Tintic, North Lily Mining Co.

Index For This Page

This page was last updated on March 1, 2026.

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

(Although incomplete, research suggests that none of the North Lily Mining company properties were part of the renewed activity in the Tintic district under the Kennecott lease of 1955. Except for the Dragon Consolidated mine, none of the North Lily properties were active during the early 1970s when Anaconda, especially after closing its International smelter in 1972, began arrangements to merge and consolidate its holdings in the Tintic district.)

North Lily Mining Company (1916-1925)

October 6, 1916
The North Lily Mining company was incorporated on October 6, 1916, with H. G. Snyder as president and A. N. Holdaway as vice president. The other officers and directors were Gidean Snyder, Ben G. Hite, and Claude Freed. The company purchased the Snyder and Horton groups of mining claims, which adjoin the north boundary of the Eureka Lily Mining company. Work was to begin on sinking a 1000-foot deep shaft immediately. The two mining claims were being surveyed in preparation to file for patents. H. G. Snyder was also manager of the adjoining Eureka Lily Mining company. (Salt Lake Herald, October 7, 1916; Eureka Reporter, February 2, 1917)

October 17, 1918
Five mining claims were deeded to H. G. Snyder by A. J. Weber, including the Caldwell, Weber, Miller, Clark, and Dewey. Then H. G. Snyder deeded the same five claims, along with the Natrona claim to the North Lily Mining company. (Ogden Standard Examiner, October 18, 1918)

(These same six claims were surveyed and patented by the U. S. Land Office in August 1919.)

"In 1924 the North Lily Mining Company's holdings consisted of seven undeveloped mining claims, whose only claim to merit was its proximity to the one productive mine, the Tintic Standard, in the East Tintic District. By acquiring the East Tintic Coalition Mining Company property in 1926, and several other properties since then, the North Lily has now become a very important producer, with an average production of more than 6,000 tons of ore per month." (Utah--Resources And Activities, Department Of Public Instruction, 1933, Page 317)

April 11, 1924
An option had been signed in early April, and a first and second payment had been made. A third and final payment was made in July. Two diamond drills of the Anaconda company had been moved to the North Lily Mining company ground in early April 1924 in preparation for exploratory drilling to take place. (Eureka Reporter, April 11, 1924; Salt Lake Mining Review, May 15, 1924; Eureka Reporter, June 6, 1924; Salt Lake Tribune, June 10, 1924; Eureka Reporter, July 11, 1924)

April 1924
The North Lily property "was purchased by the International Smelting company about a year and a half ago after extensive diamond drilling were conducted." (Salt Lake Tribune, October 10, 1925)

(None of the above reports from 1924 directly referred to the buyer as being the International Smelting company, a subsidiary of Anaconda copper company. The first reference to that relationship came later on October 16, 1925, when the East Tintic Coalition Mining company was "secured" by the North Lily Mining company, as a subsidiary of the International company. -- Eureka Reporter, October 16, 1925)

July 1924
"In July 1924 controlling interest in the North Lily Mining Co. was purchased by the International Smelting and Refining Co. and a program of drilling exploration was undertaken from the surface. While the drilling was in progress in May 1925, other East Tintic properties, including the East Tintic Coalition Mining Co., the Standard Lily Extension, and the eastern part of the Yankee Mining Co., were added to the holdings, and the Addie group was taken under lease." (USGS Professional Paper 1024, published in 1979, page 155)

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 East Tintic Coalition stock were invited to exchange eight shares of their stock for one share of North Lily stock. (Salt Lake Tribune, October 10, 1925)

"Following its purchase of the North Lily, the company [International Smelting] secured an option on the Addie, an option for the control of the Mountain View Mining company, owning the Uncle Sam and the May Day and control of the Yankee parties on Godiva Hill." (Salt Lake Tribune, October 10, 1925)

May 22, 1925
The Yankee Consolidated mine and the East Tintic Coalition Mining company were "secured" by the International Smelting company. (Eureka Reporter, May 22, 1925; October 16, 1925)

May 30, 1925
"At the meeting held a few days ago in Salt Lake, shareholders of the Addie Mining Company of Tintic ratified action of officers in entering into an agreement which will mean the transfer of their holdings to the International Smelting & Refining Company. The Addie is but one of half a dozen local properties that are to be taken over by the International. Under the terms of the deal arranged for the Addie the smelting company is to take over the development of the ground at once, paying $5,000 down, and having until December, 1926, to pay the next $25,000, while the balance of the $100,000 will be paid over in December, 1927." (Salt Lake Mining Review, May 30, 1925)

(The Addie was bordered by the East Tintic Consolidated on the southeast, the Yankee Consolidated on the southwest, and the East Tintic Coalition on the east.)

In 1928 the North Lily mine had installed a new hoisting plant and commenced the construction of a tramway. (Eureka Reporter, February 24, 1928)

By 1929, International Smelting company, already in control of the North Lily, acquired the Knight properties. The Knight acquisition, for about $1,000,000, was made under the name of the North Lily Mining Company. (Eureka Reporter, May 2, 1929; July 11, 1929)

September 7, 1935
From the Deseret News, September 7, 1935

Development of the extensive holdings of the North Lily Mining company in the East Tintic mining region, will be resumed immediately, it was learned today. A crew of men has been put to work cleaning out the tunnel which connects the triple compartment shaft of the North Lily, and the double compartment shaft of the Big Hill Mining company, both subsidiary properties of the International Smelting company. The two shafts are connected from the 1200 foot level of the North Lily. When this work is completed, development work will be resumed in the Tintic Bullion ground, lying to the west of the North Lily. The Tintic Bullion acreage was acquired by the North Lily company from the Chief Consolidated Mining company in 1929.

The ground was acquired after investigation by the North Lily management, but area was never developed. A crosscut was started from the tunnel which connects the North Lily and Big Hill shafts on the 1200 level, but the work was halted before the objective was reached at the time the mine was closed down because of the depression.

The objective of this work will be to crosscut a northeast fissure zone in the Tintic Bullion at a point just above the Ophir limestone. All the work will be done through the North Lily and a crew has been engaged for the work.

The North Lily owns 10 patented claims in the Tintic district besides the Tintic Bullion, Baltimore and Hannibal. Among other assets is controlling interest of the North Lily Knight company which was organized in 1930 to acquire certain stock ownership and mining acreage of the Knight Investment company. North Lily owns 1,464.445 shares of the capital stock of the East Tintic Coalition Mining company, also.

Development of the North Lily ground was begun through the Tintic Standard workings and carried on from 1926 until 1928. In May, 1928, North Lily completed its own surface plant and shaft and has since mined through this shaft.

North Lily Mining Company Reorganized (1941-1976)

July 9, 1941
The North Lily Mining company was incorporated as a consolidation of the previous North Lily Mining company, and the North Lily Knight company, which was 95 percent controlled by the North Lily Mining company. The consolidation was approved by the boards and shareholders of both companies on July 8, 1941. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 9, 1941; July 11, 1941; July 16, 1941)

(The effective date of the consolidation was July 9, 1941)

(Both the previous and the new North Lily Mining company was a subsidiary of the International Smelting and Refining company, which in-turn was a subsidiary of the Anaconda company.)

(The North Lily Mining company became a full subsidiary of the International Smelting company on July 9, 1941, and after that date no attempt was made to show ore shipments or revenue of the Tintic operations as separate from those of any other mine controlled by the International company, including its Bingham properties.)

(The story continues with the merged new North Lily company of 1941)

###