Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of History, 1962. / Bibliography: leaves 146-149.

The Koyle Relief Mine, located near Spanish Fork in Central Utah, has had a profound effect upon the life and property of thousands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Company officials claim that the number of stockholders, past and present, exceeds six thousand persons.Despite the sixty-eight years of its totally unsuccessful operation, the mine continues to maintain a countless number of old believers and to attract a considerable array of new ones. Prompted by a type of religious fervor, these people continue to declare the mine divine and its founder, John H. Koyle, inspired. Basing their faith on the claimed dream, visions, and theophanies of Koyle, they await the coming forth of boundless riches from the mine which will be used to benefit not only themselves, but all of the righteous in the last days.

In September of 1894, John Hyrum Koyle, Jr., said that he was shown in a dream or vision a large, rich deposit of gold and an underground storehouse of artifacts hidden by people of Ancient America. This dream was the beginning of a mining venture which has never produced anything of value, has been opposed vigorously by both officials of the LDS Church and the State, yet has claimed supporters numbered in the thousands.The mine has profoundly affected (and continues to affect) the lives of many families who have come into the sphere of its influence. The lore of the mine, whether true or false, has been the main instrument in spreading this influence. This folklore has played an active part in three clearly demonstrable ways: the spreading of the Dream Mine sub-culture; the shaping of the attitudes toward the mine and its founder; and the development of stability in both the Mormon culture and the mine sub-culture.This study of mining folklore reveals that the Koyle Dream Mine has much in common with other "dream mines" in both the Mormon culture and in other cultures. Many mining ventures began through supernatural means, but relatively few of them have been successful. Lack of production has brought the demise of many such movements, though some, like Koyle's Dream Mine, remain viable in spite of the absence of paying ore.