Archives West Finding Aid

The Gertie Mining Company was incorporated in the State of Washington on November 12, 1900, and licensed as a foreign corporation in the state of Idaho. The first meeting of the Board of Trustees was held on November 13 in Spokane. At that meeting Edward Ehrenberg was elected president, treasurer, and general manager, M.J. Maker, vice president, and John H. Travers, secretary. James H. Harvey and John Harvey were absent. The company purchased from Ehrenberg the Gertie and Iron King lode mining claims situated in the Leland Mining District, near Burke, Shoshone County, Idaho in consideration of the entire stock of the company which he then distributed to the other trustees, returning 209,000 shares to the treasury; Ehrenberg retained 285,000 for himself. In 1901 the mining claims were patented. Development continued for several years with those doing the work being paid in stock, 100 shares for each lineal foot. Remaining treasury stock was eventually sold to pay off indebtedness.

In 1906 L.W. Hutton became President; he replaced Ehrenberg as general manager the following year. In December 1908 the capital stock was increased from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 and was increased again in 1914 to pay for continued development

In 1919 Eugene Day was elected to the Board of Trustees. About this same time development work on the Gertie property was discontinued when the shareholders determined that there was no commercial ore apexing in their property.

At the Board of Trustees Meeting on September 14, 1920 a contract with Eugene Day was approved allowing for the conditional sale of the right to connect with and use the main cross-cut Gertie tunnel, equipment, and machinery for access to the Maher-Hearn group of claims owned by Eugene Day and his associates. In November 1920 the Marsh Mining Company requested a 30 day use of the Gertie tunnel.

In 1924, L.W. Hutton -- disposing of his holdings in the company -- presented a bill for the $11,852.85 he had loaned it since 1917. As a result, the remaining 68,000 shares of treasury stock were offered for sale to pay this indebtedness.

At the October 14, 1924 stockholders meeting were F.M. Rothrock, John Wourms, W.B. Heifer, and August Paulsen, each owning 1,000 shares. The Hercules Mining Company owned 1,805,525 shares. Directors elected at that meeting were August Paulsen, E.E. Flood, F.M. Rothrock, W.B. Heifer, and John Wourms. At the trustees meeting immediately following, Paulsen was elected president; Heifer, vice president; and Rothrock, secretary-treasurer. By 1925 Jerome Day was also a stockholder.

On December 20, 1943 the directors, F. Wallace Rothrock, Frank M. Rothrock, John H. Wourms, Henry L. Day, and Clarence Paulsen, met to consider the sale of the Gertie to King Mining Company. On January 10, 1944 the shareholders approved the sale to King Mining Company for 75,000 shares of capital stock at the par value of ten cents per share. At the time of dissolution the Gertie had 3 patented claims, the Calumet, Gertie, and Iron King, encompassing 42.683 acres.