Home Mining and Milling Company records, 1888-1968

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Home Mining and Milling Company (Lewis and Clark County, Mont.)
Title
Home Mining and Milling Company records
Dates
1888-1968 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.75 linear feet of shelf space.
Collection Number
MC 265 (collection)
Summary
The Home Mining and Milling Company owned the Earthquake and General Grant lodes in the Stemple (unorganized) Mining District near Marysville, Montana. Records consist of interoffice correspondence (1912-1956); general correspondence (1903-1959); financial records (1914-1956); legal documents (1889-1953); organizational records (1904-1955); reports (1888-1942); and miscellany. Major correspondents include Bennett Price, Hugh P. Evans, and David P. Owen. There are small subgroups for several Owen family members. [Ore samples transferred to Museum]
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

The Home Mining Company was incorporated in 1904 by Bennett Price, Frank L. Reece, Albert Kleinschmidt, W.H. Taylor, and John W. Eddy. Bennett Price was chosen first president and Frank Reece the general manager. The company owned the Earthquake and General Grant quartz lodes in Towsley Gulch in the Stemple Mining District west of Marysville, Montana. The Earthquake lode had been located in September 1880 by Bennett Price, J.H. Jurgens, and Wayne Brinton, as a re-location of Nathan Vestel's Viola V. lode. The General Grant lode had been located in March 1886 by Lawrence Walsh. In August 1888, the claims were consolidated under the ownership of the newly organized General Grant Mining Company, owned by the locators of the two claims. In 1900 Frank Reese commenced a series of lawsuits against the General Grant Mining Company for back wages owed to various parties. Eventually Reece, as trustee for the creditors, acquired the property at sheriff's sale. He then sold the property to the newly organized Home Mining Company, which consisted of the same group of men that owned the General Grant Mining Company.

Prospects for the mine were promising. It was in close proximity to the Drumlummon, Bald Butte, Penobscot, Gloster, and Empire mines, all rich gold mines. A report by G.C. Swallow in 1888 stressed this location in predicting great potential. Unfortunately, the mine never produced profitably. Instead of gold, the vein consisted primarily of lead with some silver and copper. Considerable tunnel and development work was done during the early 1900s, and some ore was taken out during the 1920s, worth about $5000. The work was financed by the sale of stock, principally to David P. Owen, president of the company.

In 1925 the owners attempted to save the company by reorganizing it as the Home Mining and Milling Company, with capitalization reduced from $50,000 to $25,000. Nevertheless, mining discontinued in 1927. During the 1930s most of the early owners died, including David P. Owen, Bennett Price, A.P. Heywood, and Frank Reece. Hugh P. Evans took over the running of the company. The heirs of the original owners hired Leverett S. Ropes to find a buyer for the company, without success. The company ceased business in 1955 and the corporate charter expired in 1965.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The core of the collection consists of interoffice correspondence (1912-1956) among officers, managers, and stockholders, including Bennett Price, David P. Owen, Hugh P. Evans, Frank L. Reece, A.P. Haywood. In addition there is general correspondence (1903-1959) between the company and mining engineer Leverett S. Ropes, attorney Edmond G. Toomey, and others; financial records (1914-1956), including financial statements by Frank L. Reece, assay reports, tax statements, and miscellany; legal documents (1889-1953), including an abstract of title, deeds, leases, mineral location, etc.; sketch maps of the claims; organizational records (1904-1955), including articles of incorporation, minutes, stockholder records, etc.; reports, including the original report on the Earthquake and General Grant claims (1888) by G.C. Swallow; and miscellany. There are minor subgroups for Bennett G. Owen, Jr.; Gwen P. Owen; and the Owen-Wilson Company.

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 Archives Map Case. See inventory below for more information.

Location of Collection

13:6-2

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Separated Materials

Ore samples transferred to Museum. 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

Bennett G. Owen, Jr. Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Interoffice Correspondence
Box/Folder
1 / 1
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Bennett Price; John P. Price; Hugh P. Evans)
1912-1913
1 / 2
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Hugh P. Evans; David P. Owen; Frank L. Reece)
1916-1919
1 / 3-5
Miscellaneous (correspondents include David P. Owen; Frank L. Reece)
1920-1925
1 / 6
Miscellaneous (correspondents include David P. Owen; Frank L. Reece; Lawrence B. Price; John P. Price)
1926
1 / 7
Miscellaneous (correspondents include David P. Owen; Frank L. Reece; Bettie B. Owen; John P. Price; David D. Price; Lawrence B. Price;
1927
1 / 8
Miscellaneous (correspondents include David P. Owen; Frank L. Reece)
1928-1929
1 / 9
Miscellaneous (correspondents include David P. Owen; Frank L. Reece; Bettie B. Owen; Hugh P. Evans)
1930-1931
1 / 10
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Frank L. Reece; Bettie B. Owen; Hugh P. Evans; John P. Price; David M. Evans; Oliver C. Owen)
1932-1936
1 / 11
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Gwen Owen; Bettie B. Owen; Hugh P. Evans; David M. Evans; A.P. Heywood)
1937-1938
1 / 12
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Bettie B. Owen; Hugh P. Evans; David M. Evans)
1942-1946
1 / 13
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Bettie B. Owen; David M. Evans; Bennett G. Owen)
1947-1949
1 / 14
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Bettie B. Owen; David M. Evans; Bennett G. Owen; David B. Owen; Robert R. Owen)
1950-1956
General Correspondence
Box/Folder
1 / 15
A (correspondents include Alameda County Clerk re Hugh P. Evans Estate; American Trust Company)
1927-1953
1 / 16
Arthur G. Barnett (see also Mines Operating Inc.)
1944-1945
1 / 17
B-C (correspondents include William B. Bebb; Bell Boy Gold Mining Company; W.G. Bierd; Vernon M. Brydolf; Butte Machinery Company)
1927-1948
1 / 18
E-G (correspondents include Ruth Evans Emslie re death of David M. Evans; First National Bank and Trust Company, Helena; First National Bank, Mason City, Iowa; A.G. Fletcher; E.S. Grady)
1923-1959
2 / 1
Albert L. Hinman; Wayne Hinman
1925-1942
2 / 2
H-I (correspondents include Roy J. Hargrove; Glen G. Hayes; Helena Abstract and Title Company; Edith D. Hopkins; Herman Ingman)
1926-1951
2 / 3
David P. Jones
1922-1928
2 / 4
J (correspondents include S. Marvin James; Arthur W. Jenks; Jewish Children's Bureau of Chicago; J. Clifford Jones)
1925-1952
2 / 5
Albert and Harry Kleinschmidt
1926-1948
2 / 6
K-L (correspondents include George W. King; John Larson; Lewis and Clark County officials; John A. Lewis; F.A. Linforth; George M. Lingle; H.E. Longmaid)
1903, 1926-1951
2 / 7
Martin Mining Company / Martin Brothers (A.B. Martin)
1940-1946
2 / 8
Mines Operating, Inc. (F.P. Hixon; see also Arthur G. Barnett)
1945-1946
2 / 9
Montana Shannon Mining Company (D.L. Jones)
1950
2 / 10
Montana state agencies (include State Board of Equalization; Industrial Accident Board; Secretary of State)
1926-1938
2 / 11
M-O (correspondents include S.H. MacDonald; Robert A. Miller; John J. Mitchke, enclosing the corporate records from Frank L. Reece's Estate; Francis D.R. Moote; Northwestern National Bank, Minneapolis; R.E. O'Connell; Oregon Land and Timber Company)
1926-1954
2 / 12
George W. Padbury
1949-1954
2 / 13
Harry N. Pritzer; Nicholas J. Pritzer
1937-1948
2 / 14
James Rathbone
1923-1928
2 / 15-19
Leverett S. Ropes
1913-1917, 1936-1952
2 / 20
R-S (correspondents include Egbert Ransome; C.R. Schell; A.W. Schell; James K. Sloan; David R. Smith; Steve Sullivan)
1925-1942
2 / 21
Edmond G. Toomey
1949-1953
2 / 22
T (correspondents include W.H. Taylor; Josiah Thomas; C.B. Towler)
1924-1943
2 / 23
Union Bank and Trust Company, Helena
1947-1949
2 / 24
United States government agencies (include Forest Service; Internal Revenue Service; Reconstruction Finance Corporation)
1926-1938
2 / 25
U-Z (correspondents include Underseth Brothers; Thomas J. Walsh re lead shipped to East Helena smelter; B.W. White; C.H. Winkenwerder)
1913, 1926-1947
Miscellaneous Correspondence
Box/Folder
2 / 26
Letters neither to nor from Home Mining and Milling Company
1912-1955
Financial Records
Box/Folder
3 / 1
Assay and ore settlement reports
1916-1944
3 / 2
Bank books and bank statements
1926-1954
3 / 3
Bank escrow payments
1944
3 / 4
Corporation income taxes
RESTRICTED
1926-1934
3 / 5
Financial statements of Frank L. Reece, treasurer
1914-1930
3 / 6
Property taxes
RESTRICTED
1937-1956
3 / 7
Miscellaneous (includes receipts, promissory notes, etc.)
1893-1933
Legal Documents
Box/Folder
3 / 8
Abstract of title: Earthquake and General Grant quartz lodes
1943
3 / 9
Deeds
1894-1922
3 / 10
Leases
1942-1953
3 / 11
Mining claim locations, mineral certificates, mineral patents
1889-1921
3 / 12
Miscellaneous (includes declarations of trust; agreements; etc.)
1899-1946
Maps
Box/Folder
3 / 13
Sketch maps of claims
undated
Oversize Folder
1
Sketch maps of claims [Oversize: see Archives Map Case]
undated
Organization
Box/Folder
3 / 14
Agreements for reorganization of company
1924
3 / 15
Annual reports of corporation to Secretary of State
1930-1934, 1951-1952
3 / 16
Articles of incorporation
1904, 1925
3 / 17
Record book: Home Mining Company (includes bylaws, minutes, charter of new company)
1904-1919, 1926
3 / 18
Scattered minutes: Home Mining and Milling Company
1926-1946
4 / 1
Stock certificates
1904-1926
4 / 2
Stockholder ledger/journal: Home Mining Company
1904-1929
4 / 3-4
Stockholder ledger/journals: Home Mining and Milling Company
1926-1935
4 / 5
Stockholder lists
1918-1937, undated
4 / 6
Miscellaneous (includes bylaws, proxies, meeting notices, etc.)
1910-1955
Reports
Box/Folder
4 / 7
Report on Earthquake and General Grant claims by G.C. Swallow; follow-up reports
1888, undated
4 / 8
Report on Eastern Mining Company (Stemple Mining District)
1937
4 / 9
Reports to stockholders
1905-1942
Miscellany
Box/Folder
4 / 10
Census of mines and quarries survey form
1929
4 / 11
Index to selected letters re history and organization of company
1946-1951
4 / 12
Reminiscence of unidentified man re value of Earthquake and General Grant mines
undated
4 / 13
Wills and estate papers of stockholders
1914-1953

Bennett G. Owen, Jr. Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Incoming Correspondence
Box/Folder
4 / 14
Miscellaneous (correspondents include Lion Oil Company; Robert and Chris Owen; Maico Electronics, Inc.)
1954-1963
Financial Records
Box/Folder
4 / 15
Miscellaneous (includes dividends received from David P. Owen Estate; promissory notes; property taxes)
RESTRICTED
1938-1961
Legal Documents
Box/Folder
4 / 16
Agreement for development and operation of Fox Hills Dome Unit Area (Harding County, South Dakota)
1947-1963
Subject File
Box/Folder
4 / 17
Oklahoma City rental property
1962-1968

Gwen P. Owen Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Financial Records
Box/Folder
4 / 18
Miscellaneous (includes Harding County land, property taxes, stock statements)
RESTRICTED
1948-1961

Owen-Wilson Company / David P. Owen Company Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Organization
Box/Folder
4 / 19
Stock certificate book
1917-1929

Transfers to other programs Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Transfers
Box/Folder
4 / 20
Ore samples transferred to Museum

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Copper mines and mining
  • Lead mines and mining
  • Mines and mineral resources--Montana--Lewis and Clark County
  • Silver mines and mining

Corporate Names

  • Home Mining and Milling Company (Lewis and Clark County, Mont.) (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Marysville (Mont.)--History
  • Towsley Mines (Marysville, Mont.)