Archives West Finding Aid

Marsh Mines Consolidated was incorporated in the state of Washington on August 17, 1916, as a reorganization of Marsh Mining Company. It also registered as a foreign corporation in Idaho. The trustees and officers were M.W. Lee, president; Edward Pohlman, vice president; Joseph McCarthy, secretary; W.T. Smith, treasurer, and W. Earl Greenough. The properties purchased from Marsh Mining Company included Got-Em-Now, Marsh, Wm. Sulzer, Jett, J.J. Lentz, Lentz Fraction, Slayden, December, Cusick (unpatented), Burke, Fuller, Green Mountain, Fir, and Clark. Shortly after incorporation Greenough resigned as a trustee and was replaced by J.V. Pohlman.

To undertake operations, the company borrowed $1,000 from the First National Bank of Wallace and levied an assessment to repay the loan. A second loan of $6,000 was taken out in July 1917, and another assessment was levied. By October 1918 six stock assessments had been levied but were unable to raise the needed capital and the sale of treasury stock was negotiated.

In July 1916, Marsh had received a ten year lease on the Mono, Russell, and O'Neill claims of Federal Mining and Smelting Company's Tiger-Poorman group as the result of an agreement resolving threatened trespass litigation. Later Federal began a suit in behalf of Marsh against Hecla Mining Company involving these claims. This case was settled out of court in March 1921, and during a portion of the litigation period with Hecla, Marsh was given possession of the Gertie Mining Company tunnel for the purpose of carrying on exploration work in their adjoining claim. The final settlement involved Hecla purchasing the entire Tiger-Poorman group subject to the Marsh Lease. Marsh then received $112,500 cash and valuable concessions including tunnel rights for the exploration of the Russell vein in return for the cancellation of its lease.

In 1926, all known ore having been extracted, mining operations ceased and the management tried unsuccessfully to sell the company. To raise money for its debts, Marsh put treasury stock up for sale. The stockholders failed to take up the all of the offered stock and the remaining shares were sold at five cents per share to the Hercules Mining Company in July 1929, giving the Hercules control of the company.

The 1932 report to the stockholders, signed by manager Henry L. Day, showed over $91,000 in the treasury. It also reported Marsh Mines Consolidated owned slightly more than 1/3 of the outstanding stock of the Cassiar Crown Mining Company located near Telkawa, B.C. This stock was acquired in May 1926.

On April 8, 1944, the directors -- Edward Pohlman, president, F.M. Rothrock, vice president, Wray D. Farmin, secretary, Henry L. Day, treasurer, and J.V. Pohlman -- met to consider an offer by the King Mining Company, of which the Hercules was the major stockholder. King offered Marsh 266,667 shares of capital stock for all the property -- then 14 patented claims, equipment and machinery of Marsh Mines Consolidated. On August 4, 1944 the shareholders approved the sale.