized by his induction into the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame, and he continues to write and research this and other history topics.