Monitor Mining Company Records, 1937-1947

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Monitor Mining Company
Title
Monitor Mining Company Records
Dates
1937-1947 (inclusive)
Quantity
12 cubic feet
Collection Number
MG259 (collection)
Summary
Minutes of meetings, financial statements, correspondence with suppliers and stockholders, annual statements and reports to state agencies, stock ledgers and journals, cancelled stock certificates, assessment records, and financial records of a silver-lead mine in the Coeur d'Alene mining region of northern Idaho.
Repository
University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funds for processing were provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the U.S. Department of Education HEA Title II-C "Strengthening Research Library Resources" program, the Library Associates of the University of Idaho and other donors.
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

In June 1940, John Wourms, R.W. Anno, H.J. Hull, S.F. Heitfeld, and Paul Jessup, all executives associated with the Day interests, incorporated the Monitor Mining Company under the laws of the State of Idaho, with the purpose of consolidating management of a number of properties in the Sunset Peak region north of Wallace. The authorized capitalization of the Monitor Mining Co. was two million shares, each with a par value of fifty cents. The first directors of Monitor were Wourms, who served as president; Anno, who became secretary; Hull, vice president; Jessup; and Henry Buhrmester. In December 1940, Henry Day became manager. From 1942 until Monitor's consolidation into Day Mines, Inc., the directors consisted of Henry Day, who succeeded Wourms as president; F.M. Rothrock; S.F. Heitfeld, who also served as secretary-treasurer; H.J. Hull; and Wray Farmin. Jessup served as comptroller and followed Wourms as company attorney.

Throughout its brief existence of little more than seven years, the Monitor Mining Co. constantly acquired additional mines, properties, and stock in mining firms in the Beaver Mining District. By the time Monitor was absorbed into Day Mines, Inc. in 1947 it owned 162 patented claims, covering 2,133.5 acres, and an additional 53 unpatented claims. Most of these claims were in one contiguous group. Many of them had been productive in the decade preceding 1900 and had seen a great deal of activity during World War I. Through exchanges of stock the Monitor initially gained control of the property of the Amazon-Manhattan, Ray-Jefferson, Blue Grouse, and Virginia companies. In 1943 the Portland Mining Company similarly merged its 16 patented and 27 unpatented claims and a majority interest in six other unpatented claims. From the Interstate-Callahan, Monitor in 1945 acquired 79 patented and four unpatented claims, along with a controlling stock interest in the Silver State Mining Company, with its six patented claims adjacent to the Monitor's holdings. In 1945 Monitor also acquired the Reudy Group of nine claims and a mill site on Sunset peaks, and, in the following year, began development of the Galena property of the Vulcan Mining Co. and acquired the Hill property, the McGrath homestead property, and the Callahan cabin.

In August 1942, to finance development, the Monitor Company borrowed $45,000 from its major stockholders. Of this sum, $12,500 came from Eleanor Day Boyce, $7,500 each from Henry Day, the Gallands, and the Paulsens, and $5,000 each from the Leonards and Albert Owes. The Monitor's exploration activities revived this long dormant area, resulting in the establishment of camps and plants at the portals of the Amazon 700 level and the Carlisle adit and the rehabilitation of the Ray-Jefferson mill as a flotation concentrator.

Although Monitor leased out portions of its holdings and itself produced a considerable amount of lead and zinc ore during World War II, as a corporation it was not profitable, claiming a net loss of $320,500 during the last three years of its existence. It never paid dividends. On September 24, 1947, 89.26% of the Monitor stock was voted in favor of consolidation into Day Mines, Inc.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The records of the Monitor Mining Company span the years 1937 to 1947, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1940-1947. Included are minutes of meetings, financial statements, correspondence with suppliers and stockholders, annual statements and reports to state agencies, stock ledgers and journals, cancelled stock certificates, assessment records, lists of stockholders, financial ledgers and journals, vouchers, check registers, and tax returns.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The records of the Monitor Mining Company are divided into six series: Records of the Board of Directors and the Stockholders, General Correspondence and Related Records, Capital Stock Records, Financial Records, and Ore Production Records.

The first series, Records of the Board of Directors and the Stockholders, includes minutes of meetings, by-laws, and annual reports.

General Correspondence and Related Records, the second series, contains a wide variety of records relating to the financing, claims, operations, production, mill shipments, and other activities of the Monitor Mining Company and its predecessors, the Callahan Zinc-Lead, Amazon-Manhattan, Silver State, and Portland mining companies. It is divided into two alphabetical series. In addition to correspondence files, it includes balance sheets, stock transmittal letters, memoranda, telegrams, press releases, financial statements, accident reports, leases, equipment orders, ore settlements, bus accounts, lists of employees, lists of employees terminated, employment contracts, hospital contracts, federal explosive licenses, federal reporting forms for metal lines and mills, annual statements to the state of Idaho, assay reports, metallurgical summaries, federal and state income tax returns, progress and production reports, lists of stockholders, annual reports to stockholders, minutes, copies of governmental rulings and regulations, deeds for road rights of way, maps, silver affidavits, premium affidavits, and other records. They relate specifically to such topics as the consolidation of the Ray-Jefferson Mining Co. into the Monitor, acquisition of the Interstate Mine, financial returns of the Monitor Mining Co., accidents suffered by and health of Monitor employees, particularly silicosis cases, insurance compensation, operating leases of Monitor property, routine business of the company, financial returns, ore production and milling, transportation of workers, merger of the Amazon-Manhattan property into the Monitor, operation of the Monitor boarding house, employment and military deferments, hiring of soldiers, taxation of the Monitor and of the Silver State Mining Co., mine development, ore tests, sales and transfers of stock, diamond drilling, contributions to the Idaho War Fund, registration of motor vehicles, contracts with the Sullivan and Bunker Hill mills, milling equipment, merger with Portland Mining Co., purchase of claims on Sunset Peak, War Production Board quotas and wartime restrictions, approvals of the Office of Defense Transportation for new vehicles and motor fuels tax refunds, wage regulations of the Nonferrous Metals Commission, mine access roads across national forests, distribution of the workforce, and other matters.

The third series is Capital Stock Records. Included are stock ledgers and journals, and proxy statements for Day Rock, Happy Day, King, Monitor, Sherman, Tamarack & Custer, and Treasure Vault companies.

The fourth series, Financial Records, contains ledgers, journals, voucher registers, a cash book, and voucher index file.

Ore Production Records, the fifth series, contains shipment records of the Amazon vein, Carlisle, Idora, Interstate-Daylight, Parrott, Silver Tip, Sitting Bull and Tough Nut claims.

Ore Production Records, the sixth series, includes time sheets.

Removal of cancelled stock certificates, returned assessment notices, vouchers, paid checks, bank statements, and duplicate materials reduced the size of this collection by five cubic feet.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Monitor Mining Company are part of the records of Day Mines, Inc., donated to the University of Idaho by Henry Day in 1984 and 1985.

Processing Note

Initial processing of this manuscript group was done by Dixie Miller in December 1987.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I. Records of the Board of Directors and the Stockholders , 1940-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Minutes
1940-1947
1/2
By-laws
1940
1/3-6
Records relating to meetings
1940-1947
1/7
Annual reports
1940-1947

Series II. General Correspondence and Related Records , 1937-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
A. General Records
1944-1946
Box/Folder
1/8
A
1944-1946
1/9-10
Accidents
1944
1/10a
Accident reports
1943-1948
1/11
E.C. Harding (silicosis case)
1947
1/12
Raymond M. Magrini (silicosis case)
1945
1/13
John J. Sirilla
1944
1/14
Annual reports to State Mine Inspector
1941-1947
1/15
Annual statements of domestic corporations
1940-1947
1/16
B
1944-1947
1/17
Boarding house
1942-1946
1/18
C
1944-1947
1/19
Callahan Zinc-Lead Company
1945-1946
1/20
Annual report
1919-1920
1/21
Memorandum of agreement
1945
1/22
And Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Company: lead contract
1942-1947
1/23
And Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Company: Zinc contract
1941-1946
1/24
Consolidation
1939-1943
1/25
Contracts
1943-1944
1/26
Contracts: hospital
1942-1947
1/27
D
1943-1947
1/28
Day, Harry L.
1940-1943
1/29
Day, Henry Lawrence
1940-1945
1/30
E
1944-1947
1/31
Employment: quits and reasons
1942-1943
1/32
F
1944-1947
1/33-34
G
1944-1947
1/35
Group: Cooney and Friend
1946-1947
1/36
H-I
1944-1946
1/37
Idaho State Insurance Fund
1943-1946
1/38
J-L
1944-1947
1/39
Lease: Doyle & Featherstone
1947
1/40
Idora
1944-1945
1/41
Kellough and Stokes
1946
1/42
Parrott (Quota committee, Caron Brothers)
1946
1/43
Silver Tip, Kirby & Semenza
1944-1945
1/44
Silver Tip, Henry E. Olson
2/45
Sitting Bull Dump, Gardner & Wetherton
1943
2/46
Sitting Bull, Dean Wolford and Leland Balley
1944
2/47
Sitting Bull: Zanetti
1943
2/48
Sunset lease
1944
2/49
Tuscumbia and Tough Nut claims, Nelson, Pearson, and Chapen
1946
2/50
Virginia - Dan Murphy
1941-1944
2/51
M
1944-1947
2/52
Mill
1943-1944
2/53
N-O
1944-1947
2/54
P
1944-1947
2/55
Portland Mining Co., prop. by Norman Ebbley, Jr.
1916-1921; 1941-1942
2/56-57
Portland to Monitor, transfers
1943
2/58
R
1945-1947
2/59
Ranges, Electric
1943-1945
2/60
Reconstruction Finance Corp., Surplus Property Division
1945
2/61
Reports - Evaluations, Norman Ebbley, Jr.
1928; 1940-1942
2/62
Reports, Production
1943-1948
2/63
Reports, Progress
1943-1948
3/64
Ruedy, Dr. A.H.
1946
3/65
S
1943-1947
3/66
Shoshone Credit Association
1943-1947
3/67
Silver affidavits
1939-1946
3/68
Silver State Mining Company
1945-1947
3/69
Sink float
1943
3/70
Soldiers - Contract of employment
1943
3/71
Soldiers - Request for release
1943
3/72-75
Statements, Financial
1942-1947
3/76
Stockholders list
1941-1943
3/77
T
1944-1946
3/78
Taxes - Ray Jefferson, excess, profit
undated
3/79
Taxes - Return of income tax withheld on wages
1946
3/80
Taxes - State income tax returns
1940-1950
3/81
Truck
1942
3/82
U
1944-1946
3/83
U.S. Bureau of Mines, form 6-953
3/84
U.S. Bureau of Mines, Federal explosives act - licenses
1942-1945
3/85
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Census
1942-1943
3/86
U.S. Forestry Department, access roads
1943-1946
3/87
U.S. Nonferrous Metals Commission
1942-1945
3/88
U.S. Office of Defense Transportation
1942-1944
3/89
U.S. War Manpower Commission
1944
3/90-95
U.S. War Production Board - Premium affidavits
1945-1947
3/96
Premium estimates
1945-1947
3/97
Production for Quota Committee reports
1945-1946
3/98-100
Premium price plan for copper, lead, and zinc
1943-1945
4/101
Quota purchasing
1942-1945
4/102-104
Quota Committee monthly reports
1943-1947
4/105
W-Z
1944-1947
B. General Records
1937-1947
Box/Folder
4/106
A
1942-1943
4/107-108
Accidents
1943-1944
4/109
B-D
1942-1944
5/110
E-G
1941-1944
5/111
G.M.C. bus, Gholson and Spekker
1944
5/112
H-I
1940-1943
5/113
Interstate Mine
1942-1945
5/114
J-L
1941-1943
5/115
Lease: Amazon #1-2 dump, Smith, Nibarger, Kirby
1942-1943
5/116
Lease: Hercules Mill - feed settlements, Murphy
1942-1943
5/117
M-N
1941-1943
5/118
Old ledger sheets
1942
5/119
Ore record, Tuscumbia Mining Company
1911-1930
5/120
Ore shipments, Don Murphy Leasing Company
1939-1943
5/121
Ore shipments
1941-1943
5/122
P
1940-1944
5/123-124
Portland Mining Co., consolidation
1927-1943
5/125
R
1942-1943
5/127
Reports - Svendsen, R.H.
1918; 1937-1939
5/128-129
Statements, Financial
1942-1943
5/130
S-T
1942-1943; 1947
5/131-133
Transfers
1940-1943
5/134
U-V
1941-1943
5/135
Virginia Patent
1921-1922
5/136
W-Y
1943-1944

Series III. Capital Stock Records , 1940-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
5/137
Ledger
1940-1947
5/138
Transfer ledger
1940-1947
5/139
Journal
1940-1947
5/140-141
Proxy Statements: Day rock, Happy Day, King, Monitor, Sherman, Tamarack & Custer, Treasure Vault
1947

Series IV. Financial Records , 1940-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
7/142-143
Ledger
1940-1945
7/144
Voucher registers
1940-1942
os/145-146
Ledger/voucher registers
1942-1947
os/147
Journal
1943-1947
os/148
Cash book
1943-1947
os/149
Voucher index file
1942-1947

Series V. Ore Production and Shipment Records, Settlements , 1943-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
os/150
Amazon vein: lead and zinc
1943
os/151-154
Amazon vein: lead to ASARCO
1945-1947
os/155-162
Amazon vein: zinc to Sullivan
1944-1947
os/163
Amazon: Hercules Mill
1945
os/164-167
Carlisle
1944-1947
os/167a
Carlisle: monthly summaries
1951-1952
os/168-169
Idora
1945
9/170-171
Interstate-Daylight
1945-1946
9/172-177
Parrott
1943-1947
9/178-182
Silver Tip
1943-1946
9/183
Sitting Bull
1943
9/184-185
Tough nut
os/186
Shipment and Premium Record
1942-1945

Series V. Personnel Records , 1942-1947Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
10/187
Miscellaneous
1942-1945
10/188-218
Time sheets
Apr. 1943-Mar. 1945
11/219-252
Time sheets
Apr. 1945-May 1947
12/233-259
Time sheets
June-Sept. 1947

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Lead mines and mining -- Idaho -- Coeur d'Alene Mining District -- History -- Sources
  • Mining corporations -- Records -- Idaho -- Coeur d'Alene Mining District
  • Silver mines and mining -- Idaho -- Coeur d'Alene Mining District -- History -- Sources

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Monitor Mining Company