Topliff - Utah Ghost Town

TOPLIFF

NAME: Topliff
COUNTY: Tooele
ROADS: 2WD
Grid #: 5
CLIMATE: Cool winter with possible snow, warm summer.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Fall and Spring.

COMMENTS: A true ghost. To get there take 73 west from Lehi. Turn south at the Tooele county line on the pave railroad rout. It is about 5 mi south. Topliff was mining a trainload of limestone a day during its life. Recent forest fires in the area make access difficult. UPDATE: 25 July 2001 The old abandoned quarry at Topliff, Utah is active again. Each day several truckloads of limestone rock is being hauled up to Park City for construction purposes. Ultimately the owner of the land expects to build a cement plane and to continue to mine the major part of the limestone deposits in the area. Because of this activity and blasting in the area of the quarry it is closed to entry. Ed Topliff Orem, UT
REMAINS: Foundation blocks, bricks and nails.

The town was built about 1875 around the mining of Lime Rock which was used by area smelters. The town died in 1937. (These Photos were taken May 16 1990). No one lives here. Submitted by Bob Bezzant. Topliff began in 1875 as a joint venture between the local smelters to find a source of Limestone. After the rock was found, a rail line was run down to haul out the crused limestone, a trainload/day. When the quarry was shut down in 1937 all of the homes and rail lines were torn up and hauled up north to Fairfield. Submitted by Ed Topliff. UPDATE: I visited Topliff on 13 October 2000 and found that the whole area has been burned by a range fire. There is not a piece of sage or a weed standing! While it really looks different, it really allows one to see the streets and the rock foundations of all the old town structures. You can also see all of the trash mounds containing cans, glass and "stuff". I recommend visiting it before it gets overgrown again. Topliff Courtesy Ed Topliff Topliff Courtesy Ed Topliff Topliff Courtesy Ed Topliff	Topliff Courtesy Bob Bezzant Topliff Courtesy Ed Topliff Topliff Courtesy Ed Topliff Topliff Courtesy Bob Bezzant Topliff Courtesy Bob Bezzant Topliff Courtesy Bob Bezzant

The town was built about 1875 around the mining of Lime Rock which was used by area smelters. The town died in 1937. (These Photos were taken May 16 1990). No one lives here.
Submitted by Bob Bezzant.

Topliff began in 1875 as a joint venture between the local smelters to find a source of Limestone. After the rock was found, a rail line was run down to haul out the crused limestone, a trainload/day. When the quarry was shut down in 1937 all of the homes and rail lines were torn up and hauled up north to Fairfield.
Submitted by Ed Topliff.

UPDATE: I visited Topliff on 13 October 2000 and found that the whole area has been burned by a range fire. There is not a piece of sage or a weed standing! While it really looks different, it really allows one to see the streets and the rock foundations of all the old town structures. You can also see all of the trash mounds containing cans, glass and "stuff". I recommend visiting it before it gets overgrown again.

Topliff
Courtesy Ed Topliff

Topliff
Courtesy Bob Bezzant

Topliff
Courtesy Ed Topliff

Topliff
Courtesy Bob Bezzant

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