Montana Mining Company, Ltd. records
Scope and Contents
This collection contains incoming, interoffice and outgoing correspondence, employment records, financial records, legal documents, miscellany, and printed materials, documenting the operation of the Drumlummon Mine, as well as a number of smaller mining properties owned by the Montana Mining Company, Ltd. and located in Arizona. The bulk of the collection is dominated by Incoming Correspondence (1893-1904) from suppliers. More significant is the Interoffice Correspondence (1893-1905), from the home office in London to operators in Marysville, which includes correspondence from mine engineers R.T. Bayliss, H.C. Cutler, J.H. Hall, J.W. Morris, and C.A. Wolsoly. The Financial Records include extensive production reports and balance sheets(1893-1905), bank transactions(1897-1902), and a scattering of invoices and equipment orders(1893-1904). There is a very small amount of Employment Records(1893-1902) (including contracts, payroll, and inquests)and Legal Documents (primarily items related to the litigation with St. Louis Mining and Milling Co). The Printed Materials in the collection document the mining and milling technology in use in the Montana silver industry between 1893 and 1905. These materials are primarily of an illustrative nature. For other collections related directly to the Montana Mining Co. Ltd., see the Thomas Cruse Papers, MC 36 and SC 1028.
Dates
- Creation: 1892-1905
Creator
- Montana Mining Company (Organization)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Collection open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
Biographical / Historical
On November 11, 1882, the Joint Stock Association, a London syndicate, agreed to purchase the Drumlummon Mine in Marysville, Montana Territory, from Thomas Cruse. Cruse filed a claim on the Drumlummon in 1876 and he spent the next four years driving a 500-foot tunnel. Two years later a five stamp mill constructed by the Mayger Bros. was processing Drumlummon ore and turning a profit. That same year Cruse transformed his small claim into a return of $1,500,000 by selling the Drumlummon to British investors. The Drumlummon would become Montana's richest gold mine, delivering over $16,000,000 in bullion over time. In 1883 the British syndicate organized the Montana Mining Company, Limited, to repurchase and operate the property. The company appointed George Attwood as general manager. He was forced to resign, along with the company's directors, in 1884 due to stockholder dissatisfaction with his management of the property. The stockholders were especially unhappy with the uneven balance between capital investments for expanded milling capacity and production revenues. That same year, Henry Bratnober and R.T. Bayliss took over management of the Drumlummon. Their management soon increased production yielding dividends averaging 22.5 percent by 1887. Thereafter profits declined due to lower grade ore. In addition, between 1889-1907, the company became involved in costly and disrupting apex litigation over several adjoining properties. The most important of these suits was brought by the St. Louis Mining and Milling Company. When that suit was finally settled in the United States Supreme Court in 1911, the Montana Mining Co., Ltd. was forced to sell the Drumlummon Mine to the St. Louis Mining and Milling Company at sheriff's sale. In 1916 the St. Louis Mining and Milling Co. reopened Marysville operations with increased mill capacity. Over its lifetime 1880-1940, miners in the Marysville District extracted over $40,000,000 in gold and silver ore.
Extent
5.0 linear feet
Abstract
Montana Mining Company Ltd., a British corporation, operated the Drumlummon Mine in Marysville, Montana, from 1882-1911. Records include interoffice correspondence (1893-1905); outgoing correspondence (1893-1904); incoming correspondence (1890-1905); employment records including payroll, contracts, insurance, and inquests (1893-1902); financial records including bank deposits, bills of lading, board register, checkbook, cash accounts, corporate balance sheets, estimates, invoices, operating expenses, production/assay reports, receipts, statements, and tax information (1888-1905); legal documents including agreements, contracts, and court materials (1892-1899); miscellany; and printed material including advertising, handbills, catalogs, and price lists for suppliers/vendors of mining equipment.
Arrangement
Arranged by series.
Physical Location
13:3-3
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquisition information available upon request
Subject
- Montana Mining Company (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Montana Mining Company, Ltd. records 1892-1905
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
- Date
- 2004
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)
mhslibrary@mt.gov