George Hearst-The Man That Earth Talks To by Sandy Brumley and Mark Danninger

Park City Museum and Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will host a lecture called George Hearst-The Man That Earth Talks To given by Sandy Brumley and Mark Danninger on Wednesday, December 9, 2026 from 5-6 p.m. held at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org. George Hearst had humble beginnings on his family’s farm in rural Missouri. Growing up in the first lead-zinc mining district in the United States he took an interest in geology and mining at an early age. Hearst became a self-taught and gifted expert at sniffing out quartz ore deposits earning him nicknames like “Quartz George” by his peers in the Gold Country of California, and as legend has it, “The Man That Earth Talks To” by the Sioux tribe in the Dakota Territory. Ultimately, Hearst’s mining success did involve some luck but by far and away he made his own luck to become one of the wealthiest and most influential men of the Gilded Age in the United States. Please join Sandy Brumley and Mark Danninger as they highlight the remarkable story of George Hearst and his legacy. A mountain host and hiking guide at Park City Mountain Resort, Sandy Brumley is a descendent of iron miners in Minnesota and an avid student of Park City History. This will be the sixth in a series of presentations he has made for the Museum. He is a hike leader for the Museum and a member of Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History. Mark is an engineer with over 30 years’ experience in mining and chemical processing in the areas of maintenance, welding, project management, safety and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Mining Engineering and Welding Engineering, as well as a Master’s Degree in Physical Metallurgy, all from Montana Tech., in Butte, Montana. He is a long-term resident of Park City.