Bingham High School: A Proud History
Throughout our history, Bingham Miners have continuously built on the school's proud past, always remembering that its history and traditions are an important part of what makes Bingham the school it is today. As an illustration, when an alumnus from the class of the 1920s toured the new South Jordan building, he remarked that the new Bingham High School was nothing like the small three-storied structure that he attended in the narrow confines of Bingham Canyon. "It is just not the same Bingham." Anyone who simply looked at the physical structure of the two buildings would quickly agree and conclude that Bingham's physical facilities and locations had changed greatly over its first hundred years. However, it has not been the bricks and mortar that have made Bingham High, but its traditions, teachers and students. The foundations of these traditions were laid by hard working Miner students and teachers over a century before in Bingham Canyon. Although the city of Bingham, all the previous Bingham High School buildings, and even Bingham Canyon have disappeared, the spirit of those old-time Miners lives on in South Jordan through the Bingham High School traditions that are reenacted on a yearly cycle and in the lives of Miner students and teachers today.
The History of Bingham High School
It was the fall of 1908, and with Eugene S. Hart as the supervising teacher, Bingham High School was established as a branch of Jordan High School. Classes began on September 9, 1908, with 12 eager freshmen in some rooms above Canyon Hall in the old town of Bingham. 
In January 1910, the Jordan District School Board voted to make F. G. Eskelson principal of Bingham High and made the school independent of Jordan High. E. E. Dudley was appointed principal for the 1910-1911 school year at a salary of $1,200 for ten months. The high school had a faculty of three whose salaries ranged from $65 to $100 a month. The first graduating class at Bingham was the class of 1912, which totaled five students.
In 1910 Jordan School District started construction of a new school along Bingham's Main Street. 
The total cost of this two-story red brick structure, which opened in 1912, amounted to $35,000. Students from the towns of Bingham, Copperfield, Highland Boy, and Lark were brought to this new school with buses pulled by horses.
From its beginning, Bingham High's colors were royal blue and white, and it was only natural that its nickname was the "Miners." Bingham's first yearbook was published in 1918. At first, it was called the Metal, but this name was later changed to the Coppertonian (a name taken from the Bingham Copper Mine). The student newspaper began publication in 1919 and was first entitled the Apocalypse, then the Arrow (because it got straight to the point), and finally the Coppertonian. However, this name was later changed to Hi-Lights and then, in 1961, to the Prospector.
In 1926-27, the student officers started the tradition of whitewashing the 'B' on 'B' Day. Norma Olson Nichols, student body vice-president, commented that since Pleasant Grove and a few other high schools had letters on the sides of mountains, Bingham High needed a letter on a mountain as well. The student body officers thought this was a great idea and spearheaded the project. After the administration approved the idea for a mountainside letter 'B,' a search began for a suitable location. The first site chosen was on the mountain behind the mine precipitation plant. However, the 'B' could not be seen very well at that location. The present site was then selected, situated above the old Bingham and Garfield Railroad line on the north side of the canyon's mouth.
The construction of the block letter 'B' took place on April 8, 1927, and the 1927 Coppertonian recorded this about the event: On April 8, 1927, the school doors were locked for the day, and the students and faculty were transported to the ballpark for an official holiday. The boys were marshaled in companies - each led by a spirited captain. They then trekked up the steep mountainside and erected a 'B' to show the affection we hold for the school and the town. After completing the 'B,' the Girls' served luncheon to the hungry and worn-out boys. The rest of the afternoon was spent in games and other competitive activities.
By early afternoon most of the rocks were in place. Trails were made, and whitewash was carried up the switchbacks to complete the project. Over the next few years, the 'B' was enlarged each spring when it was whitewashed until it reached its present size. Other activities were soon added to the annual spring sprucing up, which became known as 'B' Day.
In 1930, Bingham's student body conducted a contest to select a school song. Two earlier songs proved to be unsatisfactory. The contest winner was Jack Smith, a 17-year-old senior who later settled in Riverton. To the tune of "Sons of Burgundy," a popular 1920s song, he wrote the song "Bingham's Sons and Daughters." At an assembly held to announce the winner, Principal H. R. Atkin announced that Jack Smith's entry had been selected and called him up to the stand. There he presented him with a check for $7.50 and said, "Now Jack will sing his song." The husky athlete blushed, handed the check back, said, "Like heck, I will," and walked away. Even though Jack didn't sing that day, students have been singing those words ever since.
Bingham's school hymn was composed in 1953 by Lowell Hicks and Robert Knotts. Robert Knotts, an English and debate teacher, had recently completed writing a poem entitled "Dreams of Bingham High," which he felt paid a fitting tribute to the school he had grown to love. Two Girls' in his class, who had heard him recite the lines, took his composition down to the auditorium where Lowell Hicks, the Bingham music teacher, was playing the school's newly purchased Hammond organ. Showing him the poem, they asked if he could put the inspiring words to music. He agreed, and over the next few days, he composed the music for Bingham's school hymn. This hymn was not intended to replace the school song but has been used so that students have had something more solemn to sing at functions like graduation and the conclusion of school assemblies.
The high school's first building was used until December 1924. At that time, due to the overcrowding created by over 200 students, 
Bingham High was moved to a blackish-blue brick three-story building, known as the Bingham Central High School, located a few hundred yards up the street in the City of Bingham. But even this new school building wasn't big enough for long, and in 1931 a newer $282,362 structure, with 26 classrooms and a gym, was completed at the mouth of Bingham Canyon in Copperton. Although many Binghamites were very unhappy about the school moving out of their city, they soon adopted it as their own. During that year, the shortest year in Bingham's history because of the Depression, Bingham High had an enrollment of 616 students, including a senior class of 40.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, it seemed as though the high school, designed for 1,000 students, would have plenty of room for years to come. However, in 1957 the Jordan School District School Board voted to change the boundaries of Bingham High School. The towns of Herriman, Riverton, Bluffdale, South Jordan, and West Jordan, which formerly sent their students to Jordan High, were now assigned to go to Bingham along with the students from Lark, Copperton, and Bingham who already attended Bingham. This decision aroused the parent's protest in the valley towns, especially in South Jordan. Nevertheless, the new students soon felt right at home, traveling up the Bingham Highway to Copperton daily. Take a tour of the Copperton building here.
As a result of the population growth in the Salt Lake Valley's southwest section in the 1960s, Bingham High grew from 231 students in 1957 to 934 pupils in 1971. It was decided that still another high school would have to be built. 
The site selected for the new school was in South Jordan at 10400 South 2160 West. At the urging of the student body, the school board decided to retain the name of Bingham for the new school. The fourth Bingham High School was erected at a cost of nearly $11,000,000 and opened its doors in September 1975 to 1,246 students. Designed on the open classroom plan that was faddish at the time, the building was dedicated in April 1976. Permanent interior walls were erected in 1991 and 1992 when the open plan proved unworkable. The gymnasium was remodeled and expanded in 2002 and then connected to the main building with classrooms and an enlarged cafeteria. The academic areas of the school were renovated in 2003.
Bingham's student population grew to nearly 3,000 in 1980, necessitating the opening of West Jordan High School in the fall of 1981. Enrollment continued to explode in the 1990s, making Bingham the largest high school in Utah by the middle of the decade. The opening of Copper Hills High School on the New Bingham Highway in West Jordan in the fall of 1995 helped to reduce crowded conditions at Bingham. The diminished Bingham attendance boundaries included pupils from the towns of Riverton, South Jordan, Bluffdale, and Herriman. Bingham's population grew again to over 3,000 by 1999 when Riverton High School opened. The new Riverton School reduced Bingham's student body by nearly one-half.
Nevertheless, in the first two decades of the new century, new construction in South Jordan (Bingham's new boundaries), and the southwest part of the Salt Lake Valley, continued to increase the student bodies of Bingham and Riverton High Schools. Herriman (2010) and Mountain Ridge (2019) high schools would be constructed to accommodate that growth. These new schools would make a total of six high schools (Bingham, West Jordan, Copper Hills, Riverton, Herriman, and Mountain Ridge) serving the area that was once served by Bingham High School alone in 1975.
By the mid-2010s, Bingham was starting to show its age. Opened in 1976, the South Jordan building was now 40 years-old. Pipes were leaking and the water was coming out brown. The Jordan School Board, with 2 Bingham graduates on the Board, voted to begin a significant remodel of the school. In the summer of 2019, construction began to remodel the math and science area, upstairs restrooms, and fine arts area. Phase 2 (2020) focused on the CTE classrooms west of the main hall. Phase 3 (2021) included the auditorium and all of the upstairs classrooms and hallways. Phase 4 (2022) focused on the main and attendance office relocation, the main hall, art rooms and the media center. Counselor offices and a new tech atrium were added to the media center. Phase 5 (2023) brought a remodel to the cafeteria, gym and all of the athletic areas. The total cost of the remodel was $33.6 million, but was much less than building a new school and it extended the life of Bingham's South Jordan campus by decades.
Football: Athletics made their debut at Bingham with the organization of the football team in 1910. This was no small feat considering student enrollment that year fluctuated between 30 to 40 students. The Miner's first sports victory came during the fourth game of the season when they won a 6 to 0 shutout of Park City on Bingham's sloping and rocky field next to the elementary school in Bingham Canyon. The team was disbanded after its first season, and Bingham would not field a team again until 1925. Since that time, the football team has won 11 state titles: (1939, 1941, 1945, 1946, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017).
Boys' Basketball: Basketball began during the 1915-1916 school year, with the completion of the school's first gymnasium in November 1915. The Boys' Basketball team has since won 10 state championships (1960, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1989, 1990, 2006, 2016, and 2017).
Girls' Basketball: The Girls' Basketball team has won 6 state championships: (1990, 1994, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2020).
Baseball: Since baseball came to Bingham in 1925, Miner teams have established a dynasty of state champions. Bingham has won the state title 22 times (1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2013 and 2018), more than any other school in Utah.
Softball: The Lady Miners dominated the 1990s in softball in the state of Utah, winning state Championships in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, and then three more the following decade: 2008, 2009, 2010. And again in 2024.
Girls' Golf: Girls' golf teams have won 5 state championships, including 4 straight (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017).
Boys' Golf: Boys'golf teams have won 3 state championships (1983, 1991, and 2004).
Cross-Country: The Boys' Cross-Country runners made school history in 1995 when they won Bingham's first national championship in a team sport. The Girls' Cross-Country team would win Bingham's second national championship in 1999. The boy's team has won four state championships (1990, 1995, 1996, and 2003). And the girl's have won three state championships (1998, 1999, 2000).
Boys' Soccer: The Boys'soccer team won its first state title in 2001.
Girls' Soccer: The Girls' soccer team won its first state title in 2003.
Girls' Track: The Lady Miners have won 2 state track championships (1989, 2002).
Girls' Volleyball: The Girls' Volleyball team have 3 state titles: (1989, 1990, 1991).
Boys' Volleyball: Boys' Volleyball became a sanctioned sport in 2024. The Bingham Boys' team won the state title the very next year: 2025.
Minerettes: The Minerette Drill Team have won 11 state championships: (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025). The Bingham Minerettes represented the USA at the 2025 Junior World Championship, winning the Gold Medal.
Cheer: The Varsity Cheer Squad won 7 state championships including 5 in a row: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2025 as well as numerous first-place awards at national competitions.
In addition, teams in wrestling, swimming, and tennis have also brought numerous individual state championships and region honors to Bingham.
Deseret News All-Sports Award: At the end of the 1992, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013 school years, Bingham has awarded the Deseret News All-Sports Award for finishing the highest in all state competitions involving men's and women's sports.
Debate: Bingham's debate team has earned 19 state championships: 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016.
Academic Decathlon: The Bingham Academic Decathlon team has 6 state titles: 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Marching Band: The Marching Band was also recognized as state champions in 2017 and 2018.
When the new Bingham High opened its doors on September 2, 1975, with 1,246 students, construction was far from complete. Carpet had to be laid; ceiling tile, the auditorium’s seats, and lights had to be installed; the heating and air conditioning equipment was far from being finished; and wiring, painting, and other inside work had to be completed. Regular school work was delayed a week so contractors could sufficiently clean up the building for students to attend classes. For the year’s first assembly, everybody (one class at a time) had to sit on the cafeteria floor. Principal Owen welcomed the students to Bingham High School. While he was talking to the seniors about the difficulties they faced, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a construction worker on a ladder installing ceiling tiles. As he continued his speech, the worker slowly crossed in front of him as though he were not even there, placing each tile in a straight line across the cafeteria. Dr. Owen kept contact with the students the best he could, later commenting that the only thing one could do in a situation like that was laugh. The September 2, 1975 edition of the Deseret News outlined the first week in the new school:
At Bingham - a "new" building but an "old" school – only seniors reported today. Juniors will report Wednesday and Sophomores on Thursday. On Friday students will sign up for clubs and extracurricular programs. Full scale class work will begin on Monday said Dr. Thomas Owen, principal.
Today students gathered in an unfinished cafeteria and sat on carpet while Owen introduced faculty members.
"Everything's super, we have a great bunch of kids. They've never refused to do what we ask them," said Owen.
Schedules will be short this week, with students in the building from 8:00 am to 11:30 am.
Although the building was cluttered with construction work and unplaced furniture today, Abel Paulsen of Finn Paulsen Co., general contractor, said it will be "cleaned up" by Monday.
For the first few weeks, all P.E. Classes had to be held outside because the floor in the gymnasium was still being laid, and students had to bring their own lunches to school because the kitchen facilities in the cafeteria were still being finished. At the first assembly in the auditorium (a rock concert), the student body sat on boxes or carpet rolls and had to fight the dirt and dust of the continuing construction. The year’s first football game was played at the Copperton Stadium under the lights for the last time. Bingham’s gridders won that game against Brighton 7-0. On the afternoon of September 19, 1975, the first game at the new high school was held, which Bingham also won, defeating Jordan 34-12. School was rather hectic the whole first year. Construction crews worked around students, and faculty members tried to make the best out of a difficult situation. One teacher at the high school that first year remarked that she got to know the workmen better than some of the faculty members because they were around so much.
Going to the new school required students to make numerous adjustments. Not only did classrooms no longer have walls, but carpet replaced tile and wood on all floors. Tammy Crump Rindlisbacher (Class of 1976) recalled looking across the open second floor balcony and seeing people with gummed-soled shoes, not used to walking on carpet, tripping all over the place. She missed the night football games, the loud intense atmosphere of basketball games in the old gymnasium, and the intimate historic feeling of the old building.
However, students soon got used to their spacious new building with its many open spaces and found ways to enjoy their new surroundings. A favorite place to hang out was on the second-floor balcony by the banks of lockers on the east or west side of the building. From this vantage point one could see the entire library below, as well as all the people traversing the second-floor hallways. It was not only interesting to just watch people from here, but students could play a game called "Money Maze" (named after a popular T.V. game show in the 1970s). One could guide another through the maze created by the library bookshelves by shouting out to someone below in the library "left, right, left."
One daring young man decided to take advantage of the spacious main hallway by converting it into a motorcycle racetrack. His friends made a bet, contending that he could not race his motorcycle down the length of the hall without getting caught. Taking on the wager, he revved up his engine on the south side of the hall and took off toward the distant doors on the north. His plans went awry when he got going so fast that he lost the nerve to continue out the north doors without stopping. Slamming on his breaks as he approached the exit, he left a 25-foot skid mark on the carpet. Although he managed to get out of the building by pushing his motorcycle out the door, he soon found himself in school administrative custody. Luckily no one was hurt, and carpet layers, still working in the building, could patch the damaged floor.
Finally, by spring, almost everything was finished. Boxes of books, supplies, and construction materials had been gradually cleared from the halls, and on April 29, 1976, the building was dedicated.
The new school’s dedication ceremony focused on hundreds of old photographs and memorabilia from the other Bingham High Schools which were located in the halls and media center and featured a slide presentation that told the history of Bingham High. The Bingham High Madrigals presented a musical selection followed by remarks from John Wheadon, a board member, Walter Scott, the architect, and Finn Paulsen, the contractor. The Dance and Speech Departments presented a special dance-dialog entitled "Memories." Theron Hutchings, President of the South Jordan Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offered the dedicatory prayer, after which tours of the building were conducted and refreshments served. At the time Principal Owen remarked:
We are stressing the history of the school at this dedication to preserve the traditions of the school and to let the people and students know that although we are at a new location, we are still the Bingham Miners.
A quiet milestone was reached in 2020 when Bingham High marked its 45th year in South Jordan, surpassing the 44 years that Copperton was the home of Bingham High School. For many, it did not seem possible that South Jordan, which had been long considered the home of the "new" Bingham High School, was now the high school's longest location.
Bingham High School turned 100 in 2008. Throughout the centennial year of 2008-2009, this milestone was commemorated in a monumental manner. The motto chosen for the centennial was "Bingham High School—Then, Now, and Always." The year-long celebration, held from graduation in 2008 to graduation in 2009, included a birthday celebration on September 9, 2008 (the day Bingham High opened in 1908), special centennial Homecoming and Candlelight Service programs, commemorative events at the 2008 and 2009 graduations, centennial football and basketball games with Jordan High School, a Patriotic Assembly and a Champions' Assembly featuring alumni from most all of Bingham's state championship teams. In-school activities recounting each of the ten decades of Bingham's past, a centennial history book, commemorative memorabilia, time capsules, and reunions of all kinds were held to celebrate a century of Bingham's history and achievement.
A lasting reminder of Bingham's remarkable milestone was the creation of the Centennial Plaza. Located in front of the school by the flag poles and paved with Lasting Legacy Bricks engraved with the names of contributors, this landmark also included the 10-foot Miner statue designed by Stan Watts. All these activities and projects brought alumni and community members back to Bingham High School, provided opportunities for Miners past and present to not only celebrate their proud past but also to inform them of current school plans and events, and inspired and encouraged them to become a part of the school in the future. All these goals were achieved in a most remarkable way as the Centennial, and its legacy catapulted Bingham High into it's second century in grand style.