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Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company Records, 1881-1934

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company.
Title
Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company Records
Dates
1881-1934 (inclusive)
Quantity
45 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 317
Summary
The Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company was a St. Louis, Missouri, based silver mining company formed from the merger of the Granite Mountain Mining Company, and Bi-Metallic Mining Company. Collection (1881-1934) consists of interoffice correspondence (1887-1931), incoming correspondence (1887-1898), outgoing correspondence in letterpress books (1881-1903), general correspondence (1898-1932), employment records, financial records, legal documents, production records, weekly superintendent's reports, and miscellany for all three companies.
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
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

The Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company of Philipsburg, Montana, was formed in April 1898 by the merger of the Granite Mountain Mining Company and the Bi-Metallic Mining Company.

The Granite claim was located in the fall of 1872, but was allowed to lapse. In 1880, Charles D. McLure acquired title to the property and formed a syndicate with several St. Louis capitalists, including Charles Clark, Augustus B. Ewing, Lewis M. Rumsey, Moses Rumsey, and Charles Taussig. The following year this syndicate incorporated as the Granite Mountain Mining Company. For the first few years, the company engaged primarily in development work. In the spring of 1884, a 20-stamp mill was built at Granite. Additional mills were constructed in 1886 and 1888. Because of the depletion of timber at Granite, the third mill was built at Rumsey several miles away. A gravity tramway connected the new mill with the mine. From 1883 to 1893, the mine produced over $20 million worth of silver and other metals. Hit by the drop in the price of silver in 1893, the Granite Mine shut down operations for most of the 1890s.

The James G. Blaine lode, which became the Bi-Metallic Mine, was located in April 1881, by William W. Williams. It was purchased by Charles D. McLure in 1883. Little development work was done on the mine until 1885. In June 1886, the property was incorporated as the Bi-Metallic Mining Company by a syndicate comprised of many of the owners of the Granite Mountain Mining Company, with the addition of Paul A. Fusz. During the winter of 1888-1889, a 50-stamp mill was built and another 50 stamps were added the following year. This mine produced over $7 million before shutting down in the mid-1890s.

Following the 1898 merger of the two interconnected syndicates into the Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company, the company had several years of profitable operation, but in 1903, it briefly went into receivership. Thereafter the mines were operated primarily on the lease system. They produced sporadically until the 1920s, and in November 1934, the Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company was dissolved.

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Content Description

The collection consists of the records of the Granite-BiMetallic Consolidated Mining Company and its two predecessor companies. It is divided into three subgroups: one for the Granite Mountain Mining Company, one for the Bi-Metallic Mining Company, and one for the consolidated company. Records include interoffice correspondence (1887-1931) between the offices in St. Louis and the mine offices in Philipsburg. This correspondence is very detailed about the day-to-day operations of the three companies. Correspondents include John T. Field, Lewis M. Rumsey, Thomas O. Hyman, Paul A. Fusz, Thomas Weir, James Henley, Werner Ziegler, Charles Clark, Alf. H. White, J.B. Risque, W. Thomas Hart, E.I. Holland, C. Jagels, George S. Zehnder, Charles D. McLure, John R. Lucas, Joseph Yob, and Leigh Wyman. In addition there is incoming correspondence (1887-1894) from equipment suppliers and others; outgoing correspondence (1881-1903) in letterpress books; and general correspondence (1898-1932). Court papers (1889-1915) include records of several court cases involving the companies. Employment records (1883-1893) include accident reports, assignments of wages, payrolls, and timebooks. There are only scattered financial records (1883-1931). Legal documents (1881-1930) include abstracts of title, contracts, a real estate record, lease records, notices of water rights, etc. Organizational records (1886-1922) include articles of incorporation, annual reports, minutes, and lists of stockholders. Production records (1884-1894) include assay reports, distribution of labor, mill and tramway reports, mine production reports, etc. One of the largest series consists of weekly reports (1884-1917) of superintendents F.L. Perkins, John W. Plummer, Paul A. Fusz, Thomas Weir, James Risque, Werner Ziegler, John R. Lucas; and of foremen James Willoughby, M.E. Blanger, C. Brusnahan, Julius Weigenstein, and Richard Trebilcock. These reports provide a weekly summary of exploration work, mine development, and production. In addition there are subject files on a bullion theft case (1899-1902), the salt chloride leaching plant (1909), oxy-acetylene welding, and sale of second hand machinery; as well as miscellany, including field survey books (1901-1934), advertisements from equipment suppliers, specifications of machinery and other topics.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

by series

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information:

available upon request

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

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Subject Terms

  • Assaying--Montana--Granite County
  • Baxeres Process
  • Cyanide Process--Montana--Granite County
  • Industrial Safety--Montana--Granite County
  • Industrial accidents--Montana--Granite County
  • Mine accidents--Montana--Granite County
  • Mine safety County
  • Mines and mineral resources--Montana--Granite County
  • Mining machinery--Design and construction
  • Office equipment and supplies
  • Ore-dressing--Montana--Granite County
  • Silver mines and mining--Montana--Granite County
  • Stamp mills--Montana--Granite County

Geographical Names

  • Granite (Mont.)
  • Granite (Mont.)--Commerce
  • Granite County (Mont.)
  • Philipsburg (Mont.)


2004

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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