Historical Mining News of the Southwest
Old newspaper clippings and mining journal reports from back issues of Desert Magazine. I’ve consolidated some snippets of historic mining activity that may help in your research of places to prospect for gold and other metals & minerals.
I’ve included the smaller gold and other metal and mineral mining operations, but left out the larger mines and commodities such as uranium and oil. I’ve also included some topics just for their historic interest.
Make sure to check land status before you go. I have not checked any locations, and some areas mentioned may not be open for location or exploration. These clips are intended to be used as a basis for further research on these and adjacent areas.
Check my post How to Find Gold – Mining Research for more info on land status research.
The library of Congress has an amazing website for researching old newspapers called Chronicling America. Just pick a state and a keyword. A great free research tool.
Historic mining activity January 1952
Randsburg, California . . .
Scores of small mines and prospects are under development on the scheelite – bearing belt extending approximately 100 miles from Atolia to Bishop, Inyo county, and more prospectors are searching for new deposits.
Surcease Mining Company, said to be the nation’s fourth largest tungsten producer, is operating its properties and concentration plant at top capacity at Red Mountain in the Atoiia area. Many small operators report production is materially retarded by lack of a government purchasing depot and the restricted sales outlet. — Mining Record.
Tombstone, Arizona . . .
Renewal of old-time mining activity in Tombstone seems to be indicated by the recent purchase from the Tombstone Development Company of 96 connecting claims which cover all the Tombstone area.
New owners, who locate in Chicago, plan to begin development operations this year. Higher market for local mineral products, particularly lead, prompted the purchase. Water from the inundated ore fields, flooded in the 1880’s will be piped to Tucson, it is believed. — Tombstone Epitaph.
Lovelock, Nevada . . .
A recent 40-ton carload shipment of gold ore from the Buffalo Valley mine to a Utah smelter yielded $6,400, according to a report issued by Bob Ostrander, part owner of the mine. Income from the shipment, which was taken from surface workings, is sufficient to justify mining and work is continuing.—Milling Record.
Battle Mountain, Nevada . . .
A large deposit of barite, situated approximately 45 miles south of Battle Mountain and across the Mill Creek summit, has been leased by the Westvaco Company of California.
Extensive drilling operations now are under way to determine the extent and grade of the ore. Early samples showed assays of high grade barite. — Battle Mountain Scout.
Historic mining activity February 1952
Carson City, Nevada . . .
An unusual mining operation is being conducted by L. B. Smith and Dan Avery at Carson River, six miles east of Carson City.
With a 100-yard per hour Bodinson drybank washing plant, is equipped, and a two-yard Lorain dragline, the firm is recovering high values in gold, silver and quicksilver from tailings of the early Carson River gold and silver mills. Twelve dumps are being worked along a 14- mile stretch.
Quicksilver used by the old mills evidently spilled over into the tailings and has accumulated in pockets or concentrations in the dumps.—Pioche Record.
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
A remarkable strike of silver ore at the Mohawk Mine at Argentite out of Silver Peak may prove a life saver to Esmeralda County, Nevada.
The new ore body has been drifted on for a length of more than 150 feet, averaging 42 ounces of silver and carrying some lead.
Width of the vein is unknown, although it is the full width of the six-foot tunnel all the way and, where crosscut, reaches more than 12 feet wide.—Tonopah Times-Bonanza.
Tombstone, Arizona . . .
Mining industry in the Tombstone area received good news with announcement that one of its mines, the Abril Mine in the Dragoon Mountains near Tombstone, will receive government assistance under the Defense Minerals Administration. It is presumed that the government exploration contract is for the purpose of further developing zinc and copper potentialities of the mine.—Tombstone Epitaph.
Tonopah, Nevada
Transfer of tungsten mining and mill properties in northern Humboldt County has been announced, with the lease option agreements reportedly involving considerations aggregating more than $80,000. The mining properties are lode claims approximately 20 miles southwest of Denio and the mill properties arc identified as the Vicksburg and Pine Forest sites. – Tonopah Times-Bonanza.
Salt Lake City, Utah . . .
Main extension, at depth, of the Crescent fissure may have been encountered in joint workings of the Silver King Coalition Mines Company and Park Utah Consolidated Mines Company at Park City.
Paul H. Hunt, vice-president and general manager of Park Utah, said explorations had hit a small lead-silver-zinc vein in hanging wall of the lime formation. Although the vein is not large, the general fissure system appears to be sizable. Correlation with workings in the fissure at upper levels in Silver King ground leads mine officials to believe the 2100- foot level discovery to be connected with the Crescent.—Pioche Record.
Historic Mining Activity March 1952
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
George Lippincott, president of Lippincott Lead Company, has announced a new mine, mill and smelter operation in Nye County at Bonnie Clare, about 30 miles south of Goldfield.
Construction of the proposed plant will call for an initial expenditure of $250,000, Lippincott staled, and will include a modern selective flotation mill process and a smelter to reduce lead-silver flotation concentrates and lead ore into bullion form. Also planned is construction of modern housing facilities at Bonnie Clare.—Mining Record.
Santa Fe, New Mexico . . .
Zinc and lead are causing new activity at Los Cerrillos, the “Little Hills,” an old mining area 18 miles south and west of Santa Fe.
Two mines are operating in the Cerrillos district, and expansions are planned for 1952. The Torn Payne Mine and the Pennsylvania Mine are producing and shipping ore with a content of approximately 16 percent lead and 25 percent zinc. In the spring both companies plan to step up production and to reopen other long-closed mines.
Los Cerrillos is near the location of the fabulous Mina del Tiro, a silver and lead mine which was known to the Spanish prior to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and the Indian turquoise mine of Chalchihuitl. said to be the oldest mine in the United States and probably in North America.—Mining Record.
Baker, California . . .
Molybdenum Corporation of America has started digging into its 23 square miles of “rare earth” deposits at Mountain Pass, 30 miles northwest of Baker.
The deposit is the largest lode of the industrially important ores in the world. The “rare earths” include metals valued at more than 1000 times their weight in gold—up to $5000 an ounce.
Among them are metals used in high-temperature alloys for jet engines, in hardening steel and in metallurgy, optical glass, waterproofing and mildew-proofing fabrics, searchlights, heat lamps, tracer bullets and flash powder.—Barstow Printer-Review.
Historic Mining Activity April 1952
Golconda, Nevada . . .
A 7 5-foot ledge of high grade manganese ore has been uncovered at the Black Diablo property, 21 miles south of Golconda. Announcement of the find was made by C. G. Brailey, superintendent and vice-president of the Charleston Hill National Mining Company, owners of the site. Manganese has been shipped from the Black Diablo to Geneva, Utah, since 1939.— Humboldt Star.
Benson, Arizona . . .
Coronado Copper and Zinc Company has plans to continue its Moore shaft at Johnson Mine, east of Benson, another 200 feet. The 3-year-old shaft already has been sunk 500 feet. Only the Moore and the old Republic shaft, down 1600 feet, are now being worked at Johnson, a former copper and zinc boom town. A mill is in operation, making copper and zinc concentrates; the former is shipped to Inspiration, the latter to Bartlesville, Okla.—Tombstone Epitaph.
Goldfield, Nevada . . .
A 20-ton silver-lead custom mill is reported under construction at Silver Peak, 32 miles west of Goldfield. The mill, owned by E. R. Hines of Chicago, replaces one that burned a few years ago. Mines active in the area include the Nivloc and the Argentite. The McNamara shaft, which has been inactive for some time, is being put back into operation and is showing an average of 15 percent lead and .8 ounces of silver.—Humboldt Star.
Winnemucca, Nevada . . .
Development of one of Nevada’s most historic mines is being pushed by a group of Salt Lake mining men after surface stripping uncovered a 210-foot long vein of cinnabar.
The property, being developed by the Dutch Flat Mines, Inc., consists of 19 unpatented lode claims and two unpatented placer claims. The claims lie in the bottom and sides of Idaho Gulch in the Paradise mining district of Humboldt County, 29 miles northeast of Winnemucca.
Although worked primarily as a placer and lode gold producer, the properties were worked during World War II for the mercury content with an estimated 30,000 pounds being recovered.
Officers of the company plan to develop the cinnabar deposits immediately by sinking an inclined shaft to connect with two present shafts which have been used to work deposits at the intersections of a series of northeast- trending fissures with a northwest trending fault zone about 100 feet in width.—Humboldt Star.
Historic Mining Activity May 1952
Nevada City, California . . .
Minona Mining Company, a Minnesota corporation, has obtained title to more than 1600 feet of channel between Birchville and French Corral, 14 miles west of Nevada City.
The property, 1300 acres in area, yields a rich bedrock gravel. A dragline plant is processing 2000 yards daily, and the capacity is expected to be increased to 4000 yards. Almost 20,000,000 yards of gravel are available.—Pioche Record.
Ely, Nevada . . .
Plans for developing tungsten property in White Pine County have been announced by Herman M. Cooley, Winnemucca mining operator, who is assured the location will become a prolific producer of high grade ore.
Cooley has immediate plans to sink a shaft at the Blue Light Mine, on Cherry Creek approximately 50 miles north of Ely, to determine the extent of the deposit. Outcroppings indicate it carries a high tungsten value. — Battle Mountain Scout.
Tombstone, Arizona . . .
Ghost mining towns of Gleeson and Courtland a few miles northeast of Tombstone may be revived.
The old Tejon Mine at Gleeson has been leased by William Ward and associates from Steve Pryor, sole owner of the property for the last 10 years. New equipment is being moved to the copper and zinc mine, which was first developed in 1885. It was abandoned as a large producer over half a century ago.—San Pedro Valley Times.
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
Basic Refractories, Inc., has acquired the physical assets of Sierra Magnesite Company of Nevada, which includes a considerable number of placer claims as well as certain patented claims adjoining Basic’s present property.
According to H. P. Wells, Jr., president, “the new claims will improve Basic’s accessibility by low cost open pit methods to ore already developed in areas which it presently leases and loans.” —Tonopah Times-Bonanza.
Historic Mining Activity June 1952
Searchlight, Nevada . . .
Its bonanza days are long past, but mining has not gone altogether from Searchlight, in the far southwestern corner of Nevada.
There are a dozen or more miners working old claims, and small operations are still going on at the old Quartette Mine, famous in the early days of the boom camp. Six men are working with the Desert Drilling Company running the Quartette tailings and dumps through a mill at a daily rate of approximately 30tons.
The Yellow Pine Mine, noted for its millions in production of silver, lead and zinc ores, also still yields good value in places.—Las Vegas Review- Journal.
Winnemucca, Nevada . . .
Gus Rogers, mine operator, and Harold E. Reed, prospector, both of Winnemucca, are partners in the operation of a group of quartz claims in the Scossa mining district in Pershing County.
Reed is using a dry washer to test hot spots in the vein outcrop, claiming he gets better results by this method than by panning with water. —Mining Record.
Tombstone, Arizona . . .
Lomelino Interests, which for the past year has been operating the ore reduction mill at Tombstone, revamped its organization under the title, Shannon Mining Company after taking over the old Shannon Mine at Gleeson. Extensive operations now are being readied.
Large lead and zinc deposits are found at the mine, where a 16-foot face is exposed in one place. The Shannon has been operated for many years, but until now these minerals were ignored, due to lack of demand and low market price. — Tombstone Epitaph.
Historic Mining Activity July 1952
Trona, California . . .
While serving with the Marine Corps in the Barstow, California, area, Geologist Eugene Lawrence spent spare hours prospecting in the desert. Now his exploration has paid off with a tungsten mine 26 miles southeast of Trona. He has three men assisting in the operation of the mine, which he has named the White Dollar.—Mining Record.
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
Historic Smoky Valley, adjacent to the Round Mountain gold district and 70 miles north of Tonopah, is the scene of active tungsten exploration.
Warfield, Inc., is developing a scheelite deposit on the Tungsten View claim of the Meyers-Thomas property; Newmont Mining Corporation has started exploration work on a group of claims in Ophir Canyon, and numerous prospectors and small operators are active in the region.—Pioche Record.
Battle Mountain, Nevada . . .
Early development of the Nubian turquoise mine in Klondike, Nye county, is planned by Norman L. Heikes of San Francisco and Burton Riggs.
The Nubian is said to contain a rare occurrence of gem-quality turquoise in which the deep blue of the stone lies in a black matrix of silver ore. The property was discovered in 1924 and has been worked intermittently since that time. —Battle Mountain Scout.
Historic Mining Activity August 1952
Ruth, Nevada . . .
Foley Brothers, Inc., of Ruth has the contract from Kennecott Copper Corporation for its development program at Ruth. The deep Ruth shaft is now down more than 285 feet, and the Kelinske shaft has been enlarged for a distance of 790 feet.—Mining Record
Reno, Nevada . . .
Alluvial deposits being worked at Copper Canyon by Dredge No. 2 of the Natomas Company illustrate how gold is washed downward through broken and porous strata to impervious bedrock or clay. Average depth of the operation’s placer channels is 50 feet, with the lower 15 feet containing the principal values.
The nuggets recovered are small and angular in shape with sharp corners which prove they had not traveled far and were not subjected to much scouring. Boulders of copper ore lie in the channels, indicating that the precious metal is derived from copper-gold bearing veins in rock formations a short distance above. Dredging and lode mining operations recover the gold. — Mining Record.
Cisco, Utah . . .
With picks, shovels, jack hammers and mucking machines, three sisters are recovering uranium ore on a claim in the Yellow Cat district near Cisco. Lois and Daphne Long and Mrs. Evelyn Hamerick work the Cactus Rat property, a surface mine.
Their father, Frank O. Long, has a contract with Climax Uranium Co. for the claim. He supervises its operation but subcontracts the work to his daughters. The sisters estimate they’ve taken out between 8000 and 10,000 tons of ore in the three years they have been on the property.—Moab Times-Independent.
Gabbs, Nevada . . .
Gordon and Lindsey Smith of Gabbs and Barney O’Malia of Hawthorne report their El Capitan mill in Gabbs Valley is treating 20 to 25 tons of tungsten ore daily. Fifteen tons a day are mined at the partners’ Commodore property, an open pit operation 10 miles north of Gabbs, and their El Capitan scheelite mine produces 10 to 15 tons daily, some of it being stockpiled. Further development in the area is planned, including probable installation of a concentrating plant in Smoky Valley.—Pioche Record.
Historic Mining Activity September 1952
Lovelock, Nevada . . .
Gold-tin dredging operations at Placeritos, 40 miles north of Lovelock, promises higher values than at first expected, reports V. C. Frazier, manager for Gold of Ophir Placers, Inc. Drilling has gone down to 27 feet with pay dirt found 6 to 18 feet in depth. Most of the pay gravel is in gulches. —Mining Record.
Historic Mining Activity October 1952
Barstow, California . . .
Lighthouse Mining Corporation of Barstow has announced it will buy scheelite-bearing ores or mill such ores on a custom basis at its Mojave river bed plant.
Machinery consists of primary and secondary jaw crushers, screens, ball mill, cone classifiers and tables. The mill has a capacity of about 80 tons per 24 hours.—Humboldt Star.
Carlsbad, New Mexico . . .
The 100.000th carload of potash was shipped this summer from International Minerals and Chemical Corporation’s mines at Carlsbad. International Minerals produces approximately one-fourth of the total domestic output of potash salts.
Virginia City, Nevada . . .
Three former gold mills now are running on tungsten ore on the historic silver and gold Comstock Lode.
The Consolidated Virginia and Dayton Consolidated plants have been treating scheelite several months, and the Recovery mill at Silver City has been changed to a tungsten concentrator to handle scheelite from the Brunswick Canyon Mine.
Beowawe, Nevada . . .
Discovery of deposits of commercial sulphur near Beowawe has been announced by Oscar J. Streeter and Pete Peterson of Elko. The deposit is believed to contain 100,000 tons of the mineral. About 400 tons of sulphur have been uncovered to date.— Battle Mountain Scout.
Winnemucca, Nevada . . .
The Riley Mine, 42 miles northeast of Winnemucca, has been reopened by the United States Vanadium Corporation and is again a producer of tungsten.
The ore will be hauled two miles to the mill of Getchell Mines. Inc.. for preliminary milling, and concentrates will be shipped to the U.S.V. plant at Bishop, California, for processing.— Humboldt Star.
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
The Last Chance Mining Company, which conducts the only antimony operation of its kind in the state, recently completed its smelter. It employs an electrolytic method of treatment which was developed by the U. S. Bureau of Mines. Operations are located southwest of Round Mountain in the Wall Canyon district. — Goldfield News.
Historic Mining Activity November 1952
Reno, Nevada . . .
Copper Butte Mining Company has been cleaning out tunnels and making repairs on the Buckskin Mine in Mason Valley. N. L. Brown of Wabuska. manager of the project, reports 300,000 tons of copper sulphide have been blocked out, with assay running from two to 10 percent. A 50-ton mill is planned at the site.—Territorial Enterprise.
Monticello, Utah . . .
Charles A. Steen. 32-year-old prospector, has reported discovery of a rich belt of pitchblende, a source of both uranium and radium—in the barren southwestern section of Utah.
His find, he said, was made only 72 feet underground, nine miles south of La Sal, Utah, in uranium-rich San Juan county. Drilling a canyon rim for a previously-discovered deposit of carnotite, the prospector said he suddenly hit pitchblende. He reported the ore belt was eight feet deep and measured “better than .34 percent uranium oxide,” with a core as rich as two percent uranium oxide.
Pitchblende in commercial quantities has heretofore been found only in Canada and Africa, although scientists have suspected its presence on the Colorado Plateau.— San Juan Record.
San Bernardino, California . . .
The old United Tungsten mine in the Morongo mining district—last operated during World War I, has been reactivated by the Shooting Star Tungsten Company. Scheelite occurs in a contact zone between granite country rock and marbleized limestone. —Pioche Record.
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
Construction of the first new mining shaft in the Tonopah area in 35 years is being considered as the result of the recent ore strike at the old Summit King Mine.
A mill also will be constructed at the site if operations yield enough commercial grade silver-gold ore to justify full-scale production. Although the vein narrowed to three feet after about 20 feet of drifting, values of about $50 a ton held in the typical Tonopah ratio of 100 parts silver to one part gold. – Humboldt Star.
Austin, Nevada . . .
Allen Russell, who for a number of years has been conducting mining operations in Mill Canyon, has leased the turquoise mine of George Mc-Ginness. The property, located between Austin and Grass Valley has been idle the past five years.—Reese River Reveille.
Globe, Arizona . . .
Hewitt Wolfe and associates of Globe have started a development program at the Starlight Mine in the Stanley Butte district of Graham county. Shipments of lead-zinc ore. about five tons weekly, are being made to the El Paso smelter.—Humboldt Star.
Historic Mining Activity December 1952
Carson City, Nevada . . .
An ore body assaying high in gold, silver and lead values was cut recently by an inclined shaft down only 40 feet at property of Fowler Mining Corporation in California just across the state line from Esmeralda County, Nevada.
The vein is reported to measure four feet wide, with promise of holding at depth. Work is being accelerated following the strike.—Humboldt Star.
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
With almost 200 feet of the rich Summit King ore body now explored at the 300 foot level, it is obvious that a major mining operation is in the making. From the point of entry, the vein has now been probed 130 feet to the west and 67 feet east—and the ore still is holding in both directions.
Sufficient progress has been made to assure the construction of a new main working shaft, probably with three compartments, and the erection of a mill. Work on these major projects will be deferred until spring, but underground development will continue.
The heart of the vein stretches across 110 feet, averaging a good four to five feet in width with high values.—Tonopah Times-Bonanza.
Moapa, Nevada . . .
Development of mica property a few miles southeast of Moapa is planned by Taglo Mining Company of San Francisco. According to local sources, there is a sufficient deposit in the area to operate profitably for at least five years. The developers plan to install a million-dollar plant to mine, mill and cut the strategic non-metallic. —Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Randsburg. California . . .
Mrs. Kathleen Jewell of Randsburg is reaping an unexpected return from an investment she made ten years ago. In 1942 Mrs. Jewell purchased the old Billie Burke Mine because she felt the small houses built on the claim had rental value.
The mine itself she leased to two part-time miners. Now the miners have discovered a good vein of scheelite, tungsten ore, assaying about 64 percent concentrate, and Mrs. Jewell estimates her royalties for this year will top $1000. — Randsburg Times-Herald.
Prescott, Arizona . . .
The old King Divide Mine, 17 miles southeast of Prescott, has received a new lease on life. Renamed the Mount Union Mine, new development was begun in October, 1950.
The old mine workings were tapped at the 500 foot level by a 1200-foot tunnel which drained the mine to the 50 foot level and cut two veins at 500 feet. These veins have been drifted on for some distance and ore shoots for 100 feet have been exposed.
The veins are two to four feet in width and carry commercial quantities of lead and zinc besides appreciable gold and some silver values. A 50-ton-per-day selective lead-zinc flotation plant is planned on the site.—Arizona Republic.
