Sherman Lead Company Records, 1918-1953

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Sherman Lead Company
Title
Sherman Lead Company Records
Dates
1918-1953 (inclusive)
Quantity
23.5 cubic feet
Collection Number
MG268 (collection)
Summary
Minutes of meetings, annual statements, stock records, financial ledgers and journal, ore production records, personnel records, and tax records of a silver-lead mine in the Lelande Mining District of the Coeur d'Alene region of northern Idaho.
Repository
University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funds for processing were provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the U.S. Department of Education HEA Title II-C "Strengthening Research Library Resources" program, the Library Associates of the University of Idaho and other donors.
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

When the Sherman Development Company found itself unable to meet a mortgage payment due on July 1, 1918, its board of directors concluded an agreement with Eugene R. Day wherein he would receive 51 percent of the company's capital stock in exchange for $153,000. Subsequently the company treasury could not produce the 1,020,000 shares of stock constituting E.R. Day's portion. Thereupon the company was reorganized.

The new firm, called the Sherman Lead Company, took over all real and personal property belonging to Sherman Development Company and issued 3.5 million shares of capital stock at a par value of twenty-five cents. Sherman Lead's board of directors were P.J. Maggy, Axel Swan, Charles McKinnis (also serving as the company's first manager), Harry R. Allen and Walter B. Heitfeld. At the first board meeting Heitfeld resigned and Eugene Day was elected to the board to become the firm's first president.

Of Eugene Day's $153,000, $100,000 went directly into the purchase of land. Eugene assigned his interest to the Tamarack & Custer Consolidated Mining Company, making Sherman Lead a subsidiary of Tamarack & Custer, which it remained for the remainder of its corporate life.

Sherman Lead held twelve patented claims and one patented millsite over 97 acres. The claims were: the Sherman, Union Fracture, Union, Bengal Tiger, Hidden Treasure, Burke-Tiger, Bullion, Oreano, Sinker, Pearl, Pearl Fracture, and Moonlight. The mill was named the Bullion.

Jerome Day was elected president of Sherman Lead in 1922, an office which he held until his death in 1942. During the earlier years the company was often strapped financially, having to borrow money to meet expenses. A fire in 1923 destroyed the company's surface structures and buildings. The mines were producing again by 1926, however, and in 1928 Sherman Lead increased its capital stock by 175,000 shares in a successful attempt to acquire the assets of Oreano Mining Company.

By 1929, after six years of development, large reserves were discovered and Sherman Lead paid its first dividend. But in the following year Sherman shut down due to low metal prices. The mine frequently reopened and closed, being completely idled for the latter half of 1931, from July 1935 to June 1936, and again in June 1938 -- but, it paid a 12-mill dividend in 1937.

The 1940s were more prosperous. By 1942 the war effort was receiving 72 percent of Sherman's total production, more than 400 tons of lead per month, and higher grade ore production had to be stopped in order to make available as much lead as possible. Dividends were paid every year from 1941-1947.

Sherman Lead's years of greatest production were 1929, 1941 (the year unions were established in its mines), and 1942. The property value of the corporation's holdings increased from $100,000 in 1918 to $3 million in 1942. During the firm's twenty-nine year history, stockholders received a total of $797,475 through 14 dividend payments.

In 1947 the Sherman Lead Company was consolidated with other Day interests to form Day Mines, Inc. The Sherman Mill, constructed near the portal of the Hercules mine in the early 1940s, operated steadily until 1942.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The records of the Sherman Lead Mining Company span the years 1918 to 1953, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1929 to 1947. Included are minutes of meetings, financial statements, correspondence with suppliers and stockholders, annual statements and reports to state agencies, stock ledgers and journals, cancelled stock certificates, assessment records, lists of stockholders, financial ledgers and journals, vouchers, check registers, and tax returns.

Related materials can be found in the records of the Sherman Development Company.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The records of the Sherman Lead Mining Company are divided into seven series.

The first series, Records of the Board of Directors and the Stockholders, includes minutes of meetings and annual reports.

General Correspondence and Related Records, the second series, contains three alphabetical files with correspondence with suppliers and stockholders, accident reports, assays, contracts, financial statements, ore shipment records, and reports to government agencies.

The third series is Capital Stock Records. Included are stock ledgers and journals, transfer correspondence, assessment records, and lists of stockholders. Item 330, an assessment journal also contains assessment information for Copper King, Crystal Lead, Happy Day, Imperial, Oreano, and Dayrock mines.

The fourth series, Financial Records, contains financial ledgers and journals, an appraisal of the mine and equipment, depletion and depreciation statements, financial statements, cash books, and voucher registers.

Ore Production and Shipment records in series five consist of ore records, composite summaries, and shipment assay records.

Personnel Records, the fifth series, includes payroll and other wage information, and employee time sheets and shift reports.

Tax Records, the final series, consists of material relating to unemployment compensation withholding, dividend payments, capital stock tax records, and Idaho tax records.

Removal of cancelled stock certificates, returned assessment notices, vouchers, paid checks, bank statements, and duplicate materials reduced the size of this collection by 18.5 cubic feet.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Sherman Lead Company are part of the records of Day Mines, Inc., donated to the University of Idaho by Henry Day in 1984 and 1985.

Processing Note

Initial processing of this manuscript group was done by Leslie Smallwood in August 1987.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I. Records of the Board of Directors and the Stockholders , 1918-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1-2
Minutes
1918-1947
1/3-14
Records relating to meetings
1918, 1922-1947
1/15
Annual reports (printed)
1929-1946
1/16-17
Annual reports (typed)
1927-1947

Series II. General Correspondence and Related Records , 1918-1948Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2/18
A
1919-1941
2/19-24
Accidents
1937-1942
3/25
Accounting, Classification of
undated
3/26
Agreements
1918-1923
3/27
Ahlers, J.R., Metallurgist
1940
3/28
American Cyanimid Company
1940-1941
3/29
American Smelting & Refining Co.
1930-1941
3/30
Annual reports and statements
1923-1931
3/31
Assays
1926-1940
3/32
B
1920-1941
3/33
C
1923-1941
3/34
Cable, Hoisting
1937
3/35
Compressor
1926-1929
3/36
Continental Oil Company
1928
3/37-40
Contracts
1919-1930
3/41
Costs
1929-1930
3/42
Cost apportionment, Mining
1939-1940
3/43
Crusher, Symons cone
undated
3/44
D
1931-1941
3/45
Day, Henry Lawrence
1926-1941
3/46
Dayrock Mining Co.
1925-1929
3/47
E
1930-1941
3/48
Equipment
1937
3/49
F-H
1920-1941
3/50
Hecla Mining Co.
1929
3/51-53
Hercules bills
1927-1932
3/54
Hercules Mining Co.
1929-1940
3/55
Hoist
1929-1938
3/56
Humming Bird Mining Co.
1925-1932
3/57
I
1930-1941
3/58
Idaho, University of
1936-1938
3/59
Insurance, Accident
1937-1941
3/60
Insurance, State Insurance Fund
1937-1945
3/61
Idaho Mining Association
1928-1938
3/62
Idaho, State of
1918-1930
3/63
J
1921-1941
3/64
Jig tests by R.D. MacAfee
1939
3/65
K-M
1925-1941
3/66
Labor, U.S. Department of
1937-1939
3/67
Lead Industries Association
1937-1941
3/68
Leases
1927-1937
3/69
Marsh Mines Consolidated
1919
3/70
McGuigan, Philip T.
1928-1937
3/71
Minerals Separation North American Corp.
1940
3/72
Montana Power Company
1928-1937
3/73
N
1923-1941
3/74
National Industrial Information Committee
1940
3/75
Nordberg Manufacturing Co.
1941
3/76
O
1929-1941
3/77
Oliver United Filters, Inc.
1940
3/78
Oreano Mining Company
1927-1941
3/70-80
Ore, Carbonate
1930-1940
4/81
Ore, Carbonate, Mining
1929-1939
4/82-83
Ore settlements, East Helena Smelter ASARCO
1941
4/84
P
1928-1941
4/85
Premium affidavits
1945-1948
4/86
Premium affidavits, Vic Seminza lease
1945-1946
4/87
Premium records
1945-1947
4/88
Press-Times Publishing Co.
1931-1937
4/89
R
1928-1940
4/90
Reports and maps
1925-1926
4/91
Reports, Progress
1927-1941
4/92
Reports, Miscellaneous
1940
4/93
Reports, Timekeeper's
1928-1929
4/94
Rock raise
1929
4/95
S
1919-1939
4/96
Scales
1940
4/97
Seattle Mining Exchange
1934
4/98
Sherman Development Co.
1920-1922
4/99
Shoshone Credit Association, hired & quit
1937-1941
4/100
St. Joseph's Orphanage, Slickpoo, Idaho
1941
4/101-102
Statements, Financial
1928-1939
4/103
Standard Stock Exchange
1934
4/104
Summary, Monthly
1928
4/105
T
1922-1941
4/106
Tax, Capital Stock
1920-1916
4/107
U
1926-1941
4/108
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Mines
1928-1941
4/109
U.S. Internal Revenue Service
1922-1929
4/110
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
1941
4/111
U.S. Office of Production Management
1941
4/112
U.S. War Production Board, Quotas, Metallic premium payment
1942-1945
4/113
V-Z
4/114
A
1942-1945
4/115-118
Accidents
1943-1945
5/119
American Smelting & Refining Co.
1942-1945
5/120
ASARCO crude carbonate ore schedule
1939
5/121
Anaconda Copper Mining Co.
1937
5/122
B
1942-1944
5/123-124
Bond fund, Employee
1942-1946
5/125
Bunnell, Everett C.
1943
5/126
By-laws
1918-1929
5/127
C
1942-1946
5/128
Contract, Hercules
1940
5/129
Contract, Wilson & Geo. Meyer & Co., soda ash
1942
5/130
Cresylic acid
1941-1942
5/131
D
1942-1943
5/132
Dredge fund
1943
5/133
E
1942-1945
5/134
Employment, Quits and reasons
1942-1943
5/135
F-I
1942-1945
5/136
Idaho Mining Association
1942-1945
5/137
Idaho. Division of Industrial Hygiene. Dust study
1942
5/138
Idaho. Inspector of Mines
1943
5/139
Insurance, Accident
1942
5/140
Insurance, Idaho Compensation Co.
1945
5/141
Insurance, State Insurance Fund
1942-1945
5/142
International Mine, Mill and Smelter Union Workers
1942-1945
6/143
J-L
1942-1945
6/144
Labor recruitment, San Francisco
6/145
Labor, C.I.O. grievance cases
1941-1943
6/146
Lease: Union vein, Vic Smenza
1946
6/147
M
1942-1945
6/148
Maps
1928-1929
6/149
Mill
1940-1941
6/150
Minerals Separation North America Corporation
1942
6/151
N-O
1941-1946
6/152
Northern Pacific Railway Co.
1919
6/153
Oliver United Filters, Inc.
1942
6/154
P
1941-1945
6/155
Payroll
1942-1943
6/156
Prints, Sherman Mill
6/157
Priorities
1941
6/158
Q-R
1942-1944
6/159
Reports, Accident
1942-1946
6/160
Reports, Miscellaneous
1942
6/161
Reports, Production
1942-1946
6/162
Reports, Progress
1942-1946
6/163
Retroactive wages paid
1943-1946
6/164
S
1941-1946
6/165
Shoshone Credit Association
1941-1946
6/166
Silicosis waiver, Badgley
1944
6/167
Soldiers, Request for release
1943
6/168
Standard Stock Exchange
1942
6/169-173
Statements, Financial
1927-1930; 1940
6/174
T
1942-1946
6/175
Tamarack and Custer Consolidated Mining Co.
1918-1930
6/176
Tax, Capital stock
1945
6/177
Testing
1941
6/178
Timbers
1933-1938
6/179
Tunnel rental
1937-1938
6/180
U
1942-1945
6/181
Unemployment Compensation Division, Industrial Accident Board
1942-1944
6/182
U.S. Bureau of Mines form 6-953
1941-1945
6/183
U.S. Bureau of Mines, Federal Explosives Act licenses
1942-1945
6/184
U.S. Internal Revenue Service
1941-1944
6/185
U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
1942-1945
6/186
U.S. Office of Price Administration
1942-1945
6/187
U.S. Office of Defense Transportation
1942
6/188
U.S. Nonferrous Metals Commission
1942-1943
6/189
U.S. Nontaxable bonus income, Excess profits tax
1944-1945
6/190
U.S. Treasury Dept. Foreign dividend checks and silver affidavits
1940-1942
7/191
U.S. War Department, Headquarters Northern Security District
1943-1944
7/192
U.S. War Production Board
1942-1943
7/193-194
U.S. War Production Board, Purchasing Quotas
1942-1944
7/195
U.S. War Production Board, Construction Machinery Board
1942
7/196
U.S. War Manpower Commission
1943
7/197
V-W
1942-1944
7/198
Vacations
1941-1942
7/199
Vein
1928; 1941
7/200
Wages
1937-1941
7/201
Western Union Mining Co.
1929
7/202
X-Z
1943
7/203
A
1946-1947
7/204
Anaconda Copper Mining Co., Ore contract
1930
7/205
ASARCO
1946-1947
7/206
B-C
1946-1948
7/207
Contracts, Hospital
1927-1944
7/208
D-R
1945-1947
7/209
Reports, Accident
1946-1948
7/210
Reports, Office of Price Administration, annual and quarterly
1942-1946
7/211
Reports, Production
1946-1948
7/212
Reports, Progress
1946-1948
7/213
S
1946-1947
7/214
Shoshone Credit Association
1947
7/215
Silicosis waiver, L.J. Doyle
1942
7/216-217
Statements, Financial
1946-1947
7/218
T-Z
1946-1947
7/219
Tax, Annual return of income
1942-1946
7/220
Trucks
1945-1947
7/221-222
Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers
1941-1946
7/223
War Production Board, Quota Commission
1942-1947
7/224
Miscellaneous: Annual Report, Idaho
1931-1948
7/225
Annual Statement
1932-1948
7/226
Seattle Curb Exchange, Tacoma Stock Exchange
1918-1929
7/227-229
Securities and Exchange Commission application for permanent registration
1935-1947
7/230
Securities and Exchange Commission reports
1943-1946
7/231
Spokane Stock Exchange registration
1934-1935
7/232
U.S. Bureau of Mines
1943-1947

Series III. Capital Stock Records , 1919-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
8/233
Stock ledger
1919-1928
8/234
Stock ledger
1927-1938
9/235-236
Stock ledgers
1928-1946
10/236-238
Transfer stockholders ledgers
1940-1947
10/239-241
Stock journals
1919-1941
11/243-251
Transfer correspondence, A-F
1919-1945
11/252
First National Bank
1928-1941
11/253-255
Ford, Frank D.
1928-1945
11/256
G
1925-1945
11/257-259
Gibson, E.J. & Co.
1925-1945
11/260-261
H
1920-1945
11/262
Howarth, Chester J.
1925-1940
11/263
Howarth, James F.
1935-1945
11/264-265
I-K
1926-1941
12/266
L
1930-1945
12/267
Logan & Bryan
1928-1938
12/268-269
M
1927-1941
12/270
McAllister, Harry C.
1922-1941
12/271
N
1927-1945
12/272
Nicholas, William A.
1920-1945
12/273
O
1937-1941
12/274
O'Brien, Tom J.
1929-1942
12/275
P
1928-1945
12/276-279
Pennaluna and Company
1925-1945
12/280
Pohlman, L.S. & Company
1922-1934
12/281-282
Preston & Raef
1929-1945
12/283
R
1930-1941
12/284
Rothrock, F.M.
1925-1941
12/285-291
S-W
1919-1945
12/292
Wallace Bank & Trust Company
1929-1937
12/293
Whaley, A.A.
1930-1937
12/294
Y-Z
1920-1926
13/295-300
Transfer correspondence: A-F
1940-1947
13/301-302
Ford, Frank D.
1942-1947
13/303
First National Bank
1940-1946
14/304
G
1943-1945
14/305-308
Gibson, E,J,
1942-1947
14/309-310
H
1941-1947
14/311
I-L
1942-1946
14/312
Lavigne, Edwin & Co.
1942-1947
14/313
M
1942-1947
14/314-315
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, & Beane
1942-1947
14/316
N
1942-1947
14/317
O
1944-1947
14/318
O'Brien, J. Tom, Co.
1942
14/319
P-R
1942-1947
14/320-321
Pennaluna & Co.
1942-1947
14/322-323
Preston & Raef
1942-1947
14/324-325
S
1942-1947
14/326-327
Standard Securities Corporation
1942-1947
14/328
T-Z
1942-1947
14/329
Washington Trust Company
1942-1947
os/330
Assessment journal
1925-1927
15/331-335
Assessments 1-7
1925-1927
os/336
Dividend record
1930-1947
os/337
Correspondence relating to dividends
1930-1947
os/338
Lists of stockholders
1922-1947

Series IV. Financial Records , 1919-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
os/339
General ledger number 1
1919-1927
os/340
Ledger
1928-1947
os/341
General ledger transfer
1928-1944
os/342
General journal number 1
1919-1926
os/343
General journal number 2
os/344
Transfer expense ledger
1941-1945
os/345
Expense ledger
1946-1947
os/346
Appraisement by General Appraisal Co.
1946
os/347
Depletion
1929-1947
os/348
Depreciation statements
1940-1947
os/349-350
Financial statements
1923-1930
os/351
Net profit statements
1928-1930
os/352
Cash book
1928-1933
os/353
Cash book
1941-1947
os/354-357
Voucher registers
1926-1947

Series V. Ore Production and Shipment Records , 1928-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
os/358
Ore record
1928-1947
17/359-361
Monthly composite summaries
1946-1947
17/361a
Shipment assay record
1927-1930

Series VI. Personnel Records , 1918-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
17/362
Payrolls
1918-1919
17/363
Retroactive wages paid for 1942
17/364-365
Employee payrolls
1943
18/366-371
Administrative payroll and related records
1942-1947
18/372-383
Employee time sheets
1942
19/384-415
Employee time sheets
1943-1947
20/416-438
Shift reports
1928-1930
21/439-442
Shift reports
1937
21/443-444
Daily summaries
1929-1930
22/445
Daily summaries
1931
22/447-460
Shift reports and summaries
1938-1942
23/461-472
Shift reports and summaries
1942-1945
24/473-478
Shift reports and summaries
1945-1946

Series VII. Tax Records , 1921-1948Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
24/479-484
Records relating to unemployment compensation withholding
1942-1947
24/485
Return of income tax withheld on wages
1943-1947
24/486
Summary of reports of dividend payments
1945
24/487
Capital stock tax records
1921-1945
24/488
Idaho tax records
1931-1948

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Lead mines and mining -- Idaho -- Coeur d'Alene Mining District -- History -- Sources
  • Mining corporations -- Records -- Idaho -- Coeur d'Alene Mining District
  • Silver mines and mining -- Idaho -- Coeur d'Alene Mining District -- History -- Sources

Corporate Names

  • Sherman Lead Company