Archives West Finding Aid

The Duluth Mining Company was organized and incorporated on June 4, 1909, by Charles A. Andrews, Erick Hedin, secretary, James J. Murphy, president, O.A. Olin, vice president, and George L. Grunewald. Eugene Day replaced Erick Hedin as director following Hedin's death in 1917. The Company controlled seven mines consisting of the Duluth, Duluth Fraction, Minnie, Lillie, Lillie Fraction, Selma, and St. Louis in the Leland mining district, Shoshone County, Idaho. The Lindberg lode was acquired by the company in 1927.

Eugene R. Day died in 1922 and was succeeded on the board of directors by Jerome J. Day by 1925. The other company directors at that time were J.J. Murphy, president; Peter Bauer, vice president; F. Bland, secretary-treasurer; and W. C. Robinson.

In October of 1925 Henry L. Day and P.J. Maggy were elected to the board of directors after each received 5000 shares of Duluth Mining Company stock from Jerome J. Day. They replaced Peter Bauer and W. C. Robinson who had become ineligible as directors when their shares in the company were sold to pay delinquent assessments. As soon as Henry L. Day and P. J. Maggy had been sworn in as directors Jerome J. Day resigned from the board. Joseph A. Brown was elected to replace him and Henry L. Day was elected to fill the vice president's seat previously occupied by Peter Bauer.

In 1927 the company's officers were Walter B. Heitfeld, president; Henry L. Day, vice president; John E. Ryan, secretary-treasurer; P. J. Maggy and John F. Murphy. Following their election in July of that year it was announced that the company had no funds and an indebtedness of about nine hundred dollars for which an assessment of six mills per share was levied. Subsequent years saw additional stock assessments of from two to seven mills per share.

In January 1931 W.A. Devan succeeded the late John E. Ryan as a company director and as secretary-treasurer. Sometime between May 1931 and May 1933 P.J. Maggy left the area with embezzled funds, for which members of the Day family eventually made restitution, and was replaced by John H. Wourms. Also in May of 1933, S. F. Heitfeld, an accountant with the company, was elected to the board of directors and succeeded W.A. Devan as the company's secretary-treasurer.

In November 1941 Henry L. Day was elected president of the Duluth Mining Company, S.F. Heitfeld became vice president, and Henry Buhrmester was elected secretary-treasurer. The other directors at that time were John F. Murphy and John H. Wourms.

In 1947 following the deaths of Murphy and Wourms, F.M. Rothrock and R.W. Anno became company directors. That year also saw the end of the Duluth Mining Company as an independent organization. On June 19, 1947 the company's board of directors voted unanimously to approve a plan whereby the Duluth Mining Company would consolidate with the Hercules and other mining companies forming a new corporation to be known as Day Mines, Inc. The proposal was subsequently approved by the stockholders and the Duluth Mining Company ceased to exist.

The Day family was deeply involved with the Duluth Mining Company throughout its existence. In addition to serving as directors and company officers the Days were major stockholders in the company. Day family members who owned stock in the Duluth Mining Company prior to its consolidation into Day Mines, Inc., included Eugene Day, Jerome Day, Henry L. Day, Harry Loren Day, Lucy Mix Day, Bernice Day, and Eleanor Day Boyce.