Located at the base of the Book Cliffs in the heart of Carbon County, rests the coal town of Helper, Utah. Named for the trains that were once needed to help locomotives get up and over the steep Spanish Fork Canyon, Helper is looking more and more like the movie backdrop these days. The town wants to remember its glory days of America’s greatest little Main streets. Recently featured in The New York Times, Helper is now more than a sleepy little drive-by on the way to Moab. It’s becoming a destination in and of itself.

On this day, a man sits listening to his radio on Main Street while smoking a cigarette. He watches locals and visitors pass by to eat at the Balance Rock Café. Inside the café, families from around Carbon County enjoy big plates of hot, crisp hashbrowns, bacon and eggs, or tall stacks of waffles dripping with butter and syrup. Like a butterfly, Cindy Edwards Curry flutters from table to table, offering a big smile to her customers. 

Around town are seven restored old gas stations and dozens of restored homes and buildings. Helper has finally been noticed by Hollywood, where a prominent filmmaker currently has a project underway.

But it wasn’t always so promising. Just 12 years ago, when I first stumbled into the town, there were signs of both decay and revival. As it’s been noted, a city can experience both the worst of times and the best times simultaneously.

The residents of Helper today consist mostly of Mormons, Catholics, coal miners, and artists — groups that might otherwise mix like water and oil. But according to local artist Ben Steele, everyone in Helper seems to get along just fine.

Feature image of Help Main Street by Ryanne Andrews.