Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Walter C. Giebel papers, 1937-1978
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Giebel, Walter C., 1888-1978
- Title
- Walter C. Giebel papers
- Dates
- 1937-1978 (inclusive)19371978
- Quantity
- 3.5 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 189 (collection)
- Summary
- Walter Giebel was a Montana mining investor and businessman. His papers (1937-1978) include incoming and outgoing correspondence dealing with mining and ore processing, patents, political and monetary policies for the state, and the history of Nelson, Wisconsin; financial records; legal documents; maps; production records for the Gulf Claim and the Star Mine of Neihart, the Hilger Ore Milling Company of Lewistown, and the Tamarack Mine near Sheridan; writings; clippings; and miscellany. Also included are subgroups for the Green-Campbell Mining Company and the Montana Western Mining Company.
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Collection open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Walter C. Giebel was born in Nelson, Wisconsin, on September 20, 1888, the son of Edmund Giebel, a banker and merchant. Walter studied mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin. He and his brother Raymond left Wisconsin about 1912 to haul freight from Malta to Zortman and Landusky, Montana. When this proved unprofitable due to bad roads, the brothers homesteaded near Big Sandy. They also hired out with their Big Four tractor in 1913 to plow land for neighboring farmers. When the two brothers registered for service in World War I, Edmund Giebel moved to Big Sandy to look after his sons' homestead. World War I was over, however, before Walter could be called into service. Edmund bought a Ford dealership in Big Sandy, where Walter worked for many years as a mechanic.
In the summer of 1937 Walter Giebel formed a partnership with his sister's husband John H. Patterson, of Nashua, Montana, to work the Green-Campbell Mine near Silver Star in Madison County. The Green-Campbell had been located in 1867, and was a major gold-producer. A ten-stamp mill was built in 1868. In 1938 Giebel and Patterson brought in several other men including Adolph F. Chan of Nashua, and C.L. Hober of Great Falls, and formed the Green-Campbell Mining Company, with Chan serving as president and Giebel as general manager. In August 1942, the War Production Board (WPB) ordered the shut-down of all gold mining operations. When the Montana Supreme Court ruled that the company could not make a claim for damages against the WPB, the company's assets lost their value.
In November 1943, Giebel, C.L. Hober, and George E. Hurd formed the Montana Western Mining Company to operate the Emma Mine for strategic minerals at Rochester near Twin Bridges. This company operated until the end of the war.
After World War II Giebel worked as a mineral dressing engineer for various mining companies, including the U.S. Gold Corporation (1954); the Victoria Mine west of Silver Star (1959-1967); the Rico Argentine Mining Company in Rico, Colorado; and several companies in Arizona and Mexico. He also taught at the Montana School of Mines in Butte. Giebel was very active in developing theoretical solutions to ore processing and sampling problems. Shortly before his death he designed and supervised construction of the Hilger Mill in Lewistown.
Giebel died on May 2, 1978, at the age of 89.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists of three subgroups. The W.C. Giebel Subgroup consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence (1955-1978) dealing with mining and ore processing matters, patents, political and monetary policy, and the history of Nelson, Wisconsin; financial records (1946-1978); legal documents (1969, 1974); maps (undated); production records (1947-1977) from several mining properties, including the Gulf Claim and the Star Mine of Neihart, the Hilger Ore Milling Company of Lewistown, and the Tamarack Mine near Sheridan; writings (1959-1962) on monetary policy; clippings; and miscellany. The Green-Campbell Mining Company Subgroup contains financial records (1937-1970); legal documents (1969); production records (1937-1942); an oversize map (circa 1939) of the workings of the Eagle Shaft; and miscellany. The Montana Western Mining Company Subgroup consists of a time book (1943-1944) and other financial information; and by-laws (1943). Printed material has been transferred to the Library.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
Preferred Citation
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in Manuscript Volumes and Archives Map Case. See inventory below for more information.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Walter C. Giebel Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Incoming Correspondence |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 1 | Equipment Engineers Inc., Krebs Engineers (re use
of Krebs Cyclones at Tamarack Mill) |
1964, 1972, 1977 |
1 / 2 | A-V (correspondents include J.K. Archibald, C.M.
Bennett, Ken Bondurant, G.H. Bryant, William E. Cullen, Galigher Company, Roselle
Girard, Goodall Brothers, Joy Manufacturing Company, Lincoln National Life
Foundation, Ray Lopata, Glenn L. Pearson, Robert N. Richey, V. Hugo Schmidt, W.G.
Taburt, F.J. Wattrick) |
1952-1977 |
Outgoing Correspondence |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 3-8 | Chronological |
1955-1978 |
1 / 9 | Fragments |
undated |
Financial Records |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 10 | Checkstubs |
1949-1950, 1956-1957 |
1 / 11 | Hilger Ore Milling Company accounts |
1976-1978 |
1 / 12 | Ledger (used for Giebel and Patterson, U.S. Gold
Corporation, and Walter C. Giebel Individual Proprietorship) |
1946-1974 |
1 / 13 | Personal income, expenses, taxes, etc. RESTRICTED
|
1957-1974, undated |
1 / 14 | Miscellaneous |
1916-1977 |
1 / 15 | Certificate of location for Dian Extension #2
Quartz Lode Claim |
1969 |
Maps |
||
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 1 | Proposed road in Maiden Canyon to War Eagle Mine |
undated |
Printed Material |
||
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 2 | List of printed materials transferred to Library |
|
Production Records |
||
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 3 | Ball Mill discharge |
1947, undated |
2 / 4 | Gilt Edge ore testing |
1977 |
2 / 5 | Gulf Claim (Neihart) ore testing |
1969-1970 |
2 / 6 | Hilger Ore Milling Company Inc. (Lewistown) ore
testing, etc. (also includes Abbott ore) |
1976-1977 |
2 / 7 | Johnson ore amalgamation (includes design of
stabilizer) |
1965 |
2 / 8 | John T. Potts (Silver Star) ore testing, etc. |
1967 |
2 / 9 | Star Mine (Neihart) testing, development notes,
etc. |
1970 |
2 / 10 | W.G. Tabert (Grantsdale) ore testing etc. |
1963 |
2 / 11 | Tamarack Mill and Benz Mine (Sheridan) ore testing |
1966-1967 |
2 / 12 | Tamarack Mill (Sheridan) record |
1963 |
2 / 13 | Tamarack Mill (Sheridan) work log |
1962-1967 |
2 / 14 | Tamarack Mine (Sheridan) ore sampling, notes, etc. |
1963-1966 |
2 / 15 | Tamarack Mine (Sheridan) pit ore processed |
1963 |
2 / 16 | Victoria Mines Inc. (Silver Star) mill reports by
John T. Potts |
1948-1950, 1954 |
2 / 17 | Miscellaneous tests, samples, etc. |
undated |
Reports |
||
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 18 | "Flotation investigation, north vein ore of
Mitchell Mining Company" |
1954 |
2 / 19 | "Investigation of the Star Mine, Neihart District,
Cascade County, Mont." by J.A. Herdlick |
1949 |
2 / 20 | "Laboratory flotation: preliminary investigation on
a Pb-Zn-Ag dump ore" by George D. Gale, Mineral Research Center |
1975 |
2 / 21 | "Little Rockies Mining and Development Co.,
Landusky, Montana" by the Galigher Company |
1955 |
2 / 22 | "Report covering flotation test work on a sample of
lead, zinc and pyrite ore from the Rico Argentine Mine..." by the Galigher Company |
1955 |
2 / 23 | "Report on concentration of a gold-bearing ore from
the Hawkeye Mine, Little Rockies Mining District, Zortman, Mont." by D.W. McGlashan |
1954 |
2 / 24 | "Report on concentration of silver-lead-zinc ores
from the Star Mine, Neihart, Montana" by Walter C. Giebel |
1971 |
2 / 25 | "Report on pH control as applied to ore flotation" |
undated |
2 / 26 | Rico Argentine Mill operating reports by Walter C.
Giebel |
1966 |
2 / 27 | "Synopsis of report on Mt. St. Helens Consolidated
Mining Co," [incomplete] |
undated |
2 / 28 | "Tamarack mine and mill, Sheridan, Mont." by Walter
C. Giebel |
circa 1963 |
2 / 29 | Miscellaneous reports by University of Texas,
Bureau of Economic Geology and Texas Business Review |
1929-1942, 1965 |
Writings |
||
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 30 | "Petition and mandate of the people of this United
States...." (re monetary policy) |
1959, 1962 |
2 / 31 | "The Story of the dead horse" (re monetary policy) |
1959 |
Miscellany |
||
Box/Folder | ||
2 / 32 | East Helena smelter, American Smelting and Refining
Company open schedule for ores and concentrates |
1948 |
3 / 1 | Invention of mineral dressing device |
1967 |
3 / 2 | Notebook (includes notes on technical processes;
Hilger Ore Testing Company prices, inventory, etc.) |
1965-1976 |
3 / 3 | Sketches (tailings dams; American Boundary
Expedition, Gila River, 1850) |
undated |
3 / 4 | Theoretical notes on reagents, sampling, etc. |
undated |
3 / 5 | Titration of SO2H2O solution |
undated |
3 / 6 | William Tungsten Company payroll and earnings
record |
1953-1954 |
Clippings |
||
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 7 | Congressional Record articles (re sea-thermal
power, geothermal power, Industrial Reorganization Act) |
1971-1972 |
Green-Campbell Mining Company Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Financial Records |
||
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 8 | Expenses, stock subscriptions, etc. |
1930-1970, undated |
Volume | ||
1-6 | Journals (Giebel and Patterson partnership begins
January 1947) |
1937-1969 |
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 9 | Ledger (includes general and petty ledger) |
1938-1947 |
3 / 10 | Ledger (includes stockholders, employees) |
1938-1940 |
4 / 1 | Ledger (includes employees' and companies'
accounts) |
1939-1940 |
4 / 2 | Net operating gain and loss record (also includes
stock purchases 1974, patent expenses 1964-1974) |
1957-1974 |
4 / 3 | John M. Patterson time sheets |
1958 |
4 / 4-6 | Time books |
1940-1943 |
4 / 7 | Victory tax withholding records RESTRICTED
|
1943 |
Legal Documents |
||
Box/Folder | ||
4 / 8 | Mining lease and option between Mildred Patterson
and Pioneer Nuclear, Inc. on Virginia and South Virginia placer lode claims;
(includes related correspondence) |
1974 |
4 / 9 | Mine lease agreements on Green-Campbell Mine |
1969 |
Maps |
||
Oversize Folder | ||
MC 182-194 | Eagle Shaft workings [Archives Map Case
see folder MC 182-194] |
circa 1939 |
Production Records |
||
Box/Folder | ||
4 / 10 | Eagle Shaft sampling |
1938 |
4 / 11 | Gold and silver shipments and returns |
1940-1942 |
5 / 1 | Mill and mine samples |
1938-1942 |
5 / 2 | Mill operations, orders of day, and operator's
reports |
1939-1941 |
5 / 3 | Mill reports |
1939-1940 |
5 / 4-5 | Mill sample books |
1940-1942 |
5 / 6 | Ore shipments and receipts |
1939-1943 |
Volume | ||
7-8 | Ore treatment books |
1940-1942 |
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 7 | Sampler statements from Washoe Sampler |
1937-1938 |
5 / 8 | Sampling |
1940-1942 |
Miscellany |
||
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 9 | Green-Campbell Mining Company claim for restoration
of assets lost under War Production Board order |
1942-1953 |
Montana Western Mining Company Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Financial Records |
||
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 10 | Emma Mine employee wage and withholding information |
1943-1944 |
5 / 11 | Emma Mine time book |
1943-1944 |
Organizational Records |
||
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 12 | By-laws |
1943 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Gold mines and mining--Montana
- Mines and mineral resources--Montana--Madison County
- Mining engineering
- Monetary policy
- Ore-dressing
- Patents
- Stamp mills--Montana
Personal Names
- Giebel, Walter C., 1888-1978 (creator)
Geographical Names
- Madison County (Mont.)--Industries
- Neihart (Mont.)--Industries
- Silver Star (Mont.)--Industries