The Northport Mining and Smelting Company, predecessor to the Northport Smelting and Refining Company, was incorporated in Washington state in June 1898, with offices in Spokane. The original officers were C.H. MacKintosh, president; Weldon B. Heyburn (later U.S. senator from Idaho), vice-president and solicitor; and Edwin Durant, treasurer and secretary. The trustees of the company immediately authorized purchase of mining property on La Fleur Mountain in Stevens County, Washington, and in March of the following year authorized purchase of smelting plant and property from the Le Roi Mining and Smelting Co. on the bank of the Columbia River, near Northport, Washington. No capital stock records have survived from the Northport, but it seems it was created by the Le Roi company, a Canadian firm. It and its successor, Northport Smelting and Refining, were under Le Roi's control until sold to the Day interests in 1915.
In July 1901 the Northport Mining and Smelting Company was reorganized as the Northport Smelting and Refining Company, chartered under Idaho law, with offices in Wallace, Idaho. Of the 1 million shares of stock authorized for the new firm (at a par value of $1), one share each was held by Heyburn, J. Mayne Daly, Louis Odell, Bernard O'Neil, and Bernard MacDonald -- the first board of directors. The other 999,995 shares were held in trust for the Le Roi company, the successive trustees being Bernard MacDonald from 1901 to 1907, Albert Goodell until 1912, and W.S. Rugh thereafter. In its early years the smelter primarily treated copper ores from the Le Roi's mine near Rossland, British Columbia (although the "Matte Record, 1901-1911," indicates gold values consistently running several times higher than those for copper). In 1906, however, the Le Roi company contracted for treatment of its ores at the less distant Trail smelter in British Columbia, and the Northport gradually terminated its operations, shipping its last matte in May 1911.
In September 1915 a quarrel with ASARCO over smelting rates encouraged the Hercules Mining Co. and the Tamarack & Custer Consolidated Mining Co. jointly to acquire both the idle Northport plant and the Pennsylvania Smelter Co. of Carnegie, Pennsylvania. The two mining firms each paid half of $80,000 for all of Northport's capital. Eugene Day, Jerome Day, Edward Boyce, Frank M. Rothrock, and E.H. Knight received one share each on September 15, 1915, and were appointed as the new board of directors. The bulk of the shares were divided on January 11, 1917, with 499,997 going to Jerome as trustee for the Tamarack & Custer and 499,998 to Eugene as trustee for the Hercules. Jerome Day served as president for the remainder of the firm's existence. R.W. Marston became the Northport's first general manager but was succeeded by E.H. Laws in 1918.
By March 1916 the Northport plant had been renovated for the treatment of lead ores. The Hercules and the Tamarack & Custer together put up $398,736 for rehabilitation costs and working capital. To supply silica fluxes for the smelter several mines in Washington's Republic District were acquired from the Republic Consolidated Mining Co., Ltd., in July 1916. The Hercules and the Tamarack & Custer paid $150,000 for these properties, and the Northport held the mines in trust. In 1918 Northport issued two million new shares of stock to the two mining companies for the purchase of mines and remodeling of the plant, giving it three million shares outstanding, par valued at $1 each.
By 1919, the Northport plant had complete equipment for sampling, crushing, sintering, and smelting gold, silver, and lead ores, including a drossing plant, thaw house, assay office, engineering office, general office, store room, hospital, fire and electrical systems, machine shop, roaster building, and sampling mill.
Lead bullion produced at Northport was refined in Pennsylvania. Inability to secure favorable freight rates led to closure of the Northport smelter in 1921. On August 24, 1922, the Days reached an agreement with ASARCO by which the latter firm--faced with competition from the new Bunker Hill smelter--offered good terms for ores and purchased the Northport smelter for $1,200,000, which provided a $309,622 dividend to Northport stockholders. ASARCO then dismantled the smelter and the Days shipped their ores to the ASARCO plant at East Helena, Montana. After the smelter was sold to ASARCO, annual stockholders meetings continued to be held for the election of directors and to confirm actions taken by officers and directors during each preceding year, but little substantial business had to be conducted other than gradual liquidation of remaining assets.
Immediately after the Northport smelter opened, in the late 1890s, damage from fumes was evident in the surrounding countryside. After the shutdown, however, apple orchards were developed in the vicinity until 1916 when the Days revived the smelter for the treatment of lead ores. Promptly upon the reopening, local farmers began pressing claims for dying livestock. After installing a Cottrell precipitator in 1917 to recover metals lost through the chimney, the Northport refused to pay for damages. Several claims went to trial in the early 1920s. The Trombetta case was settled with the smelter purchasing a smoke easement, but when the Janni and Pfeiffer cases ended in verdicts favoring Northport pending cases were dismissed.
In December 1927 the Aurum Mining Co., another Day enterprise, purchased all remaining Northport property and equipment and all accounts receivable for 640,000 shares of the new firm. The transferred assets consisted primarily of the Republic mining properties, whose ores contained small amounts of silver and gold. Simultaneously with accepting this offer from Aurum, the Northport directors declared a dividend of all free cash and government securities in the company treasury and recommended a reduction of the outstanding capital stock. In February 1928 the stockholders agreed to reduce the outstanding capital stock from $3 million to $40,000. The Hercules and the Tamarack & Custer continued to cover the Northport's few expenses, which only increased the firm's indebtedness. In February 1934 the directors authorized forfeiture of the Northport's charter. After disposing of the last remaining asset, half the water rights for the city of Northport, and settling the firm's debts, the company filed for a decree of disincorporation, approved September 28, 1936.
The records of the Northport Smelting and Refining Company are arranged in seven series. Organizational records include the minutes, 1898-1934, of the Boards of Directors and the Stockholders. Vol. 2, 1901-1919, includes the by-laws adopted July 18, 1901.
Records relating to Annual and Special Meetings, 1923-1936, include notices of meetings; agendas; lists of stockholders; proxies; oaths and affidavits; and ballots. Frequently there are also copies of minutes, rough notes, powers of attorney, treasurer's reports, correspondence, assignments of dividends, balance sheets and other financial statements, reports of tellers, and other records. Records concerning the lease of Northport land by Peter Janni contain correspondence, a map, and a copy of the lease, Jan. 1, 1934. Records of Jerome Day's work as trustee of the Northport largely concern the dissolution of the company and include paid checks, bank statements, lists of securities, financial statements, receipts, correspondence, and other records. Also relating to the dissolution of the company are balance sheets, a release of obligations, and a decree of disincorporation dated September 28, 1936.
The volume of financial statements, July 1917-May 1922, is labelled on the spine: "N.S.& R.Co., Reports, Vol. 1, W.N. Ellis." W.N. Ellis was the metallurgist and assistant manager of the Northport company. There are gaps in the record. Also included here is the annual report of the National Metallurgical Company, 1910-1911.
A group of miscellaneous records, 1901-1919, includes documents found loose in an otherwise blank volume titled "Book of By-Laws of the Northport Smelting and Refining Co." These are: articles of incorporation, July 13, 1901; by-laws, June 3, 1918; indentures relating to the transfer of certain mining claims; and a small amount of correspondence and other documents, including draft minutes, September 25, 1915, relating chiefly to sale of Northport property and capital stock and to reimbursement of the Hercules Mining Co. for cash advanced for Northport plant rehabilitation.
The series of Capital Stock Records includes only two volumes of cancelled stock certificates, 1901-1928.
The third series, General Correspondence and Related Records, 1897-1925, is divided into eight subseries. The first consists of records, 1897-1921, most of which relate to the Le Roi's Northport, very few extending into the period of Day ownership. Most are legal records: copies of resolutions, powers of attorney, affidavits, transcripts of testimony, agreements, contracts, smoke releases, minors' releases, deeds, patents, proofs of labor, assessment lists, fire and liability insurance policies, and tax returns. There are also correspondence, proposals, vouchers, receipts, clippings, maps, plats, memoranda, and other records. Many similar Northport documents are in the records of the Aurum Mining Co.
Also included are Le Roi organizational records: articles of incorporation, agreements on freight rates, Northport site deeds, agreements with Guggenheim Smelting and with the Northport company. For the Northport, almost all predating 1916, are articles of incorporation and by-laws, 1898 and 1901; related records; an undated classification of accounts; plant, supply, and equipment inventories; real estate deeds; and correspondence covering corporate license fees, land titles, appointments of directors, annual meetings, capital stock, and real and personal property. There are records of federal and local taxes. One file concerns W.A. Rugh as secretary treasurer and another concerns the appointment of company agents at ports of entry into the United States. Other records concern the sale of copper matte to Nichols Chemical and Tacoma Smelting.
There are also questionnaires from the Treasury Department, the Bureau of Mines, the Bureau of the Census, and the Geological Survey. Legal documents and related records concern the matte-stealing case of Bartlett and Peel; fume damage to crops, timber, and livestock, including the Downs, Park, Rowe, Sterrett, Janni, Johnson, and Laird cases; industrial accidents such as the Franick, Garrison, Maras, Morrison, Olson, Sherlock, Tweedell, and Twitchell cases; and other litigation against Doyle, Knox, the Northport Mill & Smeltermen's Union, Pacific Coast Casualty, and Wrzesinski. There is a survey of lawsuits pending by Daniel H. Carey.
Equipment and supply proposals and specifications come from Bradley Engineering, Edward P. Allis Co., Heine Safety Boiler, Jeffrey Manufacturing, Link Belt, Mine and Smelter Supply, Robins Conveying Belt, Standard Oil, and Trent Engineering; others are on plant electrification and steam shovels. Files on Breen, Case, Northport Townsite, Payne, Riley, Slawson, Sly, Snyder, and Sterrett concern real estate. Files on the Spokane Falls and Northern Railway, Spokane Northern Telegraph, Case, Slawson, Upper Columbia Co., Sterrett, the Great Northern, and the Fife Brothers concern rights of way for roads, flumes, or telegraph lines. Coal supply is dealt with in the file on the Crow's Nest Pass Coal Co; limestone in files on the Floro Quarry, Idaho Lime, John Stone, and Palms; water rights in Morrill and Water Rights; and employment of minors in files on Fritz, Vaughn, and Wilcox.
The subseries "Classified Correspondence, 1915-1922," was apparently maintained by E.H. Laws, manager; W.N. Ellis, assistant manager; and W.H. Hubbard Jr., acting manager. Here are records of daily plant operation, specifications for machinery, blueprints and drawings, requests for bids, orders, freight rates, litigation, etc. Arrangement is by an alphabetical-numerical classification scheme, with general categories subdivided by specific subjects. The first item in this subseries is an outline of the classification headings, not all of which are included among the records.
The correspondence of Jerome J. Day, President, 1917-1921, includes communications between Jerome Day, in Wallace, Idaho, and the offices in Northport and in Republic, Washington. Additional records on the Northport Mining and Smelting Co., particularly on the dissolution of the firm and disposal of property and settlement of claims, may be found in the general correspondence series in the papers of Jerome J. Day.
Records kept by the Manager of Northport Smelting & Refining Co., 1916-1921, contains copies of correspondence and reports, usually addressed to Jerome Day, president, and apparently kept by the Northport manager, Samuel James and later E.L. Laws, in five ring binders and one folder of loose material. Included are statements of metal losses and gains, narrative and statistical reports, ore statements, statements of development work, reports on operating costs, reports on income, balance sheets, and other financial statistics.
Correspondence, 1917-1925, of Horatio H. Miller, General Auditor for both the Northport and the Pennsylvania smelters, primarily consists of business records of the Northport, with a relatively small amount directly concerning the Pennsylvania firm. There is also correspondence relating to Miller's personal business and family. In addition to letters, these records include financial statements of the Northport and associated forms, trial balances, receipts for Miller's paychecks and expenses, copies of minutes of meetings, notes, sheets of calculations, telegrams, tables of company costs, personal bank statements, typed and printed copies of federal regulations, affidavits, statistical reports on operations, and other records.
Among the subjects dealt with are the installation of a new accounting system, the financial position of the company, federal and local taxation, the obtaining of critical materials during wartime, plant insurance, railroad rates and railroad car availability, operations of the General Traffic Department, operations of the Northport city water system, federal silver purchase legislation and its effects, meetings of the board of governors of the American Mining Congress, and organization and operation of the Pennsylvania Smelting Co. Major correspondents include Jerome and Harry Day, company officials in Northport, Washington; Wallace, Idaho; and Carlisle, Pennsylvania; and officers of railroads and of the federal government. Arranged chronologically by month.
Chief Clerk John F. Costello's correspondence, 1922, includes copies of correspondence of E.H. Laws, manager, and other records, relating largely to routine administrative matters.
There are also records relating to industrial insurance, 1915-1922, in a separate subseries.
The correspondence of the Republic Mines Department, 1916-1917 and 1921-1924, is arranged by year. It is largely letters, often with enclosures, addressed to George W. Fairweather, as superintendent, or to George S. Bailey, as superintendent or as manager, Republic Mines Department, concerning machinery parts, property taxes, supplies, claim locations, and other routine business. One folder contains correspondence, 1922-1924, between Bailey and E.H. Laws, manager of the Northport Smelter and later of the Pennsylvania smelter. One folder, 1924, relates to the Old Dominion mine.
Financial records of the company consists of: "Department Journals," 1898-1909, an incomplete sequence of journal/voucher registers for the Northport. They detail the financial arrangements between the smelter and the Rossland, British Columbia, office of the Le Roi Mining & Smelting Co., and show the distribution of expenses and income among some twenty accounts. Vol. 1, 1898-1899, is labeled "Le Roi Mining and Smelting Co., Smelting Department." Vol. 5, 1905-1909, contains entries dealing analytically with transactions identified in vol. 4, 1904-1909, only by name of second party.
Cash Journals, 1899-1903, are in two volumes, the earlier of which is labeled, "Le Roi Mining & Smelting Co., Smelting Department."
The one volume Voucher Record/General Journal ("Combined Journal & Cash Book"), Mar. 1916-June 1917, covers vouchers 363-2512. The journal function of this record is continued by the three volume set of General Journals, 1917-1934, wherein there are monthly (later semi-monthly) summaries, with debits and credits to be transferred to general and subsidiary ledgers. The voucher record function continues in the Voucher Record, July 1917-Jan. 1923, covering vouchers 2513-9462.
Volume 1 of Ledgers, 1915-1927, contains both subsidiary ledger account sheets, 1915-1917, arranged alphabetically, and "Transfer Sheets after July 1, 1917," from the general ledger, arranged by account number. Volume 2, 1917-1921, is "Closed Account Sheets, General Ledger," and is arranged by account number. Volume 3, 1917-1927, has been disbound and its contents placed in order in thirteen folders.
The record of drafts against Pennsylvania Smelting Co., July 26, 1920-May 2, 1921, is in a volume headed "Bills Receivable," recording payments from the Pennsylvania Smelting Co., drafts 1206-1424. These numbers do not match draft numbers in the Bullion Record.
Pages 1-152 of the Northport Smelting & Refining Co., cash account, Miners & Smelters Bank, Northport, Washington, July 1, 1917-Jan. 1, 1925, provides dates, name of second party to transactions, sometimes the number of the account debited, voucher numbers (2453-10075), and check numbers. Pages 156-170 hold the Aurum Mine cash account at Wallace Bank & Trust Co. for Jan. 17, 1928-Oct. 30, 1931, covering vouchers 1-672. Pages 400-72 are the Northport cash account atWallace Bank and Trust, July 1, 1917-Jan. 1, 1931, vouchers 2527-10953.
The vouchers of Aug. 23, 1915-Feb. 10, 1916 are in numerical order, except that the earliest ones, in folder "0", lack numbers. Most voucher forms have one or more attached invoices and sometimes related correspondence, freight bills, and other records. Vouchers 313-10733, Feb. 10, 1916 to July 9, 1927 (excepting numbers 601-2250, May 11, 1916-Apr. 30, 1917, and 3436-5450, July 1, 1917-1918, missing when the collection was accessioned) have been discarded. Their contents are summarized in the Voucher Record/General Journal, 1916-1917; the Voucher Record, 1917-1923; and the Cash Book, 1917-1931.
"Construction Accounts, Dec. 31, 1920"(-Mar. 11 1921), the bound reports of E.H. Laws, manager, to Jerome Day, president, details expenditures for property, construction, and equipment.
The first section of cash journal of the Republic Mines Department, 1916-1923, apparently (see p. 15) relates to the "A.G.M.& R. Co." On p. 1 is "Inventory of Goods on Hand at Colfax, Republic County," no date; on pp. 2-19 is a journal of purchases, Oct. 1912-June 1913. Pages 22-200 contain the cash journal of the Republic Mines Department, Aug. 31, 1916-Mar. 16, 1923.
Both volumes of the purchasing records of the Republic Mines Department, 1916-1933, are labeled "Day-Book" on spine. There are chronological entries for supplies of all sorts purchased for the mines department. Vol. 1, 1916-1920, is labeled "Northport Smelting and Refining Co., Mines Department, Purchase Record." Vol. 2, 1920-1933, has, on page 2, the caption: "Purchase Invoice Record." Vol. 2 includes voucher numbers after Dec., 1924.
The "Cash-Voucher Record" of the Republic Mines Department, 1916- 1924, gives, on the first pages the "Distribution of Labor Expenses" in various parts of the Republic mines, Aug.-Nov., 1917. The rest of the volume is the "Combined Journal, Cash Book," Aug. 1916-Apr. 1924. It includes voucher numbers. [This voucher record continues in the Records of the Aurum Mining Co., MG 235, voucher record for Jan. 1928-Jan. 1934.]
Records of ore treatment and metal production include ore received ("Lot Record and Weights"), Nov. 28, 1898- Oct. 1, 1900, labeled "Le Roi Mining & Smelting Co."; record of ores purchased, Jan. 1901-Feb. 1904, labeled "Vol. 2."; record of ores treated, Jan. 1898-Apr. 1901; record of roast heaps and raw ore bins ("Matte and Shipping Record"), 1901-1907; record of ores treated raw, July 31, 1903-Apr. 1, 1909; daily report of smelting operations, 1902-1904; and "Matte Record", Aug. 20, 1901-June 17, 1911.
The first volumes document all lots of ores purchased, their weights and contents as assayed by both the supplier and the smelter, their transportation, values, and basis of settlements, pertinent dates, and voucher numbers, by which the payment for various lots can be traced into the accounting system. There are also monthly and annual totals. The three "Record of Ores Purchased" volumes record shipments from independent producers, 1916-1921, and, in vol. 3, shipments from the Aurum Mining Co. to the smelter at Trail, British Columbia, through 1928.
The Record of Ores Treated, Mar. 1916-Sep. 1, 1921, gives monthly, albeit incomplete, summary accounts of "Ores Treated," "Ores Purchased," "Ores and By-Products on Hand," "Ores Smelted," and "Metal Statements," with monthly totals and recapitulations of ore supplied by individual mining companies.
The "Bullion Record," July 1, 1917-July 6, 1922, documents silver-lead bullion sales. Included are: lot number; car number; shipment date and arrival at refinery date; both smelter and refinery weights; assay results for smelter, refinery, and split; gold, silver, and lead contents; deductions for freight, refining charges, and excess zinc; and "net value" as determined by both smelter and refinery. A space for "drafts drawn" is always left blank until May 1919. There are monthly totals for each category of information. The smelter monthly total net value is repeated in the General Journal as a debit to the bullion sales account.
The eleven folders of Bullion Statements, Oct. 9, 1916-July 1, 1917, are typed carbons issued by Northport Smelter to the Pennsylvania Smelting Co., giving numbers of bars, date, lot numbers, car numbers, weights, assay results at smelter and refinery and split, gold, silver and lead contents, deductions for freight, refining charges, and excess zinc, and amount of draft. Attached to each statement is a pencilled draft of the same, an assay certificate issued by the smelter, a settlement issued by the refinery, a railroad freight bill, and sometimes weight tickets. These statements are numbered in several sequences, but there are gaps. Folders containing statements dated July 2, 1917 through May 12, 1920 have been discarded as those are recorded in the Bullion Record, 1917-1920, described above.
Of the records relating chiefly to bullion shipments, Apr. 1916-Mar. 1917, five folders contain correspondence between the Northport, the Pennsylvania Smelter, and the Wallace National Bank regarding silver-lead bullion shipments and payments for same. These are transmittal letters, presenting drafts for payment on particular bullion lots. The "reports" are incomplete Pennsylvania settlement sheets which contain assay information, Oct.-Nov. 1916. There is one folder of correspondence with the CB&Q concerning car routings and deliveries.
The eighteen folders of coded telegrams from Pennsylvania Smelter to A.P. Ramstedt, Nov. 1917-Apr. 1921, include message forms and translation sheets giving code words and translations describing operation of the Pennsylvania plant (numbers of units in operation); amounts of bullion and lead received, produced, sold, and shipped; lead and silver price quotations; and amounts of metal on hand, in process, and inquired for. These telegrams seem to have been sent daily.
Copper matte settlements, Mar. 4, 1918-Feb. 11, 1921, were issued by the Tacoma Smelter Co. for silver-copper matte bought of the Northport Smelter; attached to each settlement are assay certificates and freight bills. There are also a few summary sheets, which indicate weights and assay results (but no financial information) of shipments made in various months. These copper matte shipments are not recorded in the bullion record, which concerns only silver-lead shipments to the Pennsylvania Smelter. Copper matte shipments seem to have been made only occasionally between the beginning of 1918 and the end of 1920.
The folder of records relating to ore contracts, 1905-1907, contains information on dealings with the First Thought Gold Mines, United Copper Mining Co., and the Hunter V Mine.
Personnel records include a one volume list of employees hired, Jan. 27-Oct. 15, 1917. Pages 32-35, headed, "Northport Smelting and Refining Co., Republic Mines Department," are a chronological list of employees hired, giving previous job or experience, and shift starting work. The remainder of the volume is divided into sections for four mines (Lone Pine, Surprise, Pearl, Last Chance) and one mill (San Poil), giving dates, cars wanted, cars loaded, destination, and signature (usually J.M. McFarland), Nov. 1914-Jan. 1915. The volume had previously been used as the "Car Book of the Western Union Mines, Republic, Washington," but this was not the same Western Union firm as the Idaho mining company whose records are described elsewhere.
Three volumes make up pay rolls, 1915-1922. Volume 1 covers employees of the Northport Mining & Smelting Co., Aug. 1915-Sep. 30, 1916, and of the Republic Mines Dept., Aug. 26, 1916-May 31, 1917. Volume 2 continues the Republic Mines Dept. to 1921. Volume 3 covers the Northport Smelter from Jan. 1920 through July 1922. For the distribution of labor expenses in the Republic Mines, Aug.-Nov. 1917, see the "Cash-Voucher Record," 1916-1924, described above.
There are also three bundles of Employment Cards, 1915-1922, of about 950 items. Organized alphabetically by employee name, these cards record place of birth, age at employment, and term of employment.
The final series, Insurance Records, consists of one volume. Three folios of this large volume record details of insurance policies and premiums paid on policies dated from Feb. 1918 through July 1922 with a synopsis of unearned premiums on policies cancelled at the sale of the property in August 1922.
The records of the Northport Company are part of the records of Day Mines, Inc., donated to the University of Idaho by Henry Day in 1984 and 1985.
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