According to an undated account from the Utah History Encyclopedia, David Keith was a partner of Thomas Kearns in a business venture that included the ownership of the Salt Lake Tribune. The two partners purchased the struggling newspaper in July of 1873 and eventually added an evening publication called the Salt Lake Telegram. The owners of the Tribune sold the Telegram in 1920, but they retook control of the paper in 1930 and maintained it through the remainder of the Telegram's life. Following the death of Thomas Kearns in 1919, the Kearns family bought out the Keiths, and the Kearns family has maintained majority ownership of the Tribune since that time.
In the mining industry, David Keith was a significant figure associated with the Silver King Coalition Mine. According to an undated document from the Park City Museum, Thomas Kearns urged David Keith to consolidate several claims on Treasure Hill during the 1880s. These efforts led to the incorporation of the claims in 1892. The mining ventures involving Keith and Kearns were highly profitable, allowing them to purchase surrounding claims. The Silver King Coalition Mine was one of the "Big Three" and was the second discovery that helped make Park City one of the world's most profitable mining camps during its era. The profits from these operations were so substantial that by 1914, the Silver King had distributed $14 million in dividends to its stock holders.
Beyond the ownership of the Salt Lake Tribune, an undated document from Preservation Utah identifies David Keith as having served as president of the Salt Lake Tribune. The documents also note that Keith and Kearns built mansions on South Temple Street in Salt Lake City. The wealth generated by these mining and publishing interests was significant; for example, the Silver King Coalition used its profits to acquire various properties, eventually encompassing much of the land that now makes up Park City Mountain's skiable terrain.
In the mining operations, Keith and Kearns built a state-of-the-art concentrator to process ore. In 1901, they added an aerial tramway to transport the ore downhill to the D&RG Western railroad. This tramway arrived at the lower terminal, which became known as the "Coalition Building." While the Silver King Coalition Mine itself closed in 1953 because metal prices were too low to produce a profit, the historical impact of the individuals involved, such as Keith, remains woven into the civic fabric of the region.
What this means for Kearns
The historical legacy of David Keith is tied to the industrial and journalistic foundations of the region. His business partnerships in the 1870s and 1880s helped shape the economic landscape of the area through both the development of the Salt Lake Tribune and the highly profitable Silver King Coalition mining operations.
