Tiewaukee Gold And Silver Mining Co.
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This page last updated on May 6, 2025.
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Overview
"The Tiewaukee mine is situated on the southwest side of the main Bingham Canyon about 500 feet south of the mouth of Freeman Gulch. A series of northeast-southwest lodes with northwest dips has been opened by a crosscut tunnel 210 feet in length at Tramway level, lateral drifts there from, winzes down on vein, stopes up on vein and upper tunnel, and inclines connecting the levels." (USGS Professional Paper 38, "Economic Geology Of The Bingham Mining District, Utah," 1905, page 305)
July 30, 1896
The Tiewaukee was known as a "pockety" mine due to the succession of ore pockets that the mine developed over the years. The following comes from the July 30, 1896 issue of the Inter-Mountain Mining Review.
Pockety Mines. -- One of the important changes that has been wrought in the minds of mining men by the acquired knowledge of the past twenty years concerns the theory held in regard to pockety mines where the same were found in formation in place. Twenty years ago it was a popular belief that a pockety mine was distinct from a true vein, and that each owed its existence to entirely distinct conditions in the original deposition of the values. This theory is now nearly abandoned, and it is generally accepted that the presence of ore in pockets is sure evidence of a vein, however imperfect the vein may be in the region where the pockets are found. It is not at all uncommon to find a series of pockets near the outcrop of a vein where the same has been more exposed to disturbing agents from the surface, while as depth is attained the deposits take on the characteristics of a true vein with well-defined walls. The Tiewaukee in Bingham is a good example of this. For years after its discovery it was worked in a succession of pockets near the outcrop, and was referred to as a pockety mine, but as greater depth was attained the true vein characteristics commenced to appear, and today it is generally conceded that the Tiewaukee is a true vein.
Tiewaukee Mine, Before 1901
May 16, 1876
"We were shown by Col. Farnham the results of the sampling of several tons of ore from the Tiewaukee mine. They have just shipped three car loads. The mine is owned by Col. Farnham and Dr. Higgins, of this city." (Utah Evening Mail, May 19, 1876)
1880
The following comes from D. B. Huntley, in Emmons and Becker, "Statistics And Technology Of The Precious Metals," 1885, Department of the Interior, Census Office, page 411.
The most important mines in this canyon are the Winnamuck and the Tiewaukee, with the adjacent groups belonging to them.
The Tiewaukee group consists of the Tiewaukee, 200 by 1,500 feet; Tilden, 200 by 960 feet; George, 100 by 2,400 feet; Ely, 100 by 2,400 feet; and the Surprise and the Lorenzo, which overlap the others; and is situated near the railroad station on the side of the steep ridge which forms the eastern side of the Main Bingham canon. Ore was discovered in 1871, and work was prosecuted only at intervals until 1878, when the present body of ore was discovered. In August, 1879, the mine was bought by Mr. Goldberg. Troubles with adjacent claim owners gave rise to the consolidation in November, 1880, of all interests under the Tiewaukee Gold and Silver Mining Company.
The Tiewaukee group consists of the Tiewaukee, 200 by 1,500 feet; Tilden, 200 by 900 feet; George, 100 by 2,400 feet; Ely, 100 by 2,400 feet; and the Surprise and the Lorenzo, which overlap the others; and is situated near the railroad station on the side of the steep ridge which forms the eastern side of the Main Bingham canyon. Ore was discovered in 1871, and work was prosecuted only at intervals until 1878, when the present body of ore was discovered. In August, 1879, the mine was bought by Mr. Goldberg. Troubles with adjacent claim owners gave rise to the consolidation in November, 1880, of all interests under the Tiewaukee Gold and Silver Mining Company. The property was worked steadily during the census year [1880] (Sundays excepted) by a force of fifteen men, who received from $2.50 to $3 per day. The total product prior to the census year was estimated at 1,200 tons, which were sold at about $100 per ton. In the year, 360 tons were extracted, which assayed about 95 ounces silver, 40 per cent, lead, and $12 gold. Ore of this grade was sold by sample to the smelters.
July 10, 1880
"The Tiewaukee continues to improve. It is paying $10,000 a month dividends." (Engineering and Mining Journal, July 10, 1880, Volume 30, Issue 2, page 22)
January 8, 1881
"Bingham is doing very little. If there were great quantities of good ore there, you know quite well that mine owners would have it out and realize upon it. The Tiewaukee is the biggest silver lead mine now opened in the district. It may yield $1,000,000 worth of ore before it goes the way of its neighbors." (Engineering and Mining Journal, January 8, 1881, Volume 31, Issue 2, page 23)
Between November 1881 and November 1883, the Tiewaukee mine was shut down due to a suit in Third District Court by an adjacent mine that claimed that the very rich ore coming from the Tiewaukee was coming from a vein that had its apex within the other company's claim. The case was dismissed in November 1883. (Salt Lake Herald, November 15, 1883)
1884
"Tiewaukee Gold And Silver Mining Company. This company's property is located at Bingham, Utah territory. There are at present upwards of twenty miners at work for this company. Already a depth of 350 feet has been reached; there are five levels all in ore running east and west, and at present they are sinking, drifting and stoping. The ores so far obtained assay 20 per cent, lead and 80 per cent, silver, while, the gold assay averages ten dollars per ton. The average width of the vein now being worked is eight feet." (Leading Industries of the West, 1884, page 38)
1885
"The most important mines in this canyon are the Winnamuck and the Tiewaukee, with the adjacent groups belonging to them. The Tiewaukee group consists of the Tiewaukee, Tilden, George, Ely, Surprise, and Lorenzo, which overlap the others, and is situated near the railroad station on the side of the steep ridge which forms the eastern side of the Main Bingham canon. Ore was discovered in 1871, and work was prosecuted only at intervals until 1878, when the present body of ore was discovered. In August, 1879, the mine was bought by Mr. Goldberg. Troubles with adjacent claim owners gave rise to the consolidation in November, 1880, of all interests under the Tiewaukee Gold and Silver Mining Company." (Statistics and Technology of the Precious Metals; U. S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, 1885, page 410-411)
Between October 1887 and May 1894, the Tiewaukee mine and its owners were tied up in a legal case, with Michael Shaughnessy being in control of exactly half of the company shares, and Morris Goldberg being control of the other half, with Goldberg claiming fraud on Shaughnessy's part. The suit was filed in October 1887, and the Third District Court decided in May 1894 in Shaughnessy's favor due to the lack of evidence from Goldberg. During this time, the Tiewaukee mine was idle, owing to the owners not wanting any income that would have to be split with the other side. ("The Tiewaukee, owing to some litigation, is not working now." -- Salt Lake Herald, December 25, 1889)
In December 1890, the Tiewaukee Mining Company was listed in the Salt Lake County tax rolls as owing back taxes. But the mine continued to ship 20 to 30 tons of "second class" or "milling" ore, on a weekly basis.
January 1, 1892
"James Johnson & Co. had a lease on the Tiewaukee mine during the past year, and shipped ten lots of ore which sold for over twelve thousand dollars. This property was once a great producer, but has been idle much of the time the past few years. It shipped during the year about three hundred tons of ore." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1892)
January 3, 1892
"The Tiewaukee was not as heavy a producer in 1891 as in the years gone by, sending in only 200 tons, but there is good reason to believe that 1892 will add to the glory achieved by this famous mine in the years gone by." (Salt Lake Herald, January 3, 1892)
October 2, 1893
The Tiewaukee Gold and Silver Mining Company held it annual stockholders meeting. Michael Shaughnessy shown as president.
(Salt Lake Tribune, September 25, 1893; October 3, 1893)
October 24, 1893
The Tiewaukee was sending its second class ore to the Markham mill for reduction. (Salt Lake Herald, October 24, 893)
February 13, 1894
The Tiewaukee mine was sending its ore to the Lead Mill for processing. (Salt Lake Herald, February 13, 1894)
July 2 1894
"The old Tiewaukee is working about twenty men and is one of the heaviest producers in the Old Reliable." (Salt Lake Herald, July 2, 1894)
July 16, 1894
"The Markham mill is working the Old Tiewaukee dumps and have enough ore to work on for several months." (Salt Lake Herald, July 16, 1894)
July 1, 1895
"The Tiewaukee mine is now employing a force of eighteen men. Regular extractions of ore is chiefly the work being prosecuted, but several men are also engaged in doing development work, and with very encouraging results. The raise made, for the purpose of ventilating the mine, cut through to the surface the first of the week, and now the workings have a good and constant supply of pure air." (Salt Lake Herald, July 1, 1895)
September 14, 1895
"Will Try Deep Mining. - With the aid of a new shaft, deep mining is to be inaugurated on -the Tiewaukee group in Bingham. Just now arrangements are being perfected for a good healthy extension on the lease held by Colonel Woodrow, and as soon as the documents are prepared and signed up the new work is to commence at once." (Salt Lake Herald, September 14, 1895)
October 28, 1895
"Operations are to be resumed at the Tiewaukee, which has been idle for some time past. Work is to commence on the 1st of the coming month, with J. C. Swan as superintendent." (Salt Lake Herald, October 28, 1895)
January 1896
The Tiewaukee shipped 20 tons of ore during the month of January 1896, compared to 1,035 tons from the Jordan and Galena; 985 tons from the Telegraph; and 692 from the Dalton & Lark. (Inter-Mountain Mining Review, February 11, 1896)
May 28, 1896
"Movements at the Tiewaukee in Bingham during the past few days indicate that an ore body has been uncovered that promises to restore it to the prosperity of early days, and that before the season is much further advanced the output from it will equal that of many of its neighbors. The resumption of work began only a short time ago when Col. Shaughnessy took charge and began to explore virgin ground in the lower levels. Two weeks ago a small body of ore was uncovered that has, it is said, continued to increase as developments progressed, and yesterday ore was being wheeled out that assays over 100 ounces silver and between $70 and $80 in gold." (Salt Lake Tribune, May 28, 1896)
May 1896
The Tiewaukee shipped 42 tons of ore during the month of May 1896, compared to 2,460 tons from the Dalton & Lark; 1,400 tons from the Telegraph; and 900 tons from the Jordan and Galena. (Inter-Mountain Mining Review, June 11, 1896)
August 12, 1896
"Bill Eckman and Jack Nelson, who are working the old Tiewaukee mine in Bingham under lease, have made their first shipment of concentrates, the Pennsylvania smelter being the purchasers. The lessees are using Cornish jigs and are now making arrangements to open up the old waste slopes in the upper portion of the mine where there are said to be several thousand tons of concentrating ore." (Salt Lake Tribune, August 12, 1896)
November 15, 1896
The Tiewaukee Gold and Silver Mining Company, along with Michael Shaughnessy and Andrew Christopherson, was being sued in Third District Court by Stephen Hays in the amount of $252.30, which was the supposed value of three claims assigned to him by the three original locators. On October 1, 1896, Hays had filed a lien against the property, and asked the court to have published his lien and all other liens, and to have the Tiewaukee property sold under foreclosure to satisfy his and any other lien. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 15, 1896)
(Claims of original ownership of numerous mining claims that later became part of consolidations were surprisingly common in Bingham. The early records were massively incomplete, resulting in almost continuous court cases, forcing the court to determine rightful ownership. In this case, in February 1897, a court appointed referee found in favor of Hays, and the mining company was ordered to pay the claim, without foreclosure proceedings.)
November 1896
The Tiewaukee shipped 10 tons of ore during the month of November 1896, compared to 690 tons from the Dalton & Lark; 800 tons from the Telegraph (the Jordan and Galena had not shipped any ore). (Inter-Mountain Mining Review, December 10, 1896)
December 17, 1896
The property of the Tiewaukee Gold and Silver Mining Company was sold to satisfy a group of claims, as liens, against the company in the amount of $1300. The high bid for the sale netted only $956. Michael Shaughnessy obtained an open account with
W. S. McCornick to pay the remainder, with Shaughnessy using his shares (100% minus 20 shares for directors) as collateral. McCornick took ownership of the property by paying the "Sheriff's certificate" from the court-orderd sale, and entered into a lease to W. C. Hall operate the property. Hall then paid royalties to McCornick, but did not apply the value of the royalties to Shaughnessy's loan, because Shaughnessy no longer had any financial interest in the mine.
(The low price of the sale shows the considered worth of the Tiewaukee mine, but promotions were still being made on its past history of having paid millions in dividends. These high dividends had been paid up until the late 1880s, when the "good" ore ran out. From the early 1890s, the limited production had by leasers, who had very low operating costs, and no shareholders to satisfy, only paying low-percentage royalties to the larger Tiewaukee company.)
1897
The owners and various leasers (at times as many as 15 leasers) of the Tiewaukee mine shipped a total of 252 tons during the year of 1897. To compare, the Telegraph shipped 7,541 tons and the Dalton & Lark shipped 3,499 tons. The Tiewaukee was number 14 in ranking of all Bingham shipping mines. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1898)
January 24, 1897
"The report that 12 inches of high-grade ore had been encountered in the Tiewaukee at Bingham is confirmed by Col. Shaughnessy, who is one of the owners. The ore shows ruby silver and whenever encountered in the mine means thousands of dollars for the owners." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 24, 1897)
January 1, 1898
"Tiewaukee. This old property was worked under lease and shipped something between 200 and 300 tons of ore [in 1897]. On early days it was one of the great mines of the district, and made a big record in production, but for many years it was entirely dormant and has only been operated the past two or three years with a small force." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1898)
February 5, 1899
"The Tiewaukee group of fourteen claims, having recently passed to the control of W. S. McCornick, was last Saturday leased to A. D. Beeman, who is now putting the property in shape preparatory to doing a large amount of development work in new ground." (Salt Lake Tribune, February 5, 1899)
February 6, 1899
"The Tiewaukee group of fourteen claims, having recently passed to the control of W. S. McCornick, was last Saturday leased to A. D. Beeman, who is now putting the property in shape preparatory to doing a large amount of development work in new ground. The Tiewaukee having for some time past been parceled to leasers, will require considerable expense of time, and labor to straighten its workings, after which it is the intention to extend the lower tunnel and cut through two other claims. This tunnel has been run about 200 feet, though it has not yet tapped the main vein of the Tiewaukee. The result of its extension will undoubtedly be to open up large bodies of rich ore for which the old mine is famous. The Caledonia is at present a most promising claim of the group. It is making a fine showing, including a considerable area of shipping ore ready for stoping. A tunnel driven 300 feet at the face is nearly all in good shipping ore. Mr. Beeman is confident he can soon transfer the Tiewaukee to the list of extensive and profitable producers, and will bend his energies to that end." (Salt Lake Herald, February 6, 1899)
(This "lower tunnel" was the beginning of the later Montana-Bingham transportation and drainage tunnel.)
July 16, 1899
"W. S. McCornick has filed an action against Michael Shaughnessy to recover $36,187.25 on a promissory note dated March 2, 1897, and payable eighteen months thereafter [October 1898]. The note is secured by 99,980 shares of the capital stock of the Tiewaukee Gold and Silver Mining company. Mr. McCornick asks that the stock be sold and the proceeds applied on the note. If the amount realized is less than the amount of the note, a deficiency judgment is asked." (Salt Lake Tribune, July 16, 1899)
April 2, 1900
The trial began in which McCornick sued Shaughnessy to recover the $36,187.25 (plus 8 percent interest, and attorney's fees) on the promissory note.
(In March 1897, Michael Shaughnessy had used 99,980 shares that he owned of the Tiewaukee company's 100,000 shares as collateral on a loan of $36,000 from banker McCornick & Company, dated March 2, 1897. Three years later, on April 2, 1900, McCornick sued to take possession of the shares, and therefore ownership of the mine. An out-of-court settlement was reached, and the company was reorganized, with a special shareholders meeting held on May 8, 1900.)
(The trial started on April 2, 1899. Details of the case printed in Deseret News, April 2, 1899; Salt Lake Tribune, April 3, 1899; Salt Lake Herald, April 3, 1900)
(Settlement of the case printed in Deseret Evening News, April 21, 1900 and Salt Lake Tribune, April 21, 1900)
April 21, 1900
"Owing to the financial conditions in which the Tiewaukee Mining company, of Bingham, became involved in the spring of 1897, the management thought best to cease operations, and from that time until the present this well known property has been closed down. Col. Shaughnessy says that while it is his intention to resume work, it will likely be some time before ore will again be extracted from this old producer." (Deseret Evening News, April 21, 1900)
May 8, 1900
A special shareholders meeting was held for shareholders of the Tiewaukee Gold and Silver Mining Company, to vote on proposals to change the number and value of shares, to make the stock assessable, and "to transact any other business that may lawfully be brought before said meeting." (Numerous daily notices beginning on April 14th)
(Recall that Shaughnessy held 99,980 of the 100,000 shares, the McCornick held those same shares in trust after the settlement of April 21st, except for the 20 shares held by corporation directors.)
May 28, 1900
The Tiewaukee management announced that their tunnel was to be extended 300 feet to reach the Caledonia vein, but work had not yet started by December. The mine continued to be worked by leasers. (Salt Lake Herald, May 28, 1900; December 30, 1900)
(Newspapers of the May to July 1900 period made regular mention of several mining engineers visiting the Tiewaukee property, making their individual assessments. Of course, Shaughnessy took credit, continuing to promote the mine through the newspapers, telling the newspapers that the old producer Tiewaukee would very soon be returning to paying status. In fact it was likely McCornick that was paying the visiting engineers.)
Tiewaukee and Winnamuck Together, 1901-1907
1901
"The Winamuck and Tiewaukee were leased jointly in 1901, and are reported to have yielded several shipments." (USGS Professional Paper 38, "Economic Geology Of The Bingham Mining District, Utah," 1905, page 383)
March 3, 1901
The following comes from the March 3, 1901 issue of the Salt Lake Herald.
On an agreement that calls for the payment of no less than $150,000 during the next twelve months, an initial payment of $10,000 was passed to Colonel Michael Shaughnessy's credit yesterday and the deeds to the famous old Tiewaukee property at Bingham went into escrow at the instigation of M. L. Effinger, acting in behalf of a wealthy syndicate of Detroit capitalists.
The deal has been pending for some time and was finally consummated on the strength of a report made by Professor J. C. Roberts of the Denver School of Mines, who devoted several weeks to the sampling of the property, and with a strong combination to handle it, the mine, that is already credited with having produced well along toward $l,000,000, should soon become an acting producer and bread-winner again.
It has never been opened beneath the water level, and those best acquainted with it say that there are years of work ahead without going down, as by continuing the tunnel some distance farther the Caledonia vein will be tapped, and leaving all the other showings out of the question, this alone would make of the Tiewaukee a new mine.
Professor Roberts is expected out from Denver again in a day or two and on his arrival it is understood that a plan of development will be arranged and that a force of men will proceed to carry it into effect.
The deal is one of th most important closed on Bingham property for some time and directly concerns Colonel Shaughnessy and W. S. McCornick only as vendors.
(As noted below for May 1901, this was an option only.)
March 8, 1901
"Under the direction of L. M. Effinger, who is acting for the purchasing syndicate, a force of six men were started to work at the old Tiewaukee mine, at Bingham, on Wednesday, and just as soon as the task of cleaning out, retimbering, etc., is finished, the force will be increased and the work of development pushed with vigor. It is understood a good chunk of money will be spent on the property during the next ninety days." (Salt Lake Herald, March 8, 1901)
April 11, 1901
"Reports from the Bingham district are that ore is beginning to come from the old Tiewaukee to the Dewey concentrator. This property has been idle for many years, but has lately been started up. The main tunnel (now 250 feet in length) is being extended to cut the Caledonia vein. There is about 200 feet yet to run." (Los Angeles Times, April 11, 1901)
(This suggests that the Winnamuck mill was not yet in use in April 1901. Enos A. Wall purchased the Winnamuck mill "recently" by December 1901, likely in May 1901. -- Salt Lake Herald, December 29, 1901)
May 12, 1901
"Last Monday Manager Lathrop of the Tiewaukee mine put a force at work on the Winnamuck mill, which after several years of idleness is to be refitted and run on Tiewaukee second class ores. Two Cammatt tables and new rolls will be added. It is expected to start this month, and the mine is in shape to give it a steady run. A horse tram is being laid between mine and mill." (Salt Lake Tribune, May 12, 1901)
May 18, 1901
"The horse tram under construction between the Tiewaukee dump and Winnamuck mill will be completed next week, and the mill with its new machinery is expected to be ready to run as soon as ore can be delivered. It will be fed at the start from Tiewaukee and Caledonia upper workings. Operations in Winnamuck mine, now under bond and lease to the Tiewaukee people, will for the present be confined to area above water level. The crosscut from Tiewaukee to tap Caledonia vein has now been driven over 600 feet and hits about 100 feet farther to go. About two carloads of the very high grade ore lately encountered in Tiewaukee ground is on dump and will be sent out in a day or two. Bingham Bulleting" (Deseret News, May 18, 1901)
May 29, 1901
The same Detroit syndicate of investors holding an option on the Tiewaukee property, had just taken an option on the adjacent Winnamuck property for $100,000, and a half-interest in the adjacent Dixon property for $50,000. The Tiewaukee was shipping good ore and there was no doubt that the payment would be made on the Tiewaukee option. The first payment of $10,000 was made in March 1901. The second payment of $25,000 was made on June 1, 1901. The final payment, also for $25,000, was paid on October 1, 1901.
(Salt Lake Tribune, May 29, 1901; June 2, 1901; October 2, 1901, "yesterday"; Salt Lake Herald, December 29, 1901)
(After this May 1901 period is when the three properties, the Tiewaukee, the Winnamuck, and the Dixon began to be referred to as being a common property, although not common ownership. Effinger and Lathrop had also obtained an option on the Winnamuck mine, and an option for half interest in the Dixon.)
(From June to December 1901 there were almost weekly reports about one, two or three carloads of concentrated Tiewaukee ore being shipped from the leased Winnamuck mill. Those shipments ended in December 1901 when the company gave up the lease of the Winnamuck mill. The same Detroit syndicate owned the Tiewaukee and Winnamuck mines, but not the Winnamuck mill which was apparently owned by Enos A. Wall since May 1901.)
June 2, 1901
"The first payment on the option by which a wealthy Detroit syndicate is acquiring the Tiewaukee group at Bingham was made yesterday, when $25,000 was placed in the banking house of McCornick & Co. to the credit of Co. M. Shaughnessy. The transaction, which was undertaken by Messrs. Lathrop and Effinger, the local representatives of the purchasing syndicate, now looks assured. Meanwhile the work on the property is progressing with most gratifying results." (Salt Lake Tribune, June 2, 1901)
June 6, 1901
The Winnamuck mill was fired up "this morning," with its many alterations and number of devices to increase its efficiency. The mill was processing ore from the Tiewaukee mine, with the initial run being for 85 tons, and increased to 100 tons per day. The pump at the Winnamuck mine was sending forth 120 gallons per minute, with the goal being to lower the water to the 400-foot level, where a quantity of good ore was known to be present. (Salt Lake Tribune, June 6, 1901; June 7, 1901)
June 22, 1901
"H.M. Crowther, Supt. of the Tiewaukee-Winamuck group at Bingham, reports that the Winnemuck mill was started up on the 13th with ore of good quality from the Tiewaukee." (Mining and Scientific Press, June 22, 1901, page 288)
July 5, 1901
The Tiewaukee was sending 75 tons daily to the [Winnamuck] concentrator mill. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 5, 1901)
September 20, 1901
The Dutch owners of the Winnamuck mine "yesterday transferred its interest in the Winnamuck group of thirteen locations at Bingham to W. C. Staines of this city." The recording of the sale "was nothing more than one of a number of formalities attendant on the conveyance of the Winnamuck to the big Michigan crowd, by which the Tiewaukee adjoining has been purchased. It is understood that the deal, in which the Dutch company is represented by Mr. Staines, involves an amount in excess of $100,000. The purchasers are represented by Martin L. Effinger, who has succeeded in placing the Tiewaukee among the foremost of Bingham's possibilities, and who is now in Detroit arranging for the payment of final balances on the transaction." (Salt Lake Tribune, September 21, 1901, "yesterday")
October 15, 1901
"Tiewaukee Deeds Filed. The final act in the Tiewaukee deal, on which the final payment was made some time ago [October 1, 1901], was performed yesterday when the deeds conveying the group were filed for record. In the transfer the deed passes from William S. McCornick and wife of this city to F. C. Andrews of Detroit, Michigan, the consideration $51,000. The properties embraced in the deed consist of the Tiewaukee, Tyu, Tilden, Ely, George, Mystic, Accident, Apex, Caledonia, McQueen, Gibbons and Baroness, all lode claims, and the Tiewaukee 1 and 2 , placers. The sale was promoted by Martin L. Effinger of this city and, including the opening up of the group and its equipment, has involved over $100,000, although it has already begun the reimbursement of its owners." (Salt Lake Tribune, October 16, 1901, "yesterday")
December 29, 1901
"Tiewaukee Mine. In March last an initial payment of $10,000 was made by a Michigan syndicate for this mine, located about half a mile from the railway station at Bingham. The price agreed upon was $150,000, to be paid within twelve months. The first ore mined was treated at the Dewey custom mill and the results were so satisfactory as to justify the leasing of the Winnamuck concentrating mill and mine just at the depot. After a varied experience in operating the plant and the discovery that the ore bodies in the mine upon which they were depending for their product, and which had been worked out, so far as the shipping ore was concerned, were not sufficient to supply the mill — in fact, were considerably disappointing — the lease of the mill was disposed of to Colonel E. A. Wall." (Salt Lake Herald, December 29, 1901)
January 2, 1902
Local mine promoters Effinger and Lathrop sold their 75,000 shares in the Tiewaukee to the Detroit investor syndicate for a reported $50,000. New tunnels and crosscuts were being cut in the mine, below the lowest level, to connect with the Caledonia vein, which was thought to be close. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 2, 1902)
February 10, 1902
The City Savings Bank of Detroit failed. Frank C. Andrews was the vice president, and the principal investor in the Tiewaukee mine. Andrews was literally writing checks on the assets of the bank, without authorization of other officers or the board of directors. An order was received on February 10, 1902 suspending all work at the Tiewaukee. (Ogden Standard, February 11, 1902)
(The failure of the City Savings Bank of Detroit was a major national story, and hundreds of newspapers carried the story on February 10, 11, and 12, 1902.)
February 22, 1902
The manager of the Tiewaukee mine was in Detroit giving testimony in the bankruptcy of the City Savings Bank, concerning the value of the Tiewaukee mine. Frank C. Andrews had paid $100,000 for the mine, of which $35,000 remained to be paid. The mine had produced
$600,000 to $800,000 in value, but its current value was impossible to determine because it was inactive at the time.
"The tangible property at the mine, Mr. Effinger [mine manager] values at $4,000 to $5,000, but he would give no estimate as to the mine's value, as it is not being worked now. If sold, it would have to be on its future prospects." (Detroit Free Press, February 22, 1902)
(The Union Trust Company of Detroit was handling the accounts of the failed City Savings Bank of Detroit. In a January 1910 accounting of accounts payable and receivable, there was an option to purchase the Tiewaukee mine, given as $6,000 paid. -- Detroit Free Press, January 9, 1910)
(The option by the Detroit investment group to purchase the Tiewaukee property was not fully exercised due to the failure of the Detroit bank in February 1902. In a March 1911 accounting of accounts payable and receivable, Union Trust reported that "The option referred to in the Receivers last report was not exercised but the trustees have again leased the property with an option to purchase." -- Detroit Free Press, March 19, 1911)
(No additional references to the Tiewaukee mine in online Detroit newspapers. The failed bank was being operated by a receiver.)
March 3, 1905
The Tiewaukee property was sold to a company incorporated as the Old Tiewaukee Mining Company. (Salt Lake Herald, March 4, 1905, "yesterday")
The Tiewaukee property consisted of 13 patented claims and 225 acres. (Detroit Free Press, February 22, 1902)
1906, 1907
"Old Tiewaukee Mining Co. Lands include the old Tiewaukee mine, area 120 acres, adjoining the Winnamuck, supposed to carry the Caledonia vein at a depth of circa 600 feet. Deepest shaft is less than 100 feet, development being mainly by tunnel, and the property has produced some good ore in the past." (The Copper Handbook, Volume VI, 1906, page 779; Volume VII, 1907, page 889)
(The entries in The Copper Handbook for 1908 and 1909 were identical, although the property was sold in 1907 -- The Copper Handbook, Volume VIII, 1908, page 1076; Volume IX, 1909, page 1076)
Tiewaukee After 1907
January 12, 1907
"After Old Tunnel. Eastern men, it is said, are after old Tiewaukee Tunnel at Bingham, which has long been tied up by litigation. Present owners of the property, composed of local and New York operators, are relieved because of immediate prospects of a settlement. Tiewaukee is one of the oldest and best properties at Bingham, and has produced over $750,000. There are eleven claims to the group. Active operations may begin at any time, and the former richness of the property upheld." (Salt Lake Telegram, January 12, 1907)
Spring 1907
In the Spring of 1907 surveys were made by Utah Copper Company for a new railroad line and waste dump, known as the "C" Dump Line, down the east side of Bingham Canyon. This line had a level grade and went to the waste dumps in McGuire and Tiewaukee gulches, on the ground of the old Tiewaukee company, now known as the Bingham-Butte Mining company. (Utah Copper internal history, completed in 1929)
May 1907
Bingham-Butte Consolidated Mining company bought the Tiewaukee property. (Salt Lake Herald, November 26, 1907, "something like six months ago")
(The Bingham-Butte "purchase" of May 1907 was in fact an option to purchase, with a balance still owing in 1911. The option was apparently still in effect in October 1917, with $37,500 still owed.)
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