Welsh Days

Wales, Utah holds a unique place in Utah history as the site of one of the territory's first coal mines. In 1854, when a Ute Native American named Tabiona showed Brigham Young a black rock he called "heap burn," it set in motion a chain of events that would bring experienced Welsh coal miners to this remote canyon.

John Evans Rees and his cousin John Price, both skilled miners from Wales, volunteered to locate and develop the coal seam. They discovered it in Coal Canyon, and soon other Welsh immigrants—many of whom were also members of the Latter-day Saint faith—were directed to settle near what was first called "Coal Bed." By 1869, the community was renamed Wales in honor of the Welsh ancestry of its settlers.

At its peak, the mines employed up to 200 men, and Wales became a vital transportation hub with a railroad depot and twelve coke ovens. Though the mining operations eventually declined, the Welsh cultural identity remained strong. Today, descendants of those original Welsh miners continue to call Wales home, preserving traditions that span generations and continents.