Archives West Finding Aid

Ambrose Hammett Burroughs, Jr., was a mining engineer and mine manager. While stationed in Washington, D.C. in connection with his duties in the navy from 1918 to 1921, he became interested in the mineral resources of Turkey, and while it appears he never visited the region he did write a comprehensive report on the mineral resources of that country.

In 1921 he became associated with Henry H. Armstead in the development of the Armstead Mine in Talache, Bonner County, Idaho. The mine, which was located in the Blacktail Mountain on the west shore of Pend Oreille Lake, was incorporated April 21, 1917 and was developed by Armstead until he sold it to Burroughs on June 8, 1922; at this time the name of the mine was changed to Talache Mines, Inc. This mine, which consisted of 18 patented and 44 unpatented claims, was the largest silver producing mine in Bonner County. During 1926 the proven ore bodies were exhausted and operations were suspended.

In 1927 the Talache Mines, Inc. acquired a lease and option on the Gold Hill and Iowa mine property in Quartzburg, Boise County, and moved its organization and equipment to that location. By 1930 this was the largest gold producing mine in the state. In 1938 the Talache company moved its operation to Elmore County where it reopened the Boise-Rochester claims formerly operated by the St. Joseph Lead Company; the company's Atlanta claim was sold on May 31, 1936 to the Sawtooth Company of Boise, of which Burroughs was president. Talache Mines continued to operate these properties until 1966 when they appear on the Inspector of Mines Forfeiture list.