Tintic, Dragon Iron Mine
Index For This Page
This page was last updated on December 10, 2025.
(The focus of this page is the surface workings of the mines of the Dragon iron mine, as visible in photographs, as well as a general description of the mines, with minimal coverage of the geology and financial returns. Also to establish a timeline using sources not previously readily available.)
(Incomplete. Research continues...)
Dragon Iron Mine
The Dragon iron mine lay about one mile east of Silver City, in Dragon canyon which was named in honor of the mine. Activity at the mine dates back to the very early 1870s when a deposit of iron ore was discovered. Iron ore was needed by the smelting industry that was rapidly growing in the area, for use as a flux to balance the chemistry of the silver and lead ore that was being mined from many mines in the Territory.
The earliest reference to a corporation working the Dragon iron mine was the Tintic Iron company (or Tintic Iron Mining company), which for most of its history was controlled by John Sharp. After his death in 1891, ownership of the Tintic Iron company, and the Dragon iron mine gets confusing and hard to follow, until Thomas Weir and Samuel Newhouse bought an option in 1897. It is unclear what happened to the corporation (or corporations) after 1897 until Jesse Knight and his associates took control in 1910.
Regardless of actual ownership, the Dragon iron mine continued to ship large amounts of iron ore until the period between 1910 and 1920 when smelting processes changed, reducing the need for iron ore.
From "Geology And Ore Deposits Of The Tintic Mining District, Utah," USGS Professional Paper 107, 1919.
Dragon Consolidated Mining Company -- The property of this company extends for about 3,000 feet along the southern extension of the Iron Blossom vein, south of Iron Blossom No. 1 to the contact of limestone and monzonite porphyry, and includes also the Dragon iron mine. It is owned by Jesse Knight and associates and in 1911 was managed by L. E. Riter.
The Dragon vertical shaft is sunk over 100 feet south of the contact between limestone and monzonite porphyry. The altitude of the collar is 6,817 feet, the total depth 1,060 feet, and the lowest level 1,025 feet below the collar. Water has been encountered near the contact of limestone and porphyry on levels 8 and 10. The shaft is intended to develop the ore-bearing veins south of the Iron Blossom, but so far these have not proved to be of great value. The shaft also opens a body of iron ore of considerable importance.
The vein here shows on the surface in places and has been opened in the Governor, White Dragon, and Black Dragon shafts, all three of which have an altitude of about 7,050 feet. The long Dragon tunnel has followed the vein at an altitude of about 6,775 feet from a point near the iron .mine on the south for 1,300 feet, to a point 200 feet north of the Black Dragon shaft. This nearly corresponds to the 315-foot level of the Black Dragon shaft.
The largest iron ore deposit is on the property of the Dragon Consolidated Mining Co., usually termed the Dragon iron mine. The mine, which is described in part in connection with the Iron Blossom ore channel lies along the railroad track 2-1/4 miles east-southeast of Mammoth, at an altitude of 6,800 feet. At the surface the mine is an open pit about 200 by 75 feet. The mine was being worked in 1897 as an open cut 200 feet deep, the ore being loaded on teams and hauled out of the open cut to the surface through large tunnels. In 1911 the pit was too deep for the open-pit operation to continue, so at the 300-foot level of the shaft a drift opens to daylight into the pit. A vertical shaft has been sunk since 1897 to a depth of 1,065 feet for the development of both iron-ore and vein deposits of the property.
The great body of iron ore occurs in shoots which are of irregular shape but whose largest dimensions run approximately east or north. They stand nearly vertical and are completely surrounded by a mass of hard kaolin (locally called "talc") which may contain considerable free silica. The boundaries of the shoots are marked by minute branching cracks stained with brown iron oxide, which penetrate for a short distance into kaolin, and by specks or small spots of the oxide, which impregnate the kaolin.
Timeline
Tintic Iron Company (1871-1899)
(John Sharp was president of the Tintic Iron company right up until his death in December 1891.)
July 17, 1871
"The Silver City Star, in its historical review of the early happenings in the Tintic district, says: The Dragon Spur was located July 17, 1871 by Huntington Bros. It was and is a great producer of iron fluxing ore and is now a portion of the great Dragon Iron mine, owned by the Tintic Iron company." (Salt Lake Herald, May 4, 1897)
August 11, 1874
"The Silver City Star, in its historical review of the early happenings in the Tintic district, says: The La Bontt was located Aug. 11, 1874, by A. G. Sutherland, Henry Dieterle, Charles Wild and Sam Seaman. The property is at the head of Ruby hollow and in early days produced an immense quantity of high-grade iron ore, which was shipped to Santaquin. There is still a strong vein of iron in the property, but nothing has been done with it since the railroad was built into Tintic. It is now the property of the Tintic Iron company." (Salt Lake Herald, June 28, 1897)
February 11, 1878
"The Silver City Star, in its historical review of the early happenings in the Tintic district, says: The Iron Clad was located Feb. 11, 1878, by Robert J. Wright and Sarah A. Green. The Iron Clad, together with the Elise, located Oct. 4, 187S, the Reverse, located Feb. 21, 1879, the Contest, located July 31. 1879, all of which were adjoining claims, were sold to the Tintic Iron company for $9,000 and have been the largest ore producers of that great mine. It may be of interest to report that the last mentioned claim, the Contest, was the first location recorded on the books of the district by C. H. Blanchard, our present recorder." (Salt Lake Herald, July 19, 1897)
January 22, 1883
"The Elise No. 2 was located Jan. 22, 1883, by L. E. Riter. It is now a part of the famous Dragon Iron mine owned by the Tintic Iron company and is patented ground." (Salt Lake Herald, August 30, 1897)
January 10, 1885
The Tintic Iron company shipped ore from its Black Dragon Extension claim, and was one of 19 mines in the Tintic district that shipped ore during 1884. (Salt Lake Evening Chronicle, January 10, 1885)
(This was not part of the Black Dragon mine, which was located about 1,500 feet to the northeast of the Dragon iron mine, farther up Dragon Hollow, east of Silver City.)
(A mining claim map dated 1899 shows that the northeast line of the Black Dragon Extension touches the southwest line of the Black Dragon. From west to east, the claims of the Tintic Iron company were: the Contest; the Iron Clad; the Reverse; the Black Dragon Extension; and the Elise.)
(Read more about the Black Dragon iron mine)
October 28, 1888
The Tintic Iron company was shipping ore from its mine, from a vein that was 20 to 60 feet in width, and 50 percent iron, above its silver and non-fluxable ingredients. Twenty-five teams were steadily employed hauling the ore to the terminus of the Salt Lake & Western railroad at Silver City. L. E. Riter was general manager. (Salt Lake Herald, October 28, 1888)
(John Sharp, president of the Tintic Iron company, passed away on December 23, 1891.)
December 24, 1891
"The Tintic iron mine is looking fine and 150 tons of ore are being shipped from this property every day." (Salt Lake Tribune, December 24, 1891)
December 25, 1891
From the Salt Lake Herald, December 25, 1891.
The Tintic iron mines are among the most remarkable in the entire territory, and about the only ones that are worked to any extent. Properly speaking, they are not mines, but quarries, as they are all out of doors, requiring no tunnels shafts or inclines. They are located about two miles from Silver City, in Dragon Hollow, and are owned by the Tintic Iron company, in which John Sharp, W. W. Riter, George Y. Wallace, C. W. Lyman and other Salt Lakers are interested.
The ores are used for fluxing purposes only, and when the Horn Silver smelter was running, the output was considerably larger than it now is. This year the product will reach, in round figures, 13,000 tons. The supply is simply inexhaustible.
In a short time work will be started on an open cut to be made a couple of hundred feet below the present workings, and this will avoid the present steep and torturous ascent via the dugway to the mines. Experts believe that a big body of rich silver ore will yet be encountered on this property. There are very good indications, as silver mines are located all around it. The ore is being mined under the superintendency of Mr. L. E. Riter.
March 10, 1894
The Tintic Iron company received a patent on its Cross Dragon mining claim, located in the Tintic mining district. (Engineering and Mining Journal, March 10, 1894, page 232)
October 7, 1896
"On the crest of the hill is the greatest iron mine in the west. It is owned by the Tintic Iron company and in it George Y. Wallace of Salt Lake City is heavily interested. The ore is literally quarried, and about 2,000 tons a month are shipped to the Germania and Mingo smelters. One year ago the camp was dead. Not to exceed ten men were steadily employed. Now the camp is again prosperous." (Salt Lake Herald, October 7, 1896)
(During early November 1896, L. E. Riter was doing assessment work on the Snap Dragon claim, which lay immediately south of the Contest, Iron Clad, Reverse, and Black Dragon Extension claims, and may have also been in contest with them with their combined boundaries. -- Salt Lake Herald, November 6, 1896)
December 2, 1896
"The Dragon iron mine, near Silver city, is now shipping 60 tons of iron ore to the valley smelters daily for flux, and, with the weather as it has been for the past week, it is difficult for the owners of this property to keep up with their orders." (Salt Lake Herald, December 2, 1896)
(On October 2, 1897, L. E. Riter purchased controlling interest in the King James mine, which lay immediately south of the holdings of the Dragon iron mine. -- Salt Lake Herald, October 3, 1897, "yesterday")
December 26, 1897
"The Dragon Iron Mine. -- This is one of the most notable formations in the Rocky mountains. It is a great mountain of valuable fluxing iron, and is operated in quarry fashion. For the past 15 years it has been a regular shipper, and since last March has yielded a monthly product of over 1,000 tons. It was the third location in the district, the second being the Black Dragon. The Iron mine has been productive of considerable very rich silver ore in small pockets, and is believed to be the center from which the ore bodies of that section radiate. To the north and east of it lie the Black Dragon and Governor. To the west are the Swansea and South Swansea. To the south are the Martha Washington and the famous old Sunbeam. To the east is the Alaska. All of these have produced rich ore from the grass roots to the barren pyrites, and many of them below it." (Salt Lake Herald, December 26, 1897)
(The shaft of the Dragon iron mine where Weir planned to start his explorations, was just 100 feet south of the line with the Star Consolidated company.)
January 29, 1898
From the Salt Lake Herald, January 29, 1898.
The Tintic Iron company, which is the owner of the Dragon iron mine at Silver City, which largely supplies the local smelters with fluxing material, is sending a 100-ton lot of this ore to Montana smelters with the hope of finding a steady market there as in former years, and if the experimental shipment is successful it is expected that consignments to the north will be regular, as well as quite heavy.
The company is also shipping steadily to the valley smelters, and has standing orders for a specified tonnage of this excellent flux.
The Herald is informed that, associated with the iron ore at the mine, there are large deposits of clay, which has been found to be of fine quality for the manufacture of fire brick, tiling, sewer pipe and many other articles in this line, and it is more than likely that this will be utilized in the near future, and that it will add materially to the revenue derived from this valuable producer, which is as good as a gold mine, and the deposits are seemingly inexhaustible.
On this property there is also a vein of nearly pure kaolin, which exists in commercial quantities, and it is claimed that it is equal, if not superior, to kaolin imported into this country from China.
Attention is now being paid to this deposit, and it is more than likely that it will soon be utilized and put upon the market.
The Dragon iron mine is quite a landmark in the Silver City end of Tintic district, and there are many who are inclined to the opinion that this iron is the base of the mineralization of the famous mines in that locality, and this is doubtless correct.
January 1, 1899
The Dragon Iron Mine shipped 960 carloads of ore during 1898, the most shipped by any mine in the Tintic District. (Salt Lake Herald, January 1, 1899)
(In order, the others were: Bullion Beck & Champion, 889 cars; Grand Central, 670 cars; Mammoth, 512 cars; Uncle Sam-Humbug, 388 cars; Gemini, 340 cars; Eureka Hill, 332 cars; Swansea, 321 cars; South Swansea, 211 cars; Centennial Eureka, 159 cars; Treasure Hill, 68 cars; Utah, 41 cars; Star Consolidated, 36 cars; Ajax, 34 cars; Sioux Consolidated, 33 cars; Carisa, 25 cars; Godiva, 24 cars; Ruby Wedge, 24 cars; Sunbeam, 12 cars; Joe Bowers, 14 cars; Four Aces, 8 cars; Sioux, 7 cars; Junction, 4 cars; Eagle, 4 cars.)
April 21, 1899
The Dragon iron mine was purchased by Samuel Newhouse and Thomas Weir "yesterday" for a reported $200,000. The sellers were George Y. Wallace and L. E. Riter. It was a option that was purchased, and prospecting was to begin right away. The open cut mine had formed an amphitheater with its back wall being 180 feet high. Over 30,000 tons of iron fluxing ore had been shipped during 1898. Weir and Newhouse had previously purchased large blocks of Ajax stock. (Salt Lake Tribune, April 22, 1899)
(Thomas Weir and Samuel Newhouse were well-known in Utah mining circles for their ownership of the very successful Highland Boy gold mine in Bingham Canyon.)
From the Salt Lake Mining Review, April 29, 1899.
Another transaction of importance for the camp was the sale of the Dragon Iron mine, adjoining the Star Consolidated on the east. We say that this is a sale, although the property is really tied up on a bond and lease, as it is the prevailing impression that the option will be taken up in due time by Messrs. Samuel Newhouse and Thomas Weir, the two gentlemen who have made such enviable reputations of late as extensive and successful mining operators, the price to be paid for the property being estimated at $300,000 or thereabouts.
The Dragon Iron mine is principally owned by L. E. Biter and George Y. Wallace, and is looked upon as the mother of the mineralization of the southern end of Tintic district, and it is confidently believed that with more extended development this ground will become as famous in the future for its production of high-grade gold, silver, copper and gold ores as it has been in the past for its production of iron, thousands upon thousands of tons of which have been utilized by the valley and outside smelters as a flux in the reduction of dry and siliceous ores.
The Dragon adjoins the Star Consolidated, the dividing line between the two properties being on the top of the mountain, whose majestic sides separate the workings of the former from the latter, and it was not until a thorough examination of the Star had been made by Mr. Weir and Mr. Newhouse that a bond was secured by them on the Dragon mine, the general opinion being that the mountain referred to is nothing less than a capping of one of the largest deposits of the precious metals ever yet uncovered in the district.
July 9, 1899
Thomas Weir visited Tintic, saying, "I am very much interested in the outcome of the Dragon Iron mine and want to give the property more time from this on. It is a big study, in fact this whole district is, and I want to look into a number of propositions very carefully and become familiar with conditions around Silver City and Diamond." (Salt Lake Herald, July 9, 1899)
December 31, 1899
In a report of the "Immense Transactions" of 1899, it was reported that the Dragon Iron mine, at Tintic, was sold to Samuel Newhouse, W. S. McCornick, D. H. Perry Jr., and Thomas Weir, by George Y. Wallace and L. E. Riter, for $275,000. (Salt Lake Tribune, December 31, 1899)
December 31, 1899
From the Salt Lake Herald, December 31, 1899.
Tintic Iron. -- This greatest of all iron producers, known locally and otherwise as the Dragon Iron mine, famous alike for the grandeur of scenery, and extraordinary methods of quarrying the output, as well as for its incalculable capacity of sending its product to market, was bonded to Mr. Thomas Weir individually in the latter part of May, 1899, and in the future will be known as the "Tintic Iron." During the year just ended the following shipments were made: Nearly 15,000 tons, equaling 600 cars, board gauge, allowing twenty-five tons to the car, as against 12,850 tons during the year 1898, or 514 cars. This ore averages about 51 per cent iron excess, and mostly all of it has been consumed by the local smelters for fluxing ore. Several shipments were made outside of the state for the same purpose.
Soon after the mine was bonded by Mr. Weir, he began grading a road and getting ready to sink a shaft. This shaft was sunk for the first 100 feet by a whim, and after that with a steam hoist. On Dec. 12 the actual depth was 655 feet. The big vertical shaft is first-class in every respect, being timbered with square sets and lagged throughout, and is four feet by eleven feet in the clear. There are two hoisting compartments, each 4x4 feet, and a ladder or manway.
The machinery plant consists of a 10x10 hoisting engine, which is used for sinking, and a 10x14 hoisting engine recently set, for operating the cage, which is used for development purposes. Levels have been started at 300, 400 and 500 feet.
The equipment also includes two boilers, one forty- and one eighty-horse power, and a small blowing engine, to operate the blower. The plant is very complete and remarkable progress has been made since operations were started. This particular property, more than any other in Tintic, has excited much speculation and conjecture as to what the underlying deposits may be. If precious metals exist beneath the wonderful iron capping it looks as if the present management will disclose them.
May 4, 1900
The Tintic Iron company's mine was shut down "about two weeks ago," with the shut down being made permanent. Thomas Weir has held an option to buy the mine if his explorations found commercial values of metallic ore, in addition to iron ore. After 11 months of explorations, and after completing 1,400 feet of development work, including sinking the shaft down to 900 feet, Weir's workers had not found anything but iron ore, and Weir had relinquished his option, and had his machinery removed. (Salt Lake Herald, May 4, 1900)
March 15, 1902
"Manager L. E. Riter of the Tintic Iron company has started a force of men cleaning out the Dragon iron mine, which has been idle for two years. A new demand for fluxing ores by American Smelting & Refining company's new smelter is expected." (Salt Lake Telegram, March 15, 1902)
December 20, 1902
The Dragon iron mine shipped 475 carloads during 1902. (Deseret News, December 20, 1902)
December 30, 1906
The Tintic Iron Mining company, which owns the Dragon Iron mine at Tintic, shipped 500,000 tons during 1906. The shaft was down to 600 feet. The mine had been worked for more than 20 years, off and on. The control of the company was in the hands of a few Salt Lake capitalists, who have spared nothing within reason to get the results. The officers of the company were: George Y. Wallace, president; L. E. Riter, Jr., general manager; with George Y. Wallace Jr., and L. C. Riter as additional directors. (Salt Lake Herald, December 30, 1906)
April 26, 1907
C. E. Loose has organized the Iron King Consolidated Mining company, merging part of the Tintic Iron company's property with all of the the Utah Valley and Golden Chariot companies. (Salt Lake Herald, April 26, 1907)
December 6, 1907
From the Eureka Reporter, December 6, 1907.
The first ore to be handled by the new Eureka Hill railroad will be the iron ore from the Tintic Iron company's mine near Silver City. The ore from the mine has always been hauled by team to the Rio Grande and San Pedro railroads, but now that the line of the new road passes over the company's ground arrangements have been made which will do away with the haul by team. A loading station will be fixed up at the mine so that the ore can be dumped upon the cars of the new narrow gauge road. The new road will transfer the ore to the other lines at Silver City and thus cut down the expense necessary to put the ore upon the market.
J. M. Taylor of Silver City, who looks after the details in connection with the shipment of the ore for the Tintic Iron company, says that the demand for iron ore is increasing and that the contract which the company has with the smelters calls for 100 tons daily.
The new Eureka Hill railroad has completed its line from the smelter site at Silver City to a point beyond the iron mine and by the first of next month everything will be in readiness for the transferring of the output of the mine as stated above.
March 6, 1908
"The Tintic Iron Mine. -- It will be a few weeks yet before the Tintic Iron company at Silver City is able to resume the shipment of ore. The company has closed the mine down until a switch and loading station can be put in, thus making it possible to market the ore without hauling it by team. When the new switch is ready the ore will be transferred to the R. G. W. and Salt Lake Route railroads by the new narrow gauge road which connects the Knight mines with the new smelter at Silver City. This railroad passes within a short distance of the iron mine and when shipments are again resumed the ore can be handled more cheaply than in the past when it was necessary to haul it by team to the Silver City station of the R. G. W. and Salt Lake Route." (Eureka Reporter, March 6, 1908)
June 20, 1908
"It comes from an authoritative source that the deal giving Mr. Knight control of the old Dragon iron mine has been concluded. A new company is to be organized with a capitalization of 1,000,000 shares. L. E. Riter, one of the former owners in the iron mine, will be retained as general manager of the new company." (Deseret News, June 20, 1908)
August 16, 1908
The Governor Mining company was organized by Jesse Knight and associates. The mining property encompassed the following claims: the Governor; the Black Dragon; the Turk; the Eastern Daisy; the Dewdrop; the June; the March; and the White Dragon. Officers were: Jesse Knight, president; J. William Knight, vice president; with W. Lester Mangum and Amanda M. Knight as additional directors. (Salt Lake Herald, August 17, 1908)
(The Governor claim was directly adjacent to the Black Dragon claim, and lay in a direct line northeast of the Black Dragon claim.)
(Read more about the Governor claim and mine)
Dragon Mining Company (1910-1911)
1910
"The Dragon Mining Co. -- Operating in Tintic District, Juab County, Utah. Officers and Directors: Jesse Knight, President; J. William Knight, Vice-President: R. E. Allen, Secretary; W. Lester Mangum and L. E. Riter. Mine Manager, L. E. Riter, Silver City, Utah. Mine Superintendent, E. E. Gardiner, Silver City, Utah. Main office, Provo, Utah." (Tintic: The Home of the Dividend Payers, 1910)
July 30, 1910
"At the Dragon iron, the sinking of the shaft from the 600-foot level to the 1000-foot level has been commenced. At this depth the heavy iron deposits from which iron ore is and has been shipped for flux for many years will undoubtedly be passed through and many predict that underlying these great deposits of iron, mineral will be found in, paying quantities." (Mining World magazine, July 30, 1910, page 203)
February 15, 1911
"Some time ago the directors of the Dragon and Governor Mining companies held meetings and arranged for the consolidation of the two mines and on the second of next month the stockholders of the two corporations will meet at Provo for the purpose of voting upon this proposition. Both companies are controlled by the Knight interests and it is understood there will be little or no opposition to the consolidation. It is generally understood that the merger will permit development work to be prosecuted to greater advantage and at less expense than if done separately by each company. The Governor adjoins the Iron Blossom and some of the Iron Blossom ore is known to extend over into this ground. The Dragon is still farther to the south and is equipped with a splendid plant and a double compartment shaft which at this time is down to a depth of over 1,000 feat. At the present time preparations are being made to drift from the 1,025 and 800 levels of the Dragon shaft and it is expected that more valuable ore deposits will he opened up upon these levels. The Dragon mine is now one of the heaviest shippers in Tintic, the output being iron ore which is used for fluxing purposes. Manager L. E. Riter states that the output of the mine for the month of January amounted to about 4,000 tons." (Salt Lake Mining Review, February 15, 1911)
March 3, 1911
"Provo, March 3. - At the meeting of the stockholders of the Dragon and Governor mining companies which was held here yesterday afternoon, it was decided by a unanimous vote to consolidate the two companies under the name Dragon Consolidated. Development will be carried on through the deep shaft of the Dragon which is down 1,065 feet. There has been little exploration in the Governor ground but the Iron Blossom vein is worked to its end lines." The two companies had the same directors: Jesse Knight; J. Will Knight; W. Lester Mangum and R. E. Allen. Amanda Knight was a director of the Governor, but not of the Dragon, which position was held by L. E. Riter in place of Mrs. Knight. (Deseret News, March 3, 1911)
Dragon Consolidated Mining Company (1911-1976)
April 10, 1911
"Dragon Consolidated Mining Company. Incorporated at Provo, Utah, April 10, 1911. Property in Juab County; Tintic Mining District; 147.6 acres of mining claims. Hoist, head frame, ore bin and shaft, compressor shed, stable, hoisting engine, tracks, air lines, skips, ore cars, and transformers. Produced 268 tons of gold, silver, lead and copper ore." (Condensed Mining Handbook of Utah, University of Utah Bulletin No. 29, June 1945, page 37)
May 6, 1911
"Articles of incorporation have been filed for the Dragon Consolidated, which takes over the Dragon and Governor." (Mining and Scientific Press, May 6, 1911, page 642)
(Throughout March 1911, the Tintic Iron Company was shown in newspapers as being delinquent on the payment of its state corporate license fee.)
November 28, 1911
The newly formed Dragon Consolidated Mining company was idle, and had been since its creation. Instead, the vein in the adjacent Iron Blossom was being worked to extend the tunnel into the old Governor ground. The work was most likely to be continued through the Iron Blossom. The Dragon Consolidated embraced the 10 claims of the old Dragon Iron mine, and the 10 claims of the old Governor mine, the latter having good lead, silver and copper ores. (Salt Lake Herald, November 28, 1911)
March 9, 1914
In the annual report of the Dragon Consolidated Mining company, the company stated that the shipment of iron fluxing ore had been suspended at the request of the smelter. Most of the quartz ore (the traditional lead-silver-gold ore) being shipped had come from the north end of the property, through the iron Blossom and Black Jack shafts, and copper ore coming from the Black jack shaft. But the ore was low grade, and required mill treatment. "Connections were made with the old Black Dragon workings and a considerable amount of milling ore has been developed there." (Salt Lake Telegram, March 9, 1914)
(The above note shows that the Black Dragon became part of the Dragon Consolidated holdings.)
(George Y. Wallace, after Knight's purchase of the Black Dragon, was a director of the Dragon Consolidated Mining company until his death in September 1916, along with Jesse Knight, W. Lester Mangnum, R. E. Allen, and L. E. Riter)
December 30, 1918
"The Dragon Consolidated, at Silver City, is shipping an average of about 100 tons of iron ore per month, notwithstanding the fact that its contract for supplying the smelters with this fluxing material has expired. It is thought that the demand will continue. The Tintic Milling Company, operating the north end of the property under lease, is shipping a good tonnage of mill dirt to its local plant. Jesse Knight of Provo is at the head of both corporations." (Salt Lake Mining Review, December 30, 1918)
Dragon Halloysite Mine (1931-2018)
Located one mile east of Silver City, the Dragon mine was active from its earliest days in the 1870s to 1930 mining iron ore for use as flux in the copper smelters. Although Halloysite was mined in small quantities as early as 1931, in 1945 Filtrol Corporation became involved and operations were greatly expanded. At the time of the cave-in in 1951 the Dragon mine was owned by International Smelting.
International Smelting had purchased control of the Dragon mine in the 1920s, although the existence of a "greasy" clay product was known as early as the early 1900s. In the late 1930s it was found that the greasy material was a mineral called Halloysite, and that there were massive quantities at the Dragon mine.
Filtrol Corporation was the first to begin large-scale extraction in 1949, shipping the material to its plant in Salt Lake City for further processing as a catalyst used in oil refining. By the time Filtrol ceased production in 1976 due to an underground fire, the company had mined over 1.1 million tons of Halloysite from the Dragon mine.
December 30, 1949
A reserve of 200,000 tons of Halloysite has been discovered and blocked out at the North Lily company's Dragon mine. An average of nine 50-ton rail cars are being shipped weekly to Filtrol in Los Angeles. Tom Lyon had discovered the special clay material and had been shipping it in bags, cartons and even whole carloads to various companies hoping for a customer. During the war, it was shipped to Illinois Clay company, who in-turn sold it to Ford Motor company in Canada for use in casting molds. Halloysite can also be used in fire bricks. (Eureka Reporter, December 30, 1949)
July 20, 1950
During July 1950, Filtrol announced that with the completion of a mill at Salt Lake City, shipments of Halloysite would increase from the 3000 tons per month being shipped to its Los Angeles facility, to 6000 tons per month to build up a stockpile of 4500 tons in preparation for the opening of its Salt Lake City mill, which was still under construction. The plant was completed mid February 1951. By November 1951, production was 8000 tons per month, made easier by the cave-in earlier in the year. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 20, 1950; November 11, 1951)
April 15, 1951
A cave-in near the surface at the Dragon mine on April 15, 1951 was the start of open-pit mining of Halloysite at Silver City. By late 1960, the open pit mining of Halloysite became a major source of activity, "There's still life in Eureka, sustained by Halloysite, an aluminum silicate clay, removed in open pit operation from the old Dragon mine. Halloysite is a catalyst in petroleum refining." (Salt Lake Tribune, April 17, 1951; April 18, 1951; December 10, 1960)
August 28, 1954
The Dragon Consolidated Mining company was 65.7 percent owned by the North Lily Mining company. About 57 percent of the North Lily company was in-turn owned by the International Smelting & Refining company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Anaconda Company. The remainder of stocks of the two companies was owned by small investors. The Dragon Consolidated, because it was shipping large quantities of Halloysite, paid its first dividend in more than 30 years. (Salt Lake Tribune, August 28, 1954)
May 23, 1958
The Dragon Consolidated mine was reported in May 1958 as Filtrol having shipped 1,080 tons of Halloysite. (Eureka Reporter, May 23, 1958)
June 9, 1960
North Lily Mining company declared a dividend based on production of Halloysite from its Dragon Consolidated Mining company subsidiary. North Lily was still a subsidiary of International Smelting, which in-turn was still a subsidiary of The Anaconda Company.
(Salt Lake Tribune, June 9, 1960)
1976
Mining operations of Halloysite from the Dragon mine came to an end. The mine was owned by Anaconda Minerals Co., as a division of Atlantic Richfield, as successor to International Smelting. The Dragon mine's open pit reached 300 feet deep plus a vertical shaft over 1000 feet deep, with side shafts and drifts. The open pit had been mined for many years on a small scale from 1931, and the shaft mine extended beyond the bottom of the open pit mine. Fire in the wooden stope timbers, as well as difficult mining conditions brought an end to operations in 1976.
In 2005 studies revealed new uses for Halloysite as a natural nanomaterial, and Atlas Mining company (later Applied Materials) seemed to be on the forefront, marketing its Halloysite product as "Dragonite."
In October 2009, the company was formerly known as Atlas Mining Company and changed its name to Applied Minerals, Inc.
As of 2018, the mine was owned by Applied Minerals, and production had continued.
###