Tintic, East Tintic Coalition Mines

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This page was last updated on November 14, 2025.

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Overview

(The focus of this page is the surface workings of the East Tintic Coalition mine, as visible in photographs, as well as a general description of the mine, with minimal coverage of the geology and financial returns. Also to establish a timeline using sources not previously readily available.)

The properties in East Tintic developed by John Bestelmeyer include:

All properties lay adjacent to each other, and lay along the west sides of the North Lily and Eureka Lily properties.

Bestelmeyer Family

(Read more about the Bestelmeyer family and its Tintic mines)

East Tintic Coalition Mining Company

The following comes from USGS Professional Paper 1024, published in 1979, page 131.

The East Tintic Coalition shaft is in the west-central part of the East Tintic district in the E-1/2 of the E-1/2 of Section 17, T10S, R2W, about 1-1/2 mi due west of Dividend. The first claims in the area were staked by John and August Bestelmeyer, and the original company was organized May 1, 1917.

The property has been inactive since 1924. Of the outstanding stock, 97.7 percent is currently owned by the North Lily Mining Co., which acquired the property as a result of a stock transfer in 1926. The property consists of six patented mining claims containing 59.63 acres. According to company records, mine workings on the property consist of two tunnels with a combined length of 500 feet and four shafts.

The main East Tintic Coalition shaft is 635 feet deep, from which 870 feet of lateral workings were driven at the 320-ft level. All of the workings are east and southeast of the shaft. The other shafts, now largely caved, were 127, 142, and 330 feet deep, respectively.

Although not yet incorporated, the East Tintic Coalition was shipping very small amounts of ore as early as December 1915.

The East Tintic Coalition property lay adjacent to the Big Hill and Eureka Bullion properties.

(John Bestelmeyer died on August 17, 1912.)

April 2, 1917
The East Tintic Coalition Mining company filed its articles of incorporation. Officers were J. H. Weber, president; J. M. Bestelmeyer, vice president; August Bestelmeyer, secretary and treasurer. A shaft will be sunk on the property which lay west of the Eureka Standard and Big Hill properties, north of the Tintic Consolidated, east of the Addie and south of a group of claims recently purchased by the Chief Consolidated people. (Provo Daily Herald, April 2, 1917)

June 13, 1917
"John Bestelmeyer has started a force of men on the Coalition, to the west of the Bullion. This is in a 60-foot tunnel, which is getting under prominent iron outcropping veins. The East Tintic Coalition is reported to have one of the finest mineral outcrops in that part of the district. This is not far from where the Chief Con. is drifting on the 600-foot level of its Homansville shaft." (Salt Lake Herald, June13, 1917)

July 7, 1917
Work was to start on the property of the East Tintic Coalition company, which adjoined the Tintic Standard on the west. Manager John M. Bestelmeyer had a force of men driving a tunnel 500 feet to tap a vein of ore that was taken from the surface many years ago. John Matson was president of the company. The 500-foot tunnel would tap the vein 300 feet below the surface. (Salt Lake Herald, July 1, 1917; Salt Lake Tribune, July 7, 1917)

June 30, 1919
A road was being built to the East Tintic Coalition company's shaft. Full equipment of machinery, costing $8,000, had been ordered. (Salt Lake Tribune, June 30, 1919)

July 2, 1919
"Arrangements have been made to begin operations at the East Tintic Coalition which adjoins the Big Hill, just west of the Bullion property. Surface indications have been favorable and it is the belief of those interested that ore will be found between the 500 and 600 levels." (Deseret News, July 2, 1919)

As of July 1919, there were 309 shareholders in the East Tintic Coalition Mining company when it applied to be listed on the Salt Lake Stock and Mining Exchange.

The following comes from the July 13, 1919 Salt Lake Herald.

The East Tintic Coalition ground, consisting of three claims, named after Bestelmeyer's children, who still retain a controlling interest in them, was among the first of his locations. In the early 1890s he sunk a shaft on a good lead of ore and followed it down for over 120 feet. From this shaft he took out a carload of ore alone besides sinking the shaft.

According to the application for listing, the company was incorporated May 7, 1916, with John M. Bestelmeyer, president and August Bestelmeyer. secretary and treasurer. The three claims owned by the company, the August No. 1, August Bestelmeyer and Johnny and Clara, are patented.

The work on the property consists of 480 feet of shafts and 364 feet of tunnel work. The ground is two and a half miles from the railroad and at present eight men are employed there. Electrical equipment has been ordered for the property and is now being installed.

(The mining claims that made up the East Tintic Coalition company had received their patents from the U. S. Mineral Surveyor in December 1908. The patents were in the names of John M. Bestelmeyer, John Bestelmeyer, Catherine Bestelmeyer, Henry G. Blumenthal, and Caroline M. D. Blumenthal, all of Provo. The five claims were the August No. 1, the August Bestelmeyer, the Johnny and Clara, the Water Gulch and the Hannibal lodes. -- Eureka Reporter, December 18, 1908)

July 10, 1919
"The pipe line which is being constructed from the Plutus property by the Knight interests, Eureka Bullion and East Tintic Coalition companies, according to John M. Bestelmeyer. president and general manager of the Eureka Bullion Mining company. The pipe line has already been laid within a quarter of a mile of the west line of the East Tintic Coalition property. Work at the Eureka Bullion has been slowed up for some time, according to Mr. Bestelmeyer. The machinery, which was driven by steam, could only be operated at limited intervals. With the installation of the new electrically driven machinery and an adequate supply of water, operations will be prosecuted vigorously. At present a small force of men is being employed stripping the ore recently struck. As soon as conditions permit, the ore will be stoped and development pushed to prove up the extant of the ore deposit." (Salt Lake Tribune, June 10, 1919)

July 15, 1919
"The East Tintic Coalition Mining Company, owning ground near the holdings of the Eureka Bullion in Tintic district, has begun preliminary work in the development of its property. A hoisting plant has been ordered. The plant will be electrically operated." (Salt Lake Mining Review, July 15, 1919)

January 4, 1920
At the annual meeting of the East Tintic Coalition Mining company, the following officers were elected: H. C. Hicks, president; H. G. Blumenthal, vice president; August Bestelmeyer, secretary treasurer; these three plus N. C. Hicks and John Bestelmeyer as directors. The company had just installed new electric equipment, and would continue development work. The new shaft was down 90 feet. (Salt Lake Herald, January 4, 1920)

January 18, 1920
The following comes from the Ogden Examiner, January 18, 1920.

The East Tintic Coalition Mining company's property bears the distinction of being the first property in the east aide to be patented, having been located away back in 1890 by the late John Bestelmeyer, the great pioneer of the entire East Tintic district. It was he who first located and later patented the Tintic Standard ground, the Eureka Bullion, Big Hill, East Tintic Consolidated and others. He did his first work on the property and sunk an incline shaft to a depth of 124 feet alone. At that point he encountered lead silver ore and from it he made the first commercial shipment sent out from any property east of the Godiva Mountain, which at that time was considered the extreme eastern end of Tintic's ore zone. However, his other properties required active development work and after securing his patents he was forced to turn his attention to these holdings and it was not until two years ago that work was resumed.

About two years ago his sons, John M. and August Bestelmeyer, assumed the control of the property, formed a corporation with offices at Provo and started active operations. A tunnel was first run into the mountain to determine the fracture system and as soon as this was accomplished plans were made for sinking a shaft. Late last summer contracts were let for a plant and first-class electrical equipment was installed and put into active operation. A double compartment shaft has already been sunk to a depth of more than 100 feet and the work of sinking will be pushed at a rapid rate.

February 20, 1920
The East Tintic Coalition company has "decided to install an electric driven air compressor and other equipment to conduct a vigorous development campaign. The company's shaft is now down 125 feet and an effort is going to be made to reach the 500 foot level by July." (Eureka Reporter, February 20, 1920)

(During 1920 and 1921, the company issued five assessments, numbered as 1 through 5, against the company stock, with the resulting extensive lists of sales of delinquent shares.)

(In March 1922, the company was shown as delinquent on its payment of state corporate license fee.)

(During 1922 through 1924, the company issued five assessments, numbered as 6 through 10, against the company stock, with the resulting extensive lists of sales of delinquent shares.)

(These assessments suggest that the company was not receiving income from shipping and selling ore, with the assessments needed to fund any development work being done. This suggests that the company was essentially inactive after 1920.)

February 3, 1925
The East Tintic Coalition Mining company made an agreement with International Smelting company to allow "extensive exploration" of its property, which adjoined the Big Hill property on the east, the Addie on the west, and the East Tintic Consolidated on the south. International Smelting's newly acquired lease on the east side of the Yankee Consolidated adjoined the Addie on the west. The East Tintic Coalition in-turn, adjoined the Addie. The East Tintic Coalition company had been one of the earliest shippers in the East Tintic district, when the elder John Bestelmeyer had held the property. (Salt Lake Tribune, February 3, 1925)

October 10, 1925
" Control of the East Tintic Coalition Mining company has been secured by the International Smelting company through its subsidiary, the North Lily Mining company. The East Tintic Coalition property, consisting of sixty acres, adjoining the Addie and the Big Hill, was one of the first estates to be developed in the East Tintic district. In the early days, a carload of high grade ore was shipped by John Bestelmeyer from the surface. Stockholders of the East Tintic Coalition Mining company are invited to exchange their stock for North Lily stock on the basis of eight shares of East Tintic Coalition for one of North Lily by presenting their certificates at the office of the International Smelting company. Negotiations for interests owning control of the East Tintic Coalition Mining company were conducted by H. E. Havenor and N. H. Jensen." (Salt Lake Tribune, October 10, 1925)

(This was the first step of the International Smelting company coming to the Tintic district. Within a year the International Smelting company purchased control of the North Lily Mining company and began its expansion plans that in 1929 included buying the Knight Investment properties.)

(Read more about the North Lily Mining company.)

August 14, 1926
The North Lily Mining company made an offer to exchange one share of North Lily stock for eight shares of East Tintic Coalition stock. The deadline for exchange was September 10, 1926. (Salt Lake Tribune, August 14, 1926)

(This proposed exchange suggests that through the 10 assessments of 1920-1924, the majority stockholders had been able to gain control of the stock, then sell their stock to the North Lily company. The proposed exchange was put into place to allow the North Lily company to gain ownership of the outstanding minority shares.)

April 12, 1935
By April 1935, the North Lily company held 97 percent of East Tintic Coalition Mining company stock. (Deseret News, April 12, 1935)

1976
The East Tintic Coalition Mining company was one of the three former Bestelmeyer properties that, although they were controlled by International Smelting company, remained as separate companies due to the numerous minority shareholders. These three companies were merged into Anaconda in 1976.

Big Hill Mining Company;
East Tintic Coalition Mining Company;
Eureka Bullion Mining Company

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