Standardville is a ghost town in Spring Canyon near Helper.

Frederic Sweet founded the town of Standardville in 1911. For 4 years everyone lived in tents. By 1914 railroad sidings were in place and 200 tons of coal a day were mined.

By 1917 the town had become a well planned community setting the standard for other mining towns, thus the name Standardville was adopted.

The town included many well layed out homes, steam heated apartments, general store, school, post office, barber shop, butcher shop, recreation hall, hospital and a bandstand. The restored bandstand is now located on Helper’s Main St. due east of this plaque.

On February 6, 1930 the mine exploded killing twenty miners and three rescuers.

During W. W. II the mine produced 2,000 tons of coal a day.

In the 1970’s Standardville closed it’s mine and slowly became a ghost town.*