DRAGON

Dragon (Uintah) was on Evacuation Creek at the mouth of Dragon Canyon. Twenty miles north is Bonanza. The town received its name from the nearby Black Dragon Mine where gilsonite was originally discovered. The mine was named for the imagined shape of the gilsonite deposit as it appeared on the surface of the ground. This particular type of asphaltum is not known to exist in any other area in the world. The mine was discovered in the 1860s and when Uintah Railroad first went through, it was known as Dragon Junction. A fire, change in transportation facilities, and other factors caused the entire area to decline, although the mining continues to this day.

John W. Van Cott