MTGMss614.xml Guide to the Cominco American Inc., Douglas Mine and Concentrator Records 1957-1976 Cominco American Inc., Douglas Mine and Concentrator Records Finding aid prepared by Jessie Nunn Funding for creating this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana--Missoula © 2005
The University of Montana--Missoula Missoula, MT 59812 406-243-2053 http://www.lib.umt.edu/asc library.archives@umontana.edu
Finding aid encoded by Donna McCrea 2005 Finding aid written in English. University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
The University of Montana--Missoula Missoula, MT 59812 406-243-2053 http://www.lib.umt.edu/asc library.archives@umontana.edu
Mss 614 Cominco American, Inc. Cominco American, Inc., Douglas Mine and Concentrator Records 1957-1976 13.0 linear feet The Douglas Mine and Concentrator operated in Granite County, Montana from 1964-1968 under the ownership of the Montana Phosphate Products Company and later Cominco American, Inc. The records contain material related to the development, operation and dismantling of the mine and concentrator, as well as several maps and engineering drawings illustrating the Douglas Operation and other nearby mines owned by these same companies. Material is inEnglish Historical Note

In 1962 the Montana Phosphate Products Company, based in Garrison, Montana, began a significant phosphate mining and milling project in the Maxville Mining District of Granite County, Montana. In addition to the potential profit for the company, it was hoped that the exploitation of area phosphate deposits would boost the region’s economy. The Douglas Mine and Concentrator located nine miles south of Drummond, Montana on Douglas Creek were a major part of this development. Montana Phosphate Products Company began underground mining at this location in 1962. By 1964 the mine employed approximately 110 workers and was steadily producing phosphate rock.

The advent of phosphate mining in Granite County during the early 1960s perked the interest of other significant firms, particularly Cominco American, Inc., the American branch of a large Canadian mining and smelting corporation. Cominco had been mining in adjacent Powell County, Montana for years, sometimes in partnership with Montana Phosphate Products Company, and saw the expanding Douglas Operation as a natural addition to its holdings. In 1965, Cominco American, Inc. gained control of the Douglas Mine and continued to expand operations at that location. The Douglas Concentrator began milling phosphate rock in 1965, and Cominco started one of Montana’s few open pit phosphate mines on their Douglas Creek site in 1967. During these years of steady expansion, production peaked and the operation employed nearly 160 men and women.

Despite promising production and heavy investment by both Montana Phosphate Products Company and Cominco American, Inc., the operation was closed down in 1968. In 1972, Cominco American, Inc. hired the Bechtel Corporation to dismantle the Douglas Concentrator and send all salvageable equipment to Greenland for use in a mine operated by Greenex, a subsidiary of Cominco. Sections of the mine and tailings at the Douglas site have since been reclaimed by the Montana Waste Cleanup Bureau, while other portions remain on the Montana DEQ shortlist, and may require further reclamation.

This collection contains materials related to the development, operation and dismantling of the Douglas Mine and Concentrator, located in Granite County, Montana, by the Montana Phosphate Products Company and Cominco American, Inc. during the 1960s and early 1970s. The records offers insight into mining philosophies and trends of that time, as well as providing information on the day-to-day operations of a phosphate mine and milling operation in Western Montana.

Series I, Mine and Concentrator Development, contains materials related to the development of the Douglas Operation by the Montana Phosphate Products Company, and later Cominco American, Inc., beginning in 1962 and extending into mid-1960s. Included are cost quotations and advertisements for various mining and milling equipment, engineering drawings, construction specifications, cost projections and other materials. This series gives an overview of state-of-the-art phosphate mining technologies in the 1960s, as well as the amount of financial investment and work necessary to undertake such a mining project.

Series II, Mine and Concentrator Operations, contains daily and monthly reports, maintenance schedules, studies, correspondence, financial calculations, and other miscellaneous materials created by the Montana Phosphate Products Company and Cominco Amerincan, Inc. during the operation of the Douglas Mine and Concentrator from 1962-1968. This material provides a look into the day-to-day operations of a phosphate mine and concentrator operating in Western Montana during the 1960s.

Series III, Concentrator Dismantling, contains correspondence and daily reports, as well as other miscellaneous material related to the dismantling of the Douglas Concentrator in 1972. This action was authorized by Cominco American, Inc. and carried out by the Bechtel Corporation. The series is representative of how Cominco American, Inc. was able to salvage much of the equipment at its Douglas Creek location for use in another mining project in Greenland.

Series IV, Maps and Drawings, contains numerous oversized maps and drawings depicting the Douglas Operation and other Montana Phosphate Products Company and Cominco American, Inc. mines in the region, including the Anderson (Warm Springs), Brock, Luke, and Relyea Mines. The materials range in subject from underground mines to dam cross-sections to construction specifications.

Series I: Mine and Concentrator Development, 2.25 linear feet, 1962-1966 and undated

Series II: Mine and Concentrator Operations, 8.0 linear feet, 1957-1968 and undated

Series III: Concentrator Dismantling, 0.5 linear feet, 1972

Series IV: Maps and Drawings, 2.25 linear feet, 1961-1976 and undated

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. Copyrigth status unknown.

[Name of document or photograph number], Cominco American, Inc., Douglas Mine and Concentrator Records, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana--Missoula.

These records were found at the mine site and given to the K. Ross Toole Archives by an unknown donor in the mid-1980s.

The materials in this collection were maintained in their original order as closely as possible during processing. In general, originally foldered materials were placed in new folders and labeled with original folder titles. Loose materials were either integrated or placed in new folders, which were then titled by subject. In Series I, a strict grouping system was in place prior to processing. All loose materials belonging in this series, but which did not fit with any of the preexisting folder titles were placed immediately after the prearranged materials and organized alphabetically. A group of miscellaneous folded drawings from the mine and concentrator development were placed at the end of this series. In Series II, reports were placed in appropriately labeled folders, and arranged by type at the beginning of the series. Materials in this series originally held in folders grouped loosely by subject were maintained in their original order and placed immediately after the reports. Other miscellaneous loose materials were foldered by subject and arranged alphabetically at the end of this series. Materials in Series III remain in their exact original order, but were placed in new folders. The oversized maps and drawings in Series IV were grouped by subject and housed together in rolled material storage cases.

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.

Montana Phosphate Products Company Mining corporations--Montana Phosphate mines and mining--Montana--Granite County Business records--Montana Montana Mines and Mineral Resources Series I Mine and Concentrator Development 1962-1966 1/1 Grinding, Electric Motor 1962 1/2 Grinding, Flotation Machines 1962-1965 1/3 Filtering, Thickeners 1962 1/4 Filtering, Thickeners, EIMCO Corporation 1962-1966 1/5 Filtering, Albany Felt Company 1964-1965 1/6 Filtering, AMETEK Filtration Fabrics 1963-1964 1/7 Drying 1962-1965 1/8 Drying, Dorrco Fluosolids Drying System, Dorr-Oliver, Inc., 1963 1/9 Drying, Dryers, Dorr-Oliver Inc. 1962-1965 1/10 Drying, Dryers, Refractory and Insulation 1963 and undated 1/11 Drying, Dust Collecting 1964-1965 1/12 Loading, General 1962-1964 1/13 Loading, Air Slides and Loading Chutes 1963 1/14 Loading, Bucket Elevators 1963 1/15 Loading, Car Movers 1963 2/1 Loading, Car Movers, Northern Pacific Railway 1962-1963 2/2 Loading, Elevators, Link Belt Company 1963-1965 2/3 Loading, Weightometer Conveyors 1962 2/4 Loading, Weightometer Conveyors, Fuller Company 1962-1963 2/5 Loading, Weightometer Conveyors, Sutorbuilt Corporation 1963 2/6 Tailings, Disposal 1962-1964 2/7 Tailings, Thickener, EIMCO Corporation 1963-1964 2/8 Pumps, General 1962-1964 2/9 Pumps, Denver Equipment Company 1962-1965 3/1 Pumps, Galigher Company 1962-1965 3/2 Piping 1963-1966 3/3 Valves and Sumps 1963-1964 3/4 Instruments, General 1962-1963 3/5 Instruments, Automatic Timing & Controls, Inc. 1963 3/6 Instruments, Bailey Meter Company 1963 and undated 3/7 Instruments, Beckman Instruments, Inc. 1963-1964 3/8 Instruments, Foxboro Company 1962 3/9 Instruments, Motor Control Centers 1962-1963 3/10 Instruments, Taylor Instrument Companies 1962-1964 3/11 Instruments, Temperature Control 1963-1964 3/12 Plant Air System 1963 4/1 Drives, General 1962 4/2 Drives, General 1962-1963 4/3 Laboratory Equipment 1963-1964 4/4 Laboratory Equipment 1963-1964 4/5 Cranes 1963 4/6 Cranes, Harnischefeger Corporation 1962-1963 4/7 General and Miscellaneous 1962-1965 4/8 Concentrator Construction Specifications undated 4/9 Cost Predictions undated 4/10 Douglas Creek Tailings Dam Testing 1964 4/11 Electronic Controls 1963 4/12 Field Notebook entitled "6315 Plant Control & Ties" undated 4/13 Fire Protection 1962 and undated 5/1 Gas and Burners 1963 and undated 5/2 Ground and Soil Data 1963 and undated 5/3 Invoices from Kaiser Engineers 1964-1965 5/4 Miscellaneous Equipment Quotations 1962-1963 5/5 Painting 1963 5/6 Process Equipment to be Purchased by Owner 1963 5/7 Water Heaters, Cooley Company 1963-1964 5/8 Western Knapp Engineering Company, Monthly Job Cost Report 1963 5/9 Western Knapp Engineering Company, Requests for Quotations 1962-1963 5/10 List of 815 Original Plant Series Drawings undated 5/11 Miscellaneous Drawings 1963-1964 5/12 Miscellaneous Drawings 1958-1964 Series II Mine and Concentrator Operations 1957-1968 OS1 Douglas Mine Underground Daily Reports 1966 OS2 Douglas Mine Underground Daily Reports 1967 OS2 Douglas Mine Underground Daily Reports 1968 5/13 Douglas Mine Drilling and Loading Reports for Locations 5213C-5312 1966-1967 5/14 Douglas Mine Drilling and Loading Reports for Locations 5313B-5319B, 1966-1967 6/1 Douglas Mine Drilling and Loading Reports for Locations 5407-5419C, 1966-1967 6/2 Douglas Mine Drilling and Loading Reports for Locations 5505C-5517C, 1966-1968 6/3 Douglas Mine Drilling and Loading Reports for Locations 5519B-5813, 1966-1968 6/4 Douglas Mine Production Reports 1964-1965 6/5 Douglas Mine Daily Underground Time Sheets 1967 6/6 Douglas Mine Daily Underground Time Sheets 1967 6/7 Douglas Mine Daily Underground Time Sheets 1967 6/8 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1964 6/9 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1964 6/10 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1965 7/1 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1965 7/2 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1965 7/3 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1965 7/4 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1965 7/5 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1965 7/6 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1965 7/7 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1965 7/8 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1966 7/9 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1966 7/10 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1966 7/11 Douglas Concentrator Daily Assay Reports 1966 8/1 Daily Concentrator Reports 1964 8/2 Daily Concentrator Reports 1964 8/3 Daily Concentrator Reports 1965 8/4 Daily Concentrator Reports 1965 8/5 Daily Concentrator Reports 1965 8/6 Daily Concentrator Reports 1965 8/7 Concentrator Daily Plant Service Reports 1966 8/8 Concentrator Daily Plant Service Reports 1966 8/9 Concentrator Daily Plant Service Reports 1966 8/10 Concentrator Daily Plant Service Reports 1966 8/11 Concentrator Monthly Reports 1964-1966 9/1 Douglas Operation Feeder and Crusher Daily Reports 1966 9/2 Douglas Operation Feeder and Crusher Daily Reports 1966 9/3 Douglas Operation Feeder and Crusher Daily Reports 1966 9/4 Douglas Operation Feeder and Crusher Daily Reports 1966 9/5 Filter Bag Reports 1965-1966 9/6 Concentrator Daily Grinding and Flotation Report undated 9/7 Reports on Wet Tons Delivered to Coarse Ore Bin 1964-1967 9/8 Ore Storage Silo Inventories 1968 9/9 Monthly Maintenance Reports 1967-1968 and undated 9/10 Equipment Maintenance Schedule Cards undated 9/11 Equipment Maintenance Schedule Cards undated 9/12 Equipment Maintenance Schedule Cards undated 10/1 Douglas Concentrator Maintenance Backlog 1965 and undated 10/2 High Voltage Breaker Maintenance Check-off Sheet 1966 10/3 Maintenance Department, Miscellaneous Material 1967-1968 and undated 10/4 Miscellaneous Maintenance Manuals undated 10/5 Concentrator Cost Calculations 1965 and undated 10/6 Cost and Variance Statements 1965 10/7 Economic Design and Calculations 1965 and undated 10/8 Mine Operation Cost Calculations 1965 10/9 Specific Gravity Samples of Douglas Ore 1965 10/10 Metallurgy Studies 1965-1966 10/11 Atomic Absorption Analysis 1966 10/12 Fatty Acid Saponification 1966 10/13 Plant Water Supply Studies 1966 10/14 Sink-Float and Floatation Testing on Phosphate Rock 1966 10/15 Emergency Tailings Thickeners 1967 10/16 System for Testing the Moisture and Content of Phosphate Rock 1967 10/17 Concentrator Operation Manuals and Instructions undated 10/18 Forms to Accompany Concrete Cylinders, Montana State Highway Department 1966 10/19 Labor and Related Expenses 1966-1968 and undated 10/20 Mine and Mill Code Sheets undated 10/21 Painting Agreement 1968 10/22 Purchasing and Warehousing 1967-1968 10/23 Quotations and Information on Compressed Air Drying and Cleaning Equipment 1968 10/24 Various Publications 1966 11/1 Water and Power Information 1957-1967 and undated 11/2 Weekly Contract Summary 1963-1965 11/3 Work Order 225, Revision of Mine Bunker at Douglas Mine 1968 11/4 Miscellaneous Correspondence 1964-1968 11/5 Miscellaneous Meeting Minutes and Reports 1966 and undated Series III Concentrator Dismantling 1972 11/6 Incoming to Construction from other Departments 1972 11/7 Outgoing from Field to Engineering 1972 11/8 Incoming from Engineering 1972 11/9 Incoming Engineering from other Departments 1972 11/10 Incoming from Purchasing to Field 1972 11/11 Requisition Register 1972 11/12 Incoming from Purchasing to other Departments 1972 11/13 Outgoing to Estimating from Field 1972 11/14 Code of Accounts 1972 11/15 Incoming from Planning and Scheduling to Field 1972 11/16 Detailed Engineering and Construction Schedule 1972 11/17 Incoming from Labor Relations to Field 1972 11/18 Outgoing to Labor Relations from Field 1972 11/19 Outgoing from Equipment Department 1972 11/20 Outgoing from Engineering to Client 1972 11/21 Conference Notes between Home Office and Client 1972 11/22 Monthly Construction Progress Report 1972 11/23 Critical Crafts Report 1972 11/24 Weekly Construction Activities 1972 11/25 Force Report 1972 11/26 Labor and Safety Report 1972 11/27 Historical Report for Job 10090 1972 11/28 Tools 1972 11/29 Equipment, Miscellaneous Correspondence 1972 11/30 Incoming from Vendors to Field 1972 11/31 Outgoing to Vendors from Field 1972 11/32 Daily Reading File 1972 Series IV Maps and Drawings 1961-1976 and undated

In 2018 and 2019, additional description was provided for some maps and drawings and all sets were assigned individual numbers to facilitate access.

 1 Douglas Mine, Ore Extraction Cross-sections 1966 2 Douglas Mine, Proposed "A" Cross-section and Road, 1 Sheet 1968 3 Douglas Mine, Proposed B-North Development, 4 Sheets undated 4 Douglas Mine, Chute Cutouts for 5201C, 2 Sheets undated 5 Douglas Mine, Proposed C-South Development, 2 Sheets undated 6 Douglas Mine Phosphate Ore Reserves, 1 Sheet undated 7 Douglas Mine, Additions and Raises, 9 Sheets 1963-1968 8 Douglas Mine, D-Bed Strip Mining Cross-sections, 19 Sheets undated 9 Douglas Mine, D Stockpile Open Pit Mining Cross-sections, 4 Sheets, undated 10 Douglas Mine, Canal Base Line Survey, 1 Sheet undated 11 Douglas Mine, Drift and Tunnel Locations and Elevations, 9 Sheets, Undated 12 Douglas Mill Drawings and Specifications, 4 Sheets 1966 13 Douglas Mill Construction Drawings 1962-1963 14 Douglas Mill Construction Drawings 1962-1963 15 Douglas Mill Construction Drawings 1963 16 Douglas Mill Boiler-Steam Complex Construction Drawings 1963 17 Douglas Mine, Tailings Capacity, 2 Sheets 1963 18 Douglas Mine, Tailings Plans, 11 Sheets 1963-1964 19 Douglas Operation, Cross-sections of Tailing Pond, 1 Sheet 1966 20 Douglas Creek Tailings and Diversion Dam 1963 21 Douglas Operation Tailings Pond, 4 Sheets 1961-1963 and undated 22 Douglas Mine, Tailings Pond, 21 Sheets 1963-1964 and undated 23 Douglas Mine, Tailings "Pond B" Cross-sections, 2 Sheets undated 24 Douglas Mine, Tailings Pond undated 25 Douglas Mine, Tailings Pond, 4 drawings 1963 and undated 26 Cross-section Douglas Tailings Dam, Stage 1, Rocky Mountain Construction, 1 Sheet 1963 27 Cross-section Douglas Tailings Dam, Stage 1, Rocky Mountain Construction, 1 Sheet 1964 28 Douglas Creek Dam Cross-sections, 2 Sheets undated 29 Douglas Creek Dam Cross-sections, 1 Sheet undated 30 Douglas Mine, Miscellaneous Dam Cross-sections, 3 Sheets undated 31 Douglas Mine, Main Dam Drawings, 4 Sheets undated 32 Water Supply Storage Dam, 3 Sheets 1963 33 Douglas Mine, Proposed Access Roads and Elevations, 4 Sheets 1967 34 Northern Pacific Railway, Prod Tracking to serve Douglas Mine, 1 Sheet, 1962 35 Douglas Mill, Cross-section of Proposed Railway Grade, 1 Sheet 1963 36 Douglas Operation, Miscellaneous Cross-sections, 18 Sheets undated 37 Tonnage/Cost Budgetary Chart, 1 Sheet 1966-1967 38 Willow Creek Storage Dam, USDA undated 39 Willow Creek Storage Dam, USDA Soil Conservation, 1 Sheets undated 40 Anderson, Brock and Relyea Mines, 1 Sheet 1961 41 Brock Mine, 4 Sheets 1966-1975 42 Dunkelberg Mine, Sheet 1965 43 South Luke Mine, 1 Sheet 1976 44 Warm Springs (Anderson) Mine, Sheet 1973 45 South Warm Springs (Anderson) Mine, 2 Sheets 1975