Tintic, Eureka Lily Mining Co.

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Eureka Lily Mining Co.

(The focus of this page is the surface workings of the Eureka Lily 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.)

From Salt Lake Tribune, August 28, 1908.

The six claims and all other interests of the Lily Mining company passed into the possession of a new organization to be known as the Eureka Lily Mining company. The new company also owns an option on the Provo Mining company interests at Tintic, consisting of three additional claims, giving a group of nine claims, all located on what is known on Mineral hill, in the Tintic camp.

This deal has been pending for three months or more, being rounded out by Grant and H. G. Snyder, while Willard F. Snyder is associated with them in the same transaction.

Years ago both the Lily and the Provo groups were contributors of some of the richest lead ores ever found in Tintic, giving forth enough to maintain a smelter nearby for a considerable length of time. The Lily ground was located and has been owned principally by T. Barrett, who still retains the same degree of firm faith in the property he has had ever since 1870, when he first gathered together the group. The Lily was opened by shaft to the 300-foot level, and this working, with a little re-timbering, will be ready for use by tho owners within a very short time.

Grant Snyder is president, T. Barrett is vice-president and Kay Bowman is secretary and treasurer. These gentlemen, with Bismarck Snyder and L. V. Shearer, complete the board of directors. Mr. Shearer is a prominent mining operator and business man of Denver. The other officials are well known Salt Lakers.

(The Snyders organized their North Lily Mining company on ground that was immediately north of the existing Eureka Lily Mining company.)

(H. G. Snyder was reported as the person who made the consolidation happen, through his control of the Eureka Lily, East Tintic Development and Provo companies.)

The following comes from the USGS Professional Paper 1024, published in 1979, page 134.

The Eureka Lily mine is near the center of the SE-1/4, Section 16, T10S, R2W, one half-mile west-southwest of Dividend. It was the second commercially productive mine developed in the East Tintic district, having shipped ore in 1909, 10 years after the first ore was mined and sold from the Lily of the West shaft, which is about 200 feet west-southwest of the Eureka Lily shaft. Exploration from the present Eureka Lily shaft began in 1906, having been stimulated by the proximity of the Lily of the West ore body and the excitement that resulted from the discoveries of the rich mines of the Iron Blossom ore zone in the main Tintic district 1-3/4 miles to the west.

The shaft was sunk on the Ralph claim, a holding of less than 10 acres, in 1908 by the East Tintic Development Co. under the direction of M. M. Kellog and W. D. Bonham, and ore was first found at the 230-foot level in January 1909.

Development of these shallow ore bodies was rapid, and a considerable amount of lead ore was produced from stopes between the 70-foot and 500-foot levels from 1909 to 1911. As metal demand increased during the beginning phases of World War I, these same stopes and parts of the mine dump were reworked for oxidized zinc ore; these efforts yielded more than 1,000 tons of high-grade zinc oxide ore from 1911 to 1913 and lesser amounts in the succeeding 2 or 3 years.

In 1916, the property and other assets of the East Tintic Development Co. were sold after foreclosure litigation, and the claims were then merged with other contiguous small holdings to form the Eureka Lily Mining Co. Under the direction of this new company, an unsuccessful search was made for possible extensions of the Tintic Standard ore body, during which time an inclined winze 1,135 feet long was sunk from the 500-ft level to the so-called 1800-ft level.

In November 1921 control of the Eureka Lily was acquired by the Chief Consolidated Mining Co. In 1926 and 1927, during its operation by this company, a spectacular discovery of ore was made in the northern part of the property as a result of exploration efforts directed by Paul Billingsley; later, the vertical shaft was also sunk to a depth of 1,400 feet.

In February 1936 Chief Consolidated's controlling interest in the Eureka Lily Mining Co. was purchased by the Tintic Standard Mining Co. for $360,000. The new holders deepened the shaft to a total depth of 1,587 feet and developed a new ore zone on the South fault near the shaft.

In January 1, 1938, the Eureka Lily, East Tintic Consolidated, and Iron King Consolidated Mining Companies were merged into the Eureka Lily Consolidated Mining Co., which continued under the control of the Tintic Standard.

The mine property has been inactive since June 1949 except for minor operations from the Eureka Lily shaft in 1950 and 1951. In 1956 properties of the Eureka Lily Consolidated Mining Co. were leased to the Kennecott Copper Corp. along with other properties controlled by the Tintic Standard Mining Co.

On November 22, 1974, Eureka Lily Consolidated Mining Co. was merged into the Eureka Standard Consolidated Mining Co. whose controlling interest had been acquired by Amax Copper Mines, Inc. through its absorption of Tintic Standard Mining Co. in May 1973.

Prior to the merger into the Eureka Standard Consolidated Mining Co., the property of the Eureka Lily Consolidated Mining Co. consisted of 60 patented and 1 unpatented mining claims aggregating 862 acres.

August 28, 1908
The Eureka Lily Mining company was incorporated on August 28, 1908, as a consolidation of the Lily Mining company and the Provo Mining company. (This was control of the stock, not full ownership of the company. Minority shareholders would later cause troubles.)

(The Lily of the West mine dated back to 1880 and was listed as one of the active mines in the Tintic district at that time. The Lily of the West mining claim formed the south end of the Lily Mining company ground, and later the Eureka Lily company's holdings.)

(Due to the large numbers of minority shareholders, the Provo Mining company remained as a separate company, with its own officers and directors, but with the Eureka Lily company holding the largest block of stock.)

September 1908
In September 1908, George Havercamp transferred ownership of his Silver King, Golden Horseshoe, and other claims, to the Eureka Lily Mining company, for a reported price of $50,000. (Utah County Democrat, September 3, 1908)

November 12, 1908
The Eureka Lily Mining company encountered shipping ore, known as first-class ore, in the drift from the 160-foot level of the old Provo shaft. The extent of the find was not yet determined. The strike was 250 feet north of the old Lily shaft, where a handsome shoot of high-grade lead-siIver ore was in the early days worked from the 290 level to within 50 feet of the surface. The Lily shaft was down to the 300 level and as soon as necessary timbering can be completed a crosscut was to be driven for the shoot opened in the upper levels. From the bottom of Lily shaft, a drift was to be run to the ore body just encountered from the Provo shaft, opening that body at 150 feet greater depth. H. G. Snyder, who had just returned from Tintic after examining the properties in which he was interested, reported the Tintic Standard, as well as the Eureka Lily, looking exceedingly well. (Salt Lake Herald, November 12, 1908)

1909
From the 1909 book, "The Home Of The Dividend Payers." -- "Eureka Lily Mining Co. Grant Snyder, President; Thomas Barrett, Vice President; Ray S. Bowman, Secretary and Treasurer; H. G. Blumenthal, Director; Bismarck Snyder, Director. The property has produced considerable shipping ore; has carried high lead and silver values in the past, and has recently been equipped with hoisting plant; shaft timbered to the 300-foot level, and drifts extended out in a direction to catch ore that was mined out of the upper workings a great many years ago. Property will resume operations again in a short time and is well thought of by mining men."

January 6, 1909
The Eureka Lily mine had retimbered its main shaft down to 160 feet, and work was continuing down to the level where the ore is known to exist. (Salt Lake Tribune, January 6, 1909)

November 14, 1914
"From Provo comes word that the Eureka Lily Mining company has purchased from the Lily Mining company the Lily of the West, Sampson and Aurora patented mining claims in the Tintic district for 225,000 shares of the Eureka Lily company's capital stock. The Eureka Lily company also assumes indebtedness against the Lily company in the sum of about $300." (Salt Lake Herald, November 14, 1914)

Eureka Lily Buys East Tintic Development (1916)

April 11, 1916
The date that the quit claim deed was filed with the Salt Lake County Clerk, passing the property of the East Tintic Development company to the Eureka Lily Mining company. (Salt Lake Telegram, June 28, 1916)

April 27, 1916
"Lawsuits, apex conflicts and other difficulties have been wiped out by the purchase of the East Tintic Development company's property by the Eureka Lily company, according to A. N. Holdaway of the Lily company." (Salt Lake Telegram, April 27, 1916)

(Note that the Eureka Lily company bought the property of the East Tintic company, not control of, or any portion of East Tintic Development company stock.)

April 28, 1916
The Eureka Lily Mining company was reorganized as a consolidation of the old Eureka Lily company, and the recently acquired East Tintic Development company. (Eureka Reporter, April 28, 1916)

(Both mines had been under lease to operators in the past, and the leasing arrangements would continue. The East Tintic company had been a shipper of ore during the past year.)

June 5, 1916
The East Tintic Development company held a special stockholder's meeting on June 5, 1916 to decide what action to take concerning a mortgage held against the company property, pending foreclosure of that mortgage, and selling the company property to the Eureka Lily Mining company, then proceeding with the winding up of the affairs of the company, having sold its assets. (Eureka Reporter, May 26, 1916)

August 4, 1916
The Eureka Lily company made the final payment of $3,600 for the "East Tintic Development ground" located about 2,000 feet west of the Tintic Standard workings. This gave the Eureka Lily company possession and rights not only to the ground (the mining claims), but to the machinery that consisted of the 500-foot deep shaft and its hoisting plant. The ore vein at the 500-foot level was reported as being 120 feet wide and 30 feet thick. (Deseret News, August 4, 1916)

(The Eureka Lily company was operating through the East Tintic Development company's 500-foot so-called "Ralph" shaft to reach their own property which lay adjacent.)

(The East Tintic Development company had been sold at foreclosure to satisfy a $5,000 mortgage given to its by the Huntley & Richards company, with C. M. Richards being the president of the East Tintic Development company. The sale of the East Tintic company to the Eureka Lily company was for that same $5,000 figure. The sale was contested by a group of East Tintic shareholders, with the court case stretching out until May 1918, and being decided against the shareholders.)

September 27, 1916
The directors of the Eureka Lilly Mining company ratified the action in the purchase of the seven claims and parts of claims from George Havercamp of the East Tintic Development company. (Salt Lake Tribune, September 28, 1916, "yesterday"; Richfield Reaper, October 7, 1916)

May 28, 1917
The directors of the Provo Mining company were unhappy with the arrangement of the Eureka Lily company's plans of driving a 200-foot drift from their Lily shaft into the Provo company's property. They were disagreeing concerning the vertical line between the two properties. The Eureka Lily people were presenting proposals for the consolidation of the two companies. The Eureka Lily ore body being extracted was very close to the line between the two companies. (Provo Daily Herald, May 28, 1917)

June 8, 1917
The Eureka Lily company had sunk a winze from a drift at the 500 level of its main shaft. From the 500 level, the winze had been sunk down to 835 feet, and would be extended to down to a depth of 1000 feet. To support the increasing depth, the company had acquired an electric hoist to replace the air hoist already in use at the top of the winze. The new electric hoist would allow the air compressor to be used solely for the air drills in use in the mine. (Eureka Reporter, June 8, 1917)

May 5, 1921
The shareholders at the annual meeting of the Eureka Lily Mining company ratified the vertical line agreement with the Tintic Standard Mining company, and the vertical line agreement with the Provo Mining company. (Eureka Reporter, April 29, 1921; August 26, 1921)

August 26, 1921
The Eureka Lily company was working on the 500 level, and on the 1400 incline, which was at the 1200 level vertcally. The main shaft is an incline from the 500 foot level down to the 1400 foot level, following the vein practically all the way. This incline was 6 feet by 8 feet, with the goal of getting under the ore body. The Eureka Lily mine was closed from January 1 to June 1, 1921 while the company made "vertical line" agreements with the adjacent Tintic Standard Mining company and Provo Mining company. (Eureka Reporter, August 26, 1921)

Eureka Lily Control By Chief Consolidated (1921)

November 5, 1921
The Chief Consolidated Mining Co. acquired control of the Eureka Lily Mining Co. and the East Tintic Mining Co., both of which are situated in the East Tintic district. The Eureka Lily property adjoined the Tintic Standard mine, while, the East Tintic company owned two blocks of ground that are divided by the Iron King holdings. At the annual meeting of the Eureka Lily stockholders on November 5 a new board of directors was elected, four of whom are officials of the Chief Consolidated; they are Walter Fitch, Cecil Fitch, L. H. Cripps, and Thomas Carmichael, while the fifth director was R. J. Evans, former president of the Eureka Lily. Acquisition of these two properties was in line with the policy of the Chief Consolidated to enlarge its holdings so as to perpetuate the company. (Deseret Mews, November 5, 1921, "this morning"; Mining and Scientific Press, Vol. 123, November 19, 1921)

(During the early years of the Eureka Lily company, the only ore shipped came from the Ralph claim and shaft, which had been part of the predecessor East Tintic Development company. The workings in those early days were but a few hundred feet below the surface. The lack of development funds prevented going any deeper, following the veins as they were discovered. -- Eureka Reporter, November 11, 1921)

(There were rumors during late October 1921 that someone was buying large blocks of Eureka Lily stock. Grant Snyder, manager of the Eureka Lily stated that the Eureka Lily stock was "badly scattered" and that control had "never rested in the hands of one or two people." At one point, parties connected with the Chief Consolidated company bought 4,000 shares of Eureka Lily stock at 9.5 cents per share. -- Eureka Reporter, October 28, 1921; Salt Lake Telegram, November 5, 1921)

(The purchase and control of the Eureka Lily company by the Chief Consolidated company put the Chief company on the ground in East Tintic, adjacent to the Tintic Standard, which had been shipping large tonnage and high value ores almost from its early days in 1915. The Chief company wanted in on the success coming from the East Tintic area.)

(This was when the Snyder group sold its interest in the Eureka Lily, with Grant Snyder and Wilson I. Snyder being shown as former directors.)

(Read more about the Snyder Group)

February 3, 1922
"During the past year the Chief Consolidated has acquired substantial interests in East Tintic. Among the properties acquired are the East Tintic Consolidated from the Knight Interests, the Eureka Lily from the Snyder interests and through purchase of treasury stock in the Apex Standard, control or options for the control of the Apex Standard, Tintic Zenith and Tintic Union." (Eureka Reporter, February 3, 1922)

(After selling his interest, and no longer being involved in the day-to-day management activity in the Eureka Lily and other mines, Grant Snyder moved to Los Angeles. He apparently did quite well after exchanging his stock in the Eureka Lily and affiliated companies for Chief Consolidated stock, and later his North Lily company stock for International Smelting company stock, benefiting from the regular dividends of both larger companies. Grant Snyder passed away on August 18, 1959 in Los Angeles at age 91. He was born on June 4, 1868 in Snyderville, Utah, to parents who were early settlers of Park City.)

February 13, 1922
"In addition, control also has been purchased of the shares of the Eureka Lily Mining company and the East Tintic Consolidated Mining company. No work is at present being done on the last named two properties, but on the Apex Standard a shaft is down 900 feet and drifting work is being done on that level." (Deseret News, February 13, 1922)

November 26, 1925
The Chief Consolidated Mining company owned 29 separately organized companies, which the company owned 100 percent and without any restrictions, also known as "fee simple." The exceptions were following companies, which the Chief Consolidated company controlled by large majority ownership of shares: East Tintic Consolidated Mining company; Eureka Lily Mining company; Eureka Mines company; Eureka Bullion Mining company; Apex Standard company; and the Plutus Mining company. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 26, 1925)

April 9, 1926
The Eureka Lily Mining company, controlled by the Chief Consolidated Mining company, had installed a small electric hoist and compressor. The electric power was furnished by Utah Power company. Within the next ten days, everything would be in readiness for underground operations. (Eureka Reporter, April 9, 1926)

January 15, 1928
A list of shipments during 1927 showed that the Eureka Lily Mining company was a subsidiary of the Chief Consolidated Mining company, along with the Plutus Mining company. (Salt Lake Mining Review, January 15, 1938)

March 4, 1931
"Operate Five Mines -- The [Chief Consolidated] company had the following mines in operation during the past year: No. 1 mine; Plutus mine; Eureka Lily mine; Grand Central mine; and Eureka Hill mine. In addition to these, it has given over on short term leases the following properties owned or controlled by the Chief Consolidated company: Eureka Bullion Mining company; part of Eureka Lily Mining company; part of East Tintic Consolidated Mining company; the Baltimore property; and the Tintic Bullion property." (Salt Lake Telegram, March 4, 1931)

November 30, 1933
Eureka Lily Mining company began allowing leasers to work its mine, not for the gain of the company but as a way to give employment to as many men as possible during the "record-breaking depression." The leasers would be allowed a percentage of the earnings for the ore they extract. As of this date, about 75 men were working in the mine. The men were well known for have the special skills needed and the companies involved did not want to lose these skilled workers during the difficult economic times. Most of the work would be in development work, which was needed within the mine for future production. This was similar to the arrangement recently made by the Chief Consolidated company in its No. 1 mine. The Chief Consolidated company was allowing the Eureka Lily mine to use the shaft and surface facilities of the Chief Consolidated's adjacent North Lily company. The Eureka Lily company had stopped development work in its mine a year before, in November 1932. (Eureka Reporter, November 3, 1932; November 30, 1933)

October 18, 1934
A vein of rich ore was found at the north end of the Eureka Lily mine. The ore was found on the 900 level where work is being handled through the North Lily shaft, about 100 feet below the point where ore had previously been taken. The ore vein was 15 feet wide and had a length of 50 feet. Work in the Eureka Lily was being done by leasers, who would receive a percentage of the earnings. (Eureka Reporter, October 18, 1934)

Eureka Lily Sold To Tintic Standard (1936)

January 2, 1936
Tintic Standard buys Eureka Lily -- Control of the Eureka Lily Mining company was sold by the Chief Consolidated Mining company, to the Tintic Standard Mining company. The Chief Consolidated company held 61 percent of all Eureka Lily stock. The Eureka Lily comprised 15 patented claims situated on 127 acres.

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