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Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company records, 1877-1930
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company
- Title
- Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company records
- Dates
- 1877-1930 (inclusive)18771930
- Quantity
- 9.8 linear feet of shelf space, 18 oversized volumes
- Collection Number
- MC 57 (collection)
- Summary
- The Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company was a gold and silver mining operation in Walkerville, Montana. Its headquarters were in Salt Lake City, Utah. The records consist primarily of letterpress volumes of outgoing correspondence from Walkerville mine superintendents to Salt Lake City company officials. Also included are organizational materials, financial records, productions records, and legal files.
- 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.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
In 1875, Marcus Daly purchased mining property north of Butte, Montana Territory, for four Walker brothers in Salt Lake City, Utah. Three years later, the Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company organized, with Joseph R. Walker as president and Marcus Daly as superintendent of the Walkerville operations. In 1880, Daly withdrew from the Alice and bought into the Anaconda Mine. Walker served as president until his death in 1901 when his brother, Matthew H. Walker, succeeded him. During these formative years, the Walker brothers invested in new machinery and enlarged the Alice's production capacity. The company constructed a 60-stamp mill, considered at the time to be the world's largest dry crushing and chloridizing mill. These technological improvements proved that, in addition to silver bullion, base ores could be economically mined. This was a particularly significant development after the Silver Panic of 1893, when silver prices fell and the Alice management sought profits through the extraction of zinc. The Anaconda Copper Mining Company acquired majority control of the Alice Company in 1910, and in 1930, the Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company was dissolved.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection is composed primarily of interoffice correspondence and financial records. The former includes letters between Joseph R. Walker and Matthew H. Walker at the Salt Lake City company offices and the company superintendents at the mine in Walkerville. These letters discuss daily operations, national mining issues, equipment used, labor relations, assay results, dealings with Butte business interests, etc. (1877-1940). In addition, the collection contains court papers, legal documents, and organizational materials.
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 series. Some material housed in oversize folder in archives map case. Some material housed in oversized volumes. 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
Interoffice Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1-8 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, treasurer;
Benjamin G. Raybould, secretary) |
December 1881- January 1882, December 1882- January 1884 |
| 1 / 9-13 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice
president; James F. Lees, secretary) |
January 1887- January 1889 |
| 2 / 1-4 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice
president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary) |
January, November 1894- December 1895 |
| 2 / 5 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary) |
February, August, November 1896 |
| 2 / 5 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice
president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary) |
February, August, November 1896 |
| 2 / 6-10 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice
president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary) |
January 1897- April 1898 |
| 3 / 1-9 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Joseph R. Walker, president; Matthew H. Walker, vice
president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary) |
May 1898- June 1901 |
| 3 / 10 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Matthew H. Walker, president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary;
Joseph R. Walker, director) |
July-December 1901 |
| 4 / 1-3 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Matthew H. Walker, president; Joseph R. Walker, vice
president; L.H. Farnsworth, secretary) |
January 1902- June 1903 |
| 4 / 4-7 | Salt Lake City general office to Walkerville office
(correspondents include Matthew H. Walker, president L.H. Farnsworth, secretary) |
July 1903- November 1905 |
| 4 / 8 | Butte, Great Falls and New York offices to
Walkerville office (correspondents include John D. Ryan, president; J.W. Allen,
treasurer) |
1906-1909 |
| 4 / 9 | Anaconda Copper Mining Company General Office to
Alice Dept. office in Walkerville |
1910-1930 |
| 5 / 1 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondents include W. Read, L. Dunn) |
September 1877- June 1878 |
| 5 / 2 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondents include W. Read) |
March 1879- August 1880 |
| 5 / 3 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondents include William E. Hall, superintendent) |
June 1881- August 1882 |
| 6 / 1 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondents include William E. Hall, superintendent) |
July 1881- April 1882 |
| 6 / 2 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondents include William E. Hall, superintendent) |
September 1882- January 1884 |
| 7 / 1-2 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent) |
January 1884- November 1886 |
| 8 / 1-3 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent; also includes assay
reports, July-September 1887) |
October 1887- August 1889 |
| 9 / 1-3 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent) |
April 1889- August 1890 |
| 10 / 1-3 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent) |
August 1890- December 1892 |
| 11 / 1-2 | Walkerville office to Salt Lake City Office
(letterpress book: correspondent, William E. Hall, superintendent) |
January 1892- November 1893 |
| 11 / 3 | Miscellaneous [scattered originals] |
1886-1906 |
Incoming Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 11 / 4 | Miscellaneous (correspondents include Knowles Steam
Pump Works, George O'Brien) |
1883 |
| 11 / 5 | Miscellaneous (correspondents include Griffith and
Wedge Company, Minnie Moore Mine and Concentrating Works, John M. Kinnear, Phoenix
Steel Broom and Brush Company) |
1887 |
| 11 / 6 | A-I (correspondents include Bi-Metallic Mining
Company, William P. Blake, Blue Bird Mining Company, Butte Boiler Works, Boulder Hot
Springs, William A. Clark, Gilbert Clements, Sol Erickson, Fraser and Chalmers,
Granite Mountain Mining Company, Griffith and Wedge Company, David Hall, F.W. Iredell) |
1888 |
| 11 / 7 | K-W (correspondents include C.B. Kirkland, A.
Kleinschmidt and Company, McCormick and Company bankers, Montana Mineral Land
Association, Montana Union Railway Company, People's Forwarding Company, Phoenix Steel
Broom and Brush Company, Union National Bank, Union Pacific Railway Company) |
1888 |
| 11 / 8 | Miscellaneous (correspondents include Butte Miners
Union, Butte Chamber of Commerce, Montana Union Railway Company) |
1889-1894 |
| 11 / 9 | A-W (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining
Company, Crew Levick Company, Diamond Coal and Coke Company, L.C. Trent and Company,
F.G. White) |
1896 |
| 11 / 10 | A-H (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining
Company, Alexander Andrews, Butte General Electric Company, William A. Clark's office,
Colorado Smelting and Mining Company, Chrome Steel Works, Crew Levick Company, Diamond
Coal and Coke Company, Divide Lumber Company, John D. Haines, William E. Hall) |
1897 |
| 11 / 11 | L-W (correspondents include Lexington Mine, Montana
Power Company, Montana Union Railway Company, R.H. Officer and Company, Parrot Silver
and Copper Company, L.C. Trent and Company) |
1897 |
| 12 / 1 | A-W (correspondents include Butte and Boston
Consolidated Mining Company, Butte Terminal Association, Thompson Campbell, W.E.
Carroll, Chrome Steel Works, W.A. Clark's office, Diamond Coal and Coke Company,
Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company, S.P. Holden, Kemmerer Coal Company,
Lynch and Bacheler, R.A. Reynolds, Charles C. Rueger, Sturtevant Mill Company, L.C.
& S.V. Trent Mining Machinery, W.S. Tyler Wire Works Company, United States Assay
Office, Walker Brothers Bankers, W. Winagar) |
1898 |
| 12 / 2 | A-V (correspondents include Chrome Steel Works, W.A.
Clark's office, A.N. Clement, Granite Bi-Metallic Consolidated Mining Company,
Mountain View Methodist Episcopal Church Building Committee, W.S. Tyler Wire Works
Company) |
1899 |
| 12 / 3 | A-W (correspondents include W.A. Clark's office, .A.
Granite Bi-Metallic Consolidated Mining Company, McHatton and Cotter, Salt Lake
Hardware Company, M.E. Smith, Western Labor Union, Wetherill Separating Company
enclosing assays) |
1900 |
| 12 / 4 | A-W (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining
Company, Butte Stationary Engineers' Union, W.A. Clark's office, James R. Hendra, Axel
O. Ihlseng, Midland Smelting Company, Thomas G. Robinson, W.S. Tyler Company, Henry
Williams) |
1901 |
| 12 / 5 | A-W (correspondents include Albemarle Company, W.A.
Clark Jr., International Mining Congress, J.M. Lewis, Richard Lockey re fire at Alice
hoist, Metal Volatization Company, Lewis B. Rogers re hoist fire) |
1902 |
| 12 / 6 | B-W (correspondents include Butte School District 1,
E.J. Lavine and Company, Montana World's Fair Commission, Oregon Short Line Railroad
Company, Payne Separator Company, Refractory Ore Metals Company, United States Assay
Office, United States Census Office) |
1903 |
| 12 / 7 | A-W (correspondents include American Metal Company
Ltd., G.O. Angell enclosing report of C. Gordon Richardson, Butte Blacksmiths and
Helpers' Union, Taylor and Brunton Ore Company, Western Forge Company, C.B. Wisner) |
1904 |
| 12 / 8 | K-N (correspondents include Kirk and Clinton, Mount
Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church, Northern Pacific Railway Company) |
1905 |
| 12 / 9 | A-T (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining
Company re taxes on Alice property, Montana Zinc Company, James O'Grady, Morris and
Fay, H. Brownson Smith) |
1906 |
| 12 / 10 | A-P (correspondents include Anaconda Copper Mining
Company re taxes on Alice property; Butte Coalition Mining Company; Pogson, Peloubet
and Company re adjusting Alice books with New York books) |
1907-1909 |
Outgoing Correspondence Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 12 / 11-12 | Letterpress books |
1881-1885, 1893 |
| 13 / 1 | to Clarence B. Wisner, Montana Zinc Company |
1905 |
| 13 / 2 | Miscellaneous |
1899-1940 |
Court Papers Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 13 / 3 | Michael Reynolds vs. Alice Gold and Silver Mining
Company |
1899-1900 |
Financial Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | ||
| 5 | Account ledger |
1894-1900 |
| 1-4 | Assay reports |
1883-1885; 1889-1890; 1898-1900 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 13 / 4-8 | Assay reports |
1887-1888, 1894-1899 |
| 13a / 1-5 | Assay reports 1897 ledger unidentified, presumed to be a part of Alice G
|
1892-1897, 1903-1905 |
| 14 / 1-5 | Assay reports |
1936-1942 |
| 14 / 6-8 | Bank pass books [17 books] |
1885-1908 |
| 15 / 1 | Bullion receipts |
1894, 1898-1899 |
| 15 / 2 | Cash book |
1888-1892 |
| Volume | ||
| 6 | Cash book |
1908 |
| 7 | Check stub book |
1893 |
| 8-11 | Day book (company store) |
1898-1900, undated |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 15 / 3 | Debit balances |
1914 |
| 15 / 4 | Expenditure reports: abstracts |
January - February 1908 |
| 15 / 5 | Expenditure reports: estimates and statistics |
1899-1905 |
| 15 / 6-7 | Expenditure reports: monthly abstracts |
1894, January -March 1898 |
| 16 / 1-6 | Expenditure reports: monthly abstracts |
1898, 1902, 1904 |
| 16 / 1-6 | Expenditure reports: monthly abstracts |
1898, 1902, 1904 |
| 17 / 1-3 | General ledgers |
1896-1899, 1906-1916 |
| Volume | ||
| 12 | Grocery Day Book - Andro Maichel & Co. general store |
1891-1894 |
| 13 | Journal entries |
1908 January - November |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 17 / 4 | Monthly financial reports |
1893-1895 |
| 18 / 1-3 | Monthly financial reports |
1894-1908 |
| 19 / 1 | Monthly financial reports |
1897-1906 |
| 19 / 2 | Office supply book |
1895 |
| 19 / 3-6 | Operational reports |
1917-1919 |
| 19 / 7 | Order book |
1889-1896 |
| 19A / 1 | Order book |
1889-1896 |
| 19A / 2 | Ore shipment record |
1894-1896 |
| 20 / 1 | Ore ledger |
1910-1930 |
| Volume | ||
| 14 | Payrolls |
1902-1910 |
| 15 | Payrolls |
1906-1908, 1911-1915 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 20 / 2-3 | Payrolls |
1907-1908 |
| 20 / 4 | Price book |
circa 1896 |
| 20 / 5 | Receipts: Alice Hospital Fund; miscellaneous |
1889, 1898, 1908-1909 |
| 20 / 6 | Silver quotations book |
1895-1898 |
| 20 / 7-10 | Statements and invoices |
1883-1929 |
| 21 / 1 | Superintendent's log |
1897-1903 |
| 21 / 2 | Superintendent's log: Lexington Mine |
1950-1956 |
| Volume | ||
| 16 | Superintendent's Monthly Reports |
1884-1887 |
| 17 | Supplies Log |
1901-1905 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 21 / 3 | Tax returns |
1937-1938 |
| 21 / 4-5 | Time books [payroll] |
1897-1898, 1935-1939 |
| Volume | ||
| 18 | Vouchers |
1908-1910 |
Legal Documents Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 21 / 6 | Abstracts of title |
1878-1890 |
| 21 / 7 | Abstracts of title: Theseus Quartz Claim |
1907 |
| 21 / 8 | Agreements |
1884-1905 |
| 22 / 1 | Deeds |
1880-1894 |
| 22 / 2 | Lease notes [2 notebooks] |
1936-1938 |
| 22 / 3 | Lease reports |
1935-1940 |
| 22 / 4-5 | Patents |
1877-1893 |
| Oversize Folder | ||
| 1 | General Land Office Mineral Certificates |
1877-1893 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 22 / 6 | Superintendent's contract book [2 volumes] |
1936-1938 |
| 22 / 7 | Miscellaneous |
1881-1904 |
Organization Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 22 / 8 | Stockholders' lists; minutes of foremen's meetings |
1904-1918 |
Miscellany Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 23 / 1 | Blueprints and diagrams |
1895-1906 |
| Oversize Folder | ||
| 2 | Blueprints |
1905 |
| Box/Folder | ||
| 23 / 2 | Chicago Iron Works catalog [belonging to William H.
Hall] |
1893 |
| 23 / 3 | Notebook on inspection routes |
undated |
| 23 / 4 | "Schedule for sulphide silver-lead zinc ores"; notes
on West Saukie Mine |
1901, 1925 |
| 23 / 5 | Miscellaneous |
1902, undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Assaying--Montana--Butte
- Gold mines and mining--Montana--Butte
- Labor and laboring classes--Montana--Butte
- Labor relations--Montana--Butte
- Labor unions--Miners
- Miners--Montana--Butte
- Silver mines and mining--Montana--Butte
- Stamp mills--Montana--Butte
- Strikes and lockouts--Copper mining--Montana--Butte
- Wages--Montana--Butte
- Zinc mines and mining--Montana--Butte
Corporate Names
- Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company (creator)
Geographical Names
- Butte (Mont.)--Industries--Mines and mining
- Butte (Mont.)--Labor relations
- Lexington Mine (Butte, Mont.)
- Walkerville (Mont.)
Finding aid prepared by MHS Staff
2004
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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