Tintic, Dragon Consolidated Mining Co.
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This page was last updated on October 16, 2025.
(The focus of this page is the surface workings of the mines of the Dragon Consolidated Mining company, 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.)
Overview
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Dragon Mine and Halloysite (after 1949)
Located one mile east of Silver City, the Dragon mine was active from 1897 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 Filterol 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.
At the time mining operations of Halloysite from the Dragon mine came to an end in 1976, 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 was 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.
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. Filterol 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 Filterol ceased production in 1976 due to an underground fire, the company had mined over 1.1 million tons of Halloysite from the Dragon mine.
As of 2018, the mine was owned by Atlas Mining company (later Applied Minerals), and production had continued. In 2005 studies revealed new uses for Halloysite as a natural nanomaterial, and Applied Materials seems to be on the forefront, marketing its Halloysite product as "Dragonite." The company was formerly known as Atlas Mining Company and changed its name to Applied Minerals, Inc. in October 2009.
Timeline
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)
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)
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