Nast Tunnel

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This page was last updated on February 16, 2024.

Overview

Bingham Metals Company worked what was originally the Nast mine, and later the New England mine of the New England Gold and Copper Mining Company, organized in 1900 to take over the Nast property, which consisted of seven mining claims. The Nast property had originally been developed by the Nast Mining and Milling Company, with its original mining claims being patented in the 1881-1883 time period, but the paying vein, known as the Nast vein, had run out and the company was closed down in 1900 due to debts. It was reorganized as the New England company, with a formal transfer date of April 13, 1901, and the corporation was filed in Utah on May 29, 1901. The Nast mine itself had been worked by leasers until June 1899 and during 1899 had taken over the Benton tunnel, 160 feet above, to get improved air circulation. Construction of a double-compartment hoisting shaft, having reached a 60-foot depth, was being stalled during 1899 by water problems.

Nast Mining & Milling Company

The Nast tunnel was first mentioned in the January 1, 1884 issue of the Salt Lake Herald newspaper, as part of a listing of hundreds of mines with tunnels between 200 feet and 1,100 feet in depth. It was mentioned again in the January 3, 1885 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune, as being one of the mines at Bingham contributing to the camps' 1884 output of 25,000 tons.

The Nast was mentioned in February 1885 when a snow slide damaged the bunk house shared by Nast miners and miners working in the Last Chance mine nearby, a total of 25 men. The slide continued for another 100 feet and demolished the Nast mine office, fatally injuring the two occupants, Samuel Deall, part owner of the Nast, and Louis Lendgren, the Nast's foreman.

The Nast property was again in the news in April 1885 when the owners, managers, and stockholders sued each other over the way money was being spent for improvements, and not being distributed as dividends. For the duration of the law suits, until late June, there was no activity at the mine. (Salt Lake Herald, April 18, 1885; June 28, 1885)

(Throughout the period from 1885 to the early 1890s, the Nast mine continued to ship 50 to 150 tons of ore per week.)

October 20, 1888
The Nast Mining and Milling company was incorporated in Utah. (Salt Lake Herald, December 25, 1888)

July 4, 1891
The Nast, Saturn, Benton, Mayberry and one other claim has been sold to "Mr. Varney" of Salt Lake City. The group was being worked through the Nast tunnel. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 4, 1891)

November 6, 1891
The Bingham Mining company, as the lessee of the Stewart mine and mill, sued the adjacent Nast and Mill City mining companies for damages caused by the Nast company dumping its waste rock so as to impede the flow of the creek in Muddy Gulch, thereby flooding the Stewart mill and its machinery, causing $10,000 in damages. The two companies had made an agreement in three years before, in March 1888, that allowed the adjacent company to dump its waste rock on Stewart ground, as long as the waste dump did not come within 180 feet of the Stewart mill. (Salt Lake Herald, November 6, 1891)

January 21, 1892
The Nast Consolidated Mining Company was organized in Utah on January 21, 1892. Its directors and officers were A. J. Varney (53% ownership), W. B. Andrew (10%), J. F. Jack, C. B. Jack, and W. M. Christie, with these last three persons having only minimal qualifying shares. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 22, 1892, "yesterday")

At some time before August 1894, the company was reorganized as the Nast Mining & Milling company. Six months before, the shipments had ended, and work that had started in mid 1893 was continued to extend their tunnel to reach new ore bodies. By the time of a report in mid August 1894, the company had pushed its tunnel 4000 feet to reach new ore veins. By November 1894, work was progressing on extending the existing tunnel, as well as pushing a new tunnel in the Benton claim, 75 feet above the first tunnel.

October 29, 1895
In October 1895 the Nast was being worked by a lessor, who had shipped 54 tons "from this old producer." "The Nast was one of the first of the Carr Fork mines to make a record as a producer, and for years made shipments of from one to three carloads each day. It looks now as if it might again come to the front like many 'has-beens' in Bingham" (Salt Lake Tribune, October 29, 1895)

February 4, 1896
The Nast Mining and Milling company was owned by the Eyer family, with one family member in Chicago, and two family members in Salt Lake City. The family also owned the Frisco mine, situated in Carr Fork. (Salt Lake Herald, February 4, 1896)

March 15, 1896
The Nast Mining & Milling company was sold to the Bingham Copper company, which had been organized on November 23, 1895. At that time the Nast property embraced six claims: Nast, Benton, Gold Leaf, Red Cross, Mayberry, and Smuggler. Much of the Nast property and ore veins adjoined those of the Jordan on the other side of the nearby ridge, to the south. The current president and general manager, O. B. Hardy had purchased the Nast property with the purpose of selling it to ensure further development. (Salt Lake Herald, November 24, 1895, "yesterday"; Salt Lake Tribune, March 15, 1896, "yesterday")

The above mentioned sale was by bond and lease for the period of one year, and on March 21, 1897, the Nast and Benton mines reverted back to the owners, the Nast Mining & Milling company, which continued to make regular ore shipments to the mills and smelters as late as December 1900.

April 4, 1897
The Nast and Benton mines were sold to persons who also controlled in a smelter in Omaha, where the Nast and Benton ores would be shipped. (Salt Lake Herald, April 4, 1897)

October 24, 1898
The newly organized Boston Consolidated Mining company granted the Nast Mining & Milling company surface rights for the purposes of dumping waste rock. (Salt Lake Telegram, March 28, 1922)

November 26, 1899
"It is rumored that the Nast and Benton group of six claims may soon be bonded to Boston parties. While so many big properties bounding the Nast are being systematically developed, it is a pity the celebrated old producer is comparatively idle." (Salt Lake Tribune, November 26, 1899)

December 31, 1899
The Benton tunnel was 140 feet above the Nast tunnel, with a vertical raise tunnel connecting the two. The mines had been under lease until June 1899, but bad air made further mining difficult. "The company was recently incorporated in the name of New England Gold and Copper Mining company, with W. E. Guthrie of Omaha, Neb., as president." A hoist was being obtained that would be installed in the 800-foot Nast tunnel, with a chamber cut out to accommodate it. The double compartment shaft was down 60 feet from the Benton tunnel, but had to stop account of water. (Salt Lake Tribune, December 31, 1899)

(The above mention of the New England Gold and Copper Mining company was for a six-month lease of the Nast and Benton properties, under the direction of Dan Ferguson.)

April 12, 1901
The Nast Mining & Milling company was sold by quit-claim deed to the New England Gold and Copper Mining company. Shares of the New England company were understood to be held almost exclusively by Omaha, Boston and other eastern capitalists. I. B. Hazelgrove replaced Dan Ferguson as manager of the mines. (Salt Lake Herald, April 13, 1901, "yesterday"; Salt Lake Tribune, April 13, 1901, "yesterday")

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