Mining Topics – Page 2 of 7

The Philadelphia & Idaho Mining & Smelting Company

The Philadelphia & Idaho Mining & Smelting Company was organized in 1882 by Colonel Green and Philadelphia parties, who built two stock plants and a large smelter plant at Muldoon, Blaine county, this state, and operated them for several years, in Muldoon. The ores in the vicinity of Ketchum, Idaho, were of a higher grade, and were attracting more attention than those they were then mining, and certain Philadelphia gentlemen had become interested in them, and they induced the Philadelphia Mining & Smelting Company to come to Ketchum. A small test was made with a little tester, and in the course … Read more

The Hecla Group

The Hecla mine is located at Burke, Shoshone County (Lalande mining district). The original claims comprising the Hecla group were the Hecla and Katie May lode claims, located by James Toner on May 5, 1885. The property was purchased by the Hecla Mining Company, a corporation of Idaho, the principal stockholders being A. B. Campbell, John A. Finch, Patrick Clark, Simon Haley and a party of Milwaukee gentlemen. Up to January 1 , 1898, the Hecla shipped thirteen thousand dollars’ worth of lead-silver ore while the development work was progressing. This ore was taken out partly by the company and … Read more

The Standard Group Of Mineral Claims

The Standard group of claims consists of the following patented lode claims: Standard, Banner, Snow Line, Sancho, Sandwich, Youngstown, Sullivan Fraction, Banner Fraction, Parallel, Little Chap, Mammoth Fraction, a portion of the Mammoth, and Tariff, also the Columbia, Crown Point and Tom Reed, all located in the Coeur d’Alene silver-lead mineral belt, Lalande mining district, Shoshone county, Idaho, one mile from Burke, also the Union Mill-site located at Wallace, Idaho, together with water rights and flumes from which is developed about three hundred horse-power. The Standard claim was located May 7, 1885, by Timothy McCarthy, Timothy Hynes. Frank Hanson and … Read more

The Lead Belt Of The Coeur d’Alenes

Lead was first discovered in the Coeur d’Alene mining district, in northern Idaho, on Canyon creek in the fall of 1884, the discovery at that time being the Tiger mine, situated at the town of Burke. During same year a few other locations were made on Canyon creek, a few at Mullan, and in the fall of 1885 the Bunker Hill & Sullivan mines were discovered at Wardner. At the time these discoveries were made the country was inaccessible, with no railroads, wagon roads or trails, and the only way of getting in was by foot; ten to fifteen miles’ … Read more

The Coeur d’Alene Mining District

This article, as well as that following, concerning the lead belt of the district, is contributed by F. R. Culbertson, under date of July 9. 1898: The Coeur d’Alene mineral belt of northern Idaho, in area about twenty miles square, first came into prominence as a gold-placer camp in the summer and fall of 1883. Placer gold was first discovered on Pritchard creek, near Eagle City, now a deserted camp in Shoshone County. Fabulous reports of the richness and extent of this gold soon spread and attracted the attention of the outside world. In the spring of 1884 there was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Asa Thomas Weeks

Asa Thomas Weeks was born in La Honda on March 1, 1859, where he spent his early boyhood, being educated in the public schools and St. Matthew’s School. In 1881 he decided to leave home and try his hand at mining in Idaho; and while there built the finest house at Sand Point. He then removed to Alaska to engage in mining; and while there served three years as United States Commissioner. In 1904 he came to Pescadero and engaged in the lumber business which he continued for five years. He then decided to try his hand at mining again … Read more

Biography of Erik O. Lindblom

No fiction story teems more with interest than the biography of Erik O. Lindblom, millionaire mine owner, capitalist and banker. From the time he left his home in Sweden at the tender age of seventeen until he uncovered untold riches in the frozen, gravel of Alaska, his life has been one of adventure with hardship and good fortune intermingling. Mr. Lindblom’s father was a wealthy and highly respected land owner and school master in Sweden. Misfortune dealt him a severe blow when by going bondsman for a relative, a large dam which he signed the bond for was washed out, … Read more

History of Arizona

The following collection provides 28 biographies extracted from the History of Arizona by Thomas E. Farish in 1915, as well as histories on the 6 mining districts found within Arizona. If you’d like to peruse the more historical portions of the manuscript then I suggest you view The History of Arizona at our sister site which provides the first two of the eight volume set.

A Brief History of the Panhandle of Oregon

One of the richest sections of Oregon is what is known as the Panhandle. Extending from the Blue Mountains west of North Powder to the Wallows county line, beyond Cornucopia. And whilst this fertile and productive area belongs to Union county, it should be a part of Baker County, as Baker City is its natural outlet as well as its market point. Situated almost on the top of the granites in the extreme Eastern part of Union county, about seventy miles from Baker City, is the bustling mining camp of Cornucopia. As regards development the mines of the Cornucopia Mining … Read more

Silver City Owyhee Idaho Avalanche

Their names were: Michael Jordan A. J. Miner G. W. Chadwick Cyrus Iba William Phipps Joseph Dorsey Jerome Francisco John Moore J. R. Cain W. Churchill H. R. Wade A. J. Reynolds James Carroll William Duncan Dr A. F. Rudd F. Height W. L. Wade John Gannon M. Conner C. Ward H. W. Prindall D. P. Banes O. H. Purdy J. G. Boone W. T. Carson P. H. Gordon L. G. Gehr and 3 others. In the Silver City Owyhee Avalanche of Jan. 8, 1876, is a notice of the death of Alexander Eddington, an Englishman aged 60, a ‘pioneer … Read more

Gold Deposits of California

1. The discovery of gold in California makes the year 1848 an era in the history of that country. It was accidentally found, in the Spring season, in the diluvial soil, by some persons digging the sluiceway for a mill. Specimens of the various kinds of the metal and its matrix were forwarded to the War Department by the chief military officer in command, in the month of August. These specimens were not received at the War-Office till early in December. I examined them in the library of that office, on the 8th of that month. They consisted of thirteen … Read more

Mining and Metallurgy by Native Americans

A state of incipient society appears to have existed among the people who erected fortifications and mounds in the Mississippi Valley, which led them to search for the native metals lying on the surface of the country, and, in some instances, buried within its strata, or enclosed in veins. Such traces have been discovered, at intervals, over a very wide area. They extend from the mineral basin of Lake Superior in a southwestern direction towards the Gulf of Mexico. The most striking traits of ancient labor exist in the copper districts of Michigan. There are some vestiges of this kind … Read more

Chickasaw Farming and Industry

Cotton is the staple of the Chickasaw Nation. For over a quarter of a century the Chickasaws had cultivated small cotton patches, demonstrating the value of their lands for the culture of that staple. Before the war their slaves toiled in the cotton fields and raised cotton, a bale and more to the acre, and of excellent quality. After the completion of the railroad through the nation and the influx of white settlers, the production of cotton enormously increased. The nation now produces about 40,000 bales of cotton annually. The town of Ardmore marketed 835 bales during the season of … Read more

Gold Discoveries and Town Making in Washington State

I have related in Oregon II how Colonel Wright was left in command of the department of Oregon when General Harney was invited to Washington upon a pretence of being needed to testify in the Oregon and Washington Indian war debt claims, in order to pacify the British minister and Governor Douglas by removing him from proximity to the San Juan island boundary-war ground; and also that General Scott recommended merging the military department of Oregon in that of the Pacific, with headquarters in San Francisco. In the latter part of 1860 this idea was carried out, and General E. … Read more

Coal Mining in Washington

Coal Mining in Washington

Baker County Oregon Gold Mining History

The Baker County Oregon Gold Mining History collection provides the reader an overlook of gold mining, principally in Baker County, Oregon, but also extending to the counties of Grant, Harney, Malheur and Union. Along with the history of gold mining in Baker County, Oregon, this manuscript also provides detailed articles on the specific mercantile interests tied into the gold trade in Eastern Oregon, as well as biographies of the miners and principal players of the era.

Whitlatch Lode and other Quartz Mines

Under the first quartz-mining law of Montana, 100 feet in length constituted a claim. The second legislature changed this to 200 feet along the lode, with all the dips, spurs, and angles, and 50 feet on each side of the lode for working purposes; but 1,000 feet of ground might be taken in each direction along the lode for the same uses. Montana Scraps, 39. The person discovering a lode was entitled to one claim for the discovery and one by preemption. In September 1864 James W. Whitlatch, born in Pa, not much cultured in book-knowledge, but with great shrewdness … Read more

Montana Prospectors and Farmers

Map of Butte and Summit Valley Mining District

The two primary elements of Montana’s grand development were gold and grasses. In a rough country of apparently few resources, the discovery of Alder gulch, resulting in $60,000,000 of precious metal, which that ten miles of auriferous ground produced in twenty years, was like the rubbing of an Aladdin lamp. It drew eager prospectors from Colorado, Utah, and Idaho, who overran the country on both sides of the upper Missouri, and east and west of the Rocky Mountains, many of whom realized, to a greater or less extent, their dreams of wealth. The most important discovery after Alder gulch was … Read more

Montana Gold Discoveries and First Settlers

The existence of gold in Montana was not unknown to the Jesuit fathers, but they had other motives than the gathering of earthly treasure, and they would not risk the souls of their ‘dear Indians’ for the glittering metal. As early as 1852 a half-caste from the Red River settlements, named François Finlay, but known as Benetsee, and who had been to California, prospected on a branch of the Hellgate River, finding the color, but no paying placers. The stream became known as Benetsee Creek; but in 1853 a member of the railroad exploring expedition took out of this stream, … Read more

Mining Gold and Silver in Idaho, 1865-1885

From 1865, when quartz mining was very promising in Idaho, to 1876, a fair degree of prosperity was enjoyed by the owners of mines. Prospecting was, however, much retarded by the Indian troubles from 1865 to 1868, an account of which has been given in my History of Oregon. Expensive milling machinery had been hastily introduced in the first excitement of quartz discoveries, which lessened the profits without much increasing the results of reducing the ores in arastras. But the straw which broke the camel’s back was the defaulting of the secretaries of three of the richest mining companies in … Read more