Archives West Finding Aid

The Trout Mine was first developed in 1870 by the Cole Saunders Gold and Silver Mining Company. The company's manager James Patten later formed his own company the Patten Mining Company and operated the mine in the early 1900s. During World War I, the Western Ore and Mining Company produced manganese from the mine. The Trout Mining Company was incorporated under Illinois law in 1922. It was re-incorported under New Jersey law in October 1924 and operated the mine until October 1936. In September 1936 the American Machine and Metals Manufacturing Corporation merged with Trout to form American Machine and Metals Inc. The Trout Mine became the Trout Division of the new company. The new company was headed by P.G. Mumford, while the Trout Division was managed by Charles A. Hyder. In 1947 and again in 1950 the Trout mill burned. In January 1958 a new Trout Mining Company was incorporated to take over the operation of the mine. It became inactive in 1963, though the charter did not expire until 1993.