University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
The University of Montana—Missoula
Missoula, MT 59812
406-243-2053
https://www.umt.edu/library/asc
library.archives@umontana.edu
Mss
028
New Mine
Sapphire Syndicate
New Mine Sapphire
Syndicate Records
1889-1967
5.0 linear feet
10 boxes and 1 oversize box
The New Mine Sapphire Syndicate mined
sapphires in Utica, Montana, in Judith Basin County. The collection contains
the company's governing documents, financial records, correspondence, legal
documents and court papers, reports, clippings, publicity and printed
materials, and photographs.
Materials are inEnglish
Historical Note
Originally discovered by prospectors in search of placer gold, the
rich sapphire-bearing ledge of Montana was located and claimed by three
Montanans in 1896. The New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, based solely on the Yogo
Sapphire District near Utica, Montana, in Judith Basin County, was incorporated
in 1898. S. S. Hobson served as vice president, and Mathew Dunn and George A.
Wells, both Great Falls residents, served respectively as president and
secretary-treasurer. Soon after the turn of the century, the corporation came
under the control of British investors, remaining so until 1949. The
Yogo mines operated profitably until 1927, when a flash flood destroyed the
surface workings of the Syndicate's operation. After that, little was done to
exploit the remaining sapphires. In 1956, Thomas Sidwell succeeded in
purchasing the controlling interest in the Syndicate. Lack of capital hampered
his operations until 1956-1957, when the Syndicate's stock was re-issued and
some work resumed at the mine. Lawsuits, prior claims, poor management, and
bad luck combined to ruin the renewed operations of the corporation, and the
venture was bankrupt by 1961.
The collection contains the company's governing documents, financial
records, correspondence, legal documents and court papers, reports, clippings,
publicity and printed materials, and photographs.
The collection is arranged in ten series:
Series I: Governance and History, 4 folders, 1898-1960
Series II: Correspondence, 1.0 linear foot, 1898-1963
Series III: Financial Records, 3.0 linear feet, 1909-1960
Series IV: Court Papers, 4 folders, 1956-1960
Series V: Legal Documents, 4 folders, 1889-1967
Series VI: Reports, 1 folder, 1910-1959
Series VII: Maps and Blueprints, 1 folder, undated
Series VIII: Clippings, 1 folder, 1950-1960
Series IX: Publicity, 2 folders, 1950-1960
Series X: Photographs, 22 items, 1924-1925
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of
Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and
the University of Montana-Missoula.
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and
any other applicable statutes. Copyright not transferred to The University of
Montana.
[Name of document or photograph number], New Mine Sapphire Syndicate
Records, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library,
The University of Montana-Missoula.
The records were in the possession of John Wight and Marvel Lowrance,
owners of the Syndicate's assets, until time of donation.
Gift of Marvel Lowrance and John Wight, 1970.
The original processors arranged the records in two collections, LC 28
and LC 223, separated photographs to the photograph collection, and produced a
finding aid. In 2004, the two collections were combined, photographs were
intellectually re-united with the collection, and a new finding aid was
produced and encoded.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Investments,
British--Montana--Yogo Creek Region
Mining
corporations--Montana--Yogo Creek Region
Sapphire mines and
mining--Montana--Yogo Creek Region
Business
records--Montana--Yogo Creek Region
Montana
Business, Industry, and Labor
Mines
and Mineral Resources
Series I
Governance and History
1898-1960
4 folders
This series contains documentation on the governance and history
of the company. It includes corporate histories written within and without the
company, founding documents (articles of incorporation, resolutions), and some
minutes of Board of Directors meetings, mostly from the earliest years of the
company.
1/1
Company history
1956 and
undated
1/2
Organization
1898-1948
1/3
Organization
1948-1962
1/4
Board of Directors
minutes
1898-1960
Series II
Correspondence
1898-1963
1.0 linear foot
This series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence from the
company.
1/5
Correspondence
1898-1899
1/6
Correspondence
1910-1914
1/7
Correspondence
1918-1923
1/8
Correspondence
1924-1927
1/9
Correspondence
1928-1931
1/10
Correspondence
1932-1939
1/11
Correspondence
1945-1951
1/12
Correspondence
1952-1953
1/13
Correspondence
1956
1/14
Correspondence
January-September, 1957
1/15
Correspondence
October-December,
1957
2/1
Correspondence
January-March,
1958
2/2
Correspondence
April-June,
1958
2/3
Correspondence
July-December,
1958
2/4
Correspondence
January-March,
1959
2/5
Correspondence
April-June,
1959
2/6
Correspondence
July-September,
1959
2/7
Correspondence
October-December,
1959
3/1
Correspondence
1960
3/2
Correspondence
1961
3/3
Correspondence
1962
3/4
Correspondence
1963
Series III
Financial Records
1909-1960
3.0 linear feet
This series contains the company's financial records, including
those related to taxes, stockholders, unemployment compensation, operating
statements, general ledgers, check stubs, ledgers, and journals. There are also
some of Thomas Sidwell's personal financial materials.
3/5
Employer's Federal tax
returns
1957-1961
3/6
U.S. Corporation Income Tax
Returns
1909-1930
3/7
U.S. Corporation Income Tax
Returns
1952-1959
3/8
U.S. Income Tax return
(Sidwell)
1959
3/9
Montana State Income
Tax
1957-1960
3/10
Montana State Income Tax return
(Sidwell)
1959
3/11
Montana Corporation License
Tax
1921-1930
3/12
Montana Corporation License
Tax
1956-1959
3/13
Montana Net Proceeds
Tax
1903-1930
3/14
Montana Net Proceeds
Tax
1957-1958
3/15
Unemployment Compensation
Reports
1957-1960
3/16
Judith Basin County Real Estate
Tax
1956-1961
3/17
Annual Report to the Secretary of
State of Montana
1956-1961
3/18
Annual Reports
1898-1929
3/19
Stockholders' list
1938
4/1
Stockholders' list
1957-1965
OS 11/7
Stock Certificates
Book
1959-1967
4/1
Register of Shares
1914-1949
4/2
Cancelled stock
certificates
undated
4/3
Cancelled stock
certificates
undated
4/4
Stock sales, prospect
lists
undated
5/1
Stock subscriptions and sales
records
undated
5/2
Stock transfers
1957-1960
5/3
Stock releases
1967
5/4
New Mine properties and
titles
undated
5/2
General ledger
1914-1936
6/3
General ledger
1958-1960
6/1
General ledger
1955-1958
6/2
Sapphire Stock
inventories
1922-1933
6/3
Accounts payable
1957-1960
6/4
Payroll withholding
statements
1957
6/5
Trial balances
1911-1912
6/6
Financial statements
1957-1960
6/7
Operating statements
1919-1932
6/8
Operating statements
1955-1960
6/9
Check stubs
1956-1959
7/8
Check stubs
1959-1960
7/9
Check stubs
1959-1960
7/1
Miscellaneous
1909-1938
7/2
Miscellaneous
1957-1960
7/1
Journal
1931-1949
8/4
Private ledger
1922-1953
8/5
Cash book
1911-1936
Series IV
Court Papers
1956-1960
4 folders
This series contains court papers related to a 1956-1960 case,
Gadsden vs. New Mine Sapphire Syndicate. At issue were Gadsden's assets after
her husband, Charles T. Gadsden (a New Sapphire manager of many years) died in
1954.
8/1
Maude Margaret Gadsden Vs. New
Mine Sapphire Syndicate
1956-1959
8/2
Maude Margaret Gadsden Vs. New
Mine Sapphire Syndicate
1956
9/1
Maude Margaret Gadsden vs. New
Mine Sapphire Syndicate
1956-1958
9/2
Maude Margaret Gadsden vs. New
Mine Sapphire Syndicate
1959-1960
Series V
Legal Documents
1889-1967
4 folders
This series contains legal documents, including deeds, patents,
and materials related to the company's mining claims.
9/3
Deeds and Patents
1889-1928
9/4
Agreements
1896-1920
9/5
Miscellaneous
1894-1944
10/1
Mining claims
undated
10/2
Mining claims
undated
10/3
Miscellaneous
undated
Series VI
Reports
1910-1959
1 folder
This series consists of one folder of reports produced or
commissioned by the New Mine Sapphire Syndicate. Most relate to mining claims.
10/4
Reports
1910-1959
Series VII
Maps and Blueprints
undated
1 folder
This series consists of two folders of maps and blueprints related
to the operations of the New Mine Sapphire Syndicate. Some relate to mining
claims, and others are unidentified.
10/5 and OS
Maps and Blueprints
undated
Series VIII
Clippings
1950-1960
1 folder
This series contains newspaper and magazine clippings, mostly from
Montana publications, about the Yogo sapphires.
10/6
Clippings
1950-1960
Series IX
Publications and
Publicity
1950-1960
2 folders
This series contains printed and other publicity materials
produced by and for the company.
10/7
Publications and
Publicity
1950-1960
OS 11
Publications and
Publicity
1950-1960
Series X
Photographs
1924-1925 and
undated
22 items
This series contains photographs of the New Mine Sapphire
Syndicate operation in Utica, Montana. Most were taken around 1924-1925, and
show the buildings, mechanicals, and other aspects of the mine site and mining
equipment. Several images show damage after floods.
10/879-0002 Workings at New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0003Shaft house and compressor house, New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0004 Workings at New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0005"The shaft house, old blacksmith shop, new blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, railway on left to dump, New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montana"circa 1925
10/879-0006"Dam no. 1, showing how 1-inch board heave up. 2-inch lay much better. These boards have been in since 1910, but do not rot in lower part of dam where they are wet but do heave up"1925
10/879-0007"Looking down in the mine"circa 1925
10/879-0008"Dam no. 1"1925
10/879-0009 New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0010"Dirt at old camp washed once in 1920, center cut out wider by cloudburst, 1923"1924
10/879-0011"Wash rock washed [illegible] of first flood"1924
10/879-0012 "Pile under trestle only new dirt left"1924
10/879-0013New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0014New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0015New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0016New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0017New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0018New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0019New Mine Sapphire Syndicate, Utica, Montanacirca 1925
10/879-0020Sapphires, probably from Yogo mines, near Utica, Montanaundated
10/879-0021"Underground workings" [probably Yogo mines]undated