Weber Mines Papers, 1872-1991

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Weber Mines
Title
Weber Mines Papers
Dates
1872-1991 (inclusive)
Quantity
3 cubic feet
Collection Number
MG360 (collection)
Summary
Personal and business correspondence, legal papers, financial records, and smelter returns maintained by the three members of the Weber family (Frederick A., Frank C., and Caro Lou) operating a silver mine near Lakeview, 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
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Weber mine, situated near Lakeview, Idaho, at the southern end of Lake Pend d'Oreille, was located between September 27 and October 8, 1888, by W.A.D. Bell, Peter Steinmetz, and Albert Chamberlain for Frederick A. Weber and Simon P. Donnelly, grubstakers. Of the eleven claims located, only four, East and West Chloride, Eagle Town, and Iron Dollar, were patented. By 1925 the family retained only four of the remaining unpatented claims, Southern Cross 1 & 2, North Star Placer, and Quartz. The first car of ore, 40 tons, was shipped to Great Falls, Montana in January 1889. The yield was 47 oz. silver, and $1.80 in gold. In 1889 Stephen Flemming bought a one-half interest in the mine, with Weber and Donnelly each holding one-quarter. Flemming died the following year and in 1891 Weber bought his half interest from his widow, Mary.

A 30 ton capacity mill was built at Lakeview between the years 1894-1895, but soon fell into disuse. In 1896 a forest fire destroyed all timbering and buildings at the mine and Weber and Donnelly borrowed from Messrs. Campbell and Hyman to rebuild.

About 1900 the property was taken over by a Chicago based company, the Pend d'Oreille Mining and Milling Company, but little capital was expended and eventually the project reached the courts. Due to a row with Donnelly, the Weber mine was closed down from 1901-1906. In 1905 Weber made a trip to the east to bond the property, and in 1906 a three-quarter interest in the mine was sold to Standard Development Co. of Chicago for $250,000, with a $50,000 down payment, thus enabling Weber to pay off the Campbell-Hyman loan. Standard Development never paid the other $200,000, but instead tried to steal the property by organizing a new company. Weber worked the mine for them from 1907 to 1908, then they took over. In 1912 they started the bottom level and shipped 15 tons of 160 oz. silver ore. Actual work at the mine ended about 1917 and litigation which had been started several years before was finally concluded in 1920. In 1921 Frank Weber, nephew of Fred, supplied funds to reopen the mine, but it remained idle except for an unsuccessful effort in the 1930s by Harold Drummond, Cliff Moore, and R.S. Handy to treat the ores by a leaching process. Several attempts were made to sell the mine in 1930s and 1940s; one of those initially interested was Henry L. Day. No sale was made and the mine was operated by lessees.

The interest of Frederick Weber descended to his nephew, Frank Weber, and Frank's daughter, Caro Lou Weber Bastian. The Donnelly interest was eventually acquired by W. Garvin Bastian, Caro Lou's husband. In 1948 Robert B. Austin of Spokane acquired a lease, known as the Austin-Meyer lease, on the Weber Mine and commenced operations in May of 1949. This operation, limited to the surface exposure, continued until the fall of 1965 when the ore body was depleted. In 1951 he subleased the portion of the property below the No. 3 tunnel level to the New Rainbow Mining Co. Considerable money was expended in reopening caved-in workings to reach areas indicated on assay maps resulting from the work prior to 1922 as having some ore zones. This work continued through 1957 when operations were curtailed because insufficient ore was uncovered to justify operations. The mine was sold to the Shoshone Silver Mining Co. in 1985.

Frederick A. Weber, a pioneer mining man in the Lakeview district, was born in Berne, Switzerland about 1846 and immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of two. The family settled in Madison, Indiana, where he was raised and where he remained until he was 21. He then engaged in the hat and fur business at Evansville, Indiana for about 10 years. In 1876 he attended the Centennial exposition at Philadelphia and became very interested in the mining exhibit. He came home with the idea to make mining his future business, but he was unable to leave Evansville until 1880, when he went to Leadville, Colorado and commenced his career as a mining man. In 1883 he was in Salt Lake where he had an option on some mining property at Little Cottonwood, some 30 miles west of Salt Lake. While there, in the fall of 1883, the newspaper story of Pritchard's great gold strike in the Coeur d'Alene district was printed. He came to the Coeur d'Alenes, by way of Butte, Montana in 1885, settling in the town of Eagle, then travelled north to Lakeview in the fall of 1888 with Al Chamberlain, Peter Steinmetz, Billy Bell, and Si Donnelly. Weber died December 11, 1928.

Frank C. Weber, nephew of Frank Weber, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 29, 1876. At the age of 15 he travelled to Idaho to help his uncle at the mine. In 1901 he moved to Lakeview for the mining season, then in winter he would return to Indianapolis to keep his real estate business going. He married Louise Marguerite Hereth in Indianapolis on January 5, 1910; she died May 20, 1938 in Lakeview. His daughter, Caro Lou was his partner in the mining enterprise. He died March 27, 1962.

Carolyn Louise Weber Bastian, daughter of Frank Weber, was born April 7, 1914 in Indianapolis, Indiana, and graduated from Tudor High School. She married William Garvin Bastian, then in the navy, in San Diego on June 3, 1943; they separated on June 15, 1958 and were divorced May 21, 1962, although they continued as partners in the mine until his death in 1972. On November 27, 1990 she was taken out of Lakeview by helicopter and she died March 10, 1991.

For a more detailed history of the mine and the Weber family see Edwin Fulwider's book Caro Lou: the miner's daughter (1993).

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The papers of the Weber family span the years 1872 to 1991. Included are correspondence, legal papers, financial records, and smelter returns maintained by the three members of the Weber family concerned in the operation of the mine. A majority of the correspondence concerns the mine, but a few letters are personal in nature. Also included are several items concerning the Niklaus family, relatives of Louise (Lulu) Hereth Weber.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The papers of the Webers were in labeled boxes when received. The material appeared to have been sorted by the individual generating the records and this arrangement was retained during processing. The photographs and Niklaus family records were with the papers of Carolyn Louise, and this seemed to be a logical place for them. The material within each series had no order, therefore it was separated by type; all correspondence was put in chronological order, except for those few cases where a group of letters was bundled together. Each of these groups was arranged chronologically and placed in separate folders labeled with the name of the correspondent. Folders were placed in alphabetical order within each series.

The papers of Frederick Weber, founder of the mine, include abstracts of title to the claims, early assays, correspondence, legal documents, many of which concern the acquiring of ownership from partners, the articles of incorporation, and several undated reports on mine production and potential.

Frank Weber's papers are the least voluminous and include correspondence concerning both the mine and his Indiana real estate business, legal documents, mining locations, proofs of labor, reports on the mine, some of which duplicate those in his uncle's papers, and a few smelter returns.

The largest series contains the papers of Carolyn Louise, or Caro Lou as she was known. Included are correspondence, both personal and concerning the mine, information on the Lakeview Townsite Improvement Association, legal documents including records relating to her mother's estate, maps of the Lakeview area, mining claim location notices, survey maps and tax returns for herself and her father. Among the non-mining papers are her baby book and related memorabilia, a notebook she kept while working with the Indianapolis Art League, engraved visiting and greeting cards dating from 1868-1890, and Niklaus family memorabilia including a 1872 travel diary of a trip to Geneva, Switzerland kept by Carrie Niklaus.

Among the photographs included in Caro Lou's papers are pictures of Lakeview in the 1900s, of Frank Weber's launch "Navy" with family members aboard, Weber family photographs, Spokane Falls and the Monroe Street Bridge taken about 1920, and a large group of negatives. Most of the negatives are of Caro Lou as a child, but they also include negatives of a trip to California, probably taken by her parents, and what appears to be an Armistice Day Parade, probably in Indianapolis.

Acquisition Information

The papers of three members of the Weber family involved in the Weber group of mines in Lakeview, Idaho, were donated to the University of Idaho Library by Edwin Fulwider in August 1992.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I. Frederick A. Weber , 1889-1926Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1
Abstracts of title to mining claims
3 items
1901
1/2
Assays
34 items
1913-1925
1/3-7
Correspondence
359 items
1889-1926
1/8
James G. Berryhill
18 items
1904-1905
1/9
Harry G. Blackwell
47 items
1904-1905
1/10
James J. Jennings
18 items
1906-1907
1/11
A.H. Weber
37 items
1922-1925
1/12
Undated and miscellaneous
20 items
undated
1/13
Legal Documents: Agreements
9 items
1894-1924
1/14
Agreements: Mary Fleming
4 items
1892
1/15
Power of Attorney to locate and sell
8 items
1897-1899
1/16
Simon Donnelly vs. Fred A. Weber
5 items
1907-1908
1/17
Summons and complaints
4 items
1922
1/18
Water locations
5 items
1889-1890; 1923
1/19
Fred A. Weber vs. John W. Cheer
11 items
1915-1916
1/20
Fred A. Weber vs. Simon Donnelly
3 items
1907-1920
1/21
Will of Fred A. Weber
1 item
1907
1/22
Other Lakeview mines
9 items
1890-1906
1/23
Pend d'Oreille Mining and Reduction Company
28 items
1903-1914
1/24
Standard Development Company
9 items
1906-1909
1/25
Weber Group of Mines: Articles of Incorporation, history, etc.
13 items
1893-1942
1/26
Reports
9 items
undated
1/27
Financial material
86 items
1894-1914

Series II. Frank C. Weber , 1906-1949Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/28
Assessment roll
4 items
1942-1943
1/29-33
Correspondence
508 items
1909-1942
2/34
Correspondence
113 items
1943-1948
2/35
W.F. McNaughton
14 items
1943-1946
2/36
Woodley contract
17 items
1924-1926
2/37
Legal documents
8 items
1906-1949
2/38
Mining locations, proofs of labor, etc.
40 items
1928-1946
2/39
Reports on Weber mines
9 items
1907-1929
2/40
Smelter returns
8 items
1922-1934

Series III. Caro Lou Weber Bastian , 1872-1991Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2/41
Copper engraving plates
2 items
1943
2/42
Correspondence of Lulu Weber
5 items
1909-1919
2/43-45
Correspondence
158 items
1919-1990
2/46
Austin-Meyer and other leases
52 items
1941-1967
2/47
Garvin Bastian re: mine lease by Conjecture mines, Inc.
42 items
1967
2/48
Garvin Bastian re: property
19 items
1962-1968
2/49
Garvin Bastian's estate
34 items
1972-1979
2/50
Divorce file
50 items
1956-1962
2/51
Flanner & Buchanan mortuary
6 items
1953-1957
2/52
Burt Lehn
4 items
1970-1974
2/53
W.W. Martin
17 items
1973-1974
2/54
Martin-Scheller lease
17 items
1973-1983
2/55
Lou A. Weber (cousin)
21 items
1972-1985
2/56
Forest Service road survey map of the proposed Lakeview route
1 item
1977
2/57
Lakeview Townsite Improvement Association
36 items
1950-1987
2/58
Legal Documents: Birth, marriage & death certificates
5 items
1914-1991
2/59
Idaho
9 items
1934-1981
2/60
Indiana
3 items
1899-1942
2/61
Lulu Weber estate
47 items
1936-1942
2/62
Maps of Lakeview Mining District
4 items
undated
2/63
Mining claim locations
9 items
1967-1983
2/64
Miscellaneous
9 items
1934-1982
2/65
Newspaper clippings
28 items
1925-1984
2/66
Quartz location notices (copies) and maps
11 items
1949-1950
2/67
Royalties on silver concentrates
25 items
1979-1981
2/68-73
Smelter returns, Austin-Meyer lease
211 items
1949-1954
3/74-75
Smelter returns, Austin-Meyer lease
82 items
1955-1958
3/76
Smelter returns, various leases
27 items
1963-1965; 1976
3/77
Survey maps
2 items
1971
3/78
Tax returns for Frank and Caro Lou Weber
14 items
1954-1962
3/79
Timber sales
10 items
1975-1977
3/80
Baby book and other memorabilia
24 items
1914-1932
3/81
Indianapolis Art League, notebook and brochures
3 items
1929-1949
3/82
Engraved visiting and greeting cards
15 items
1868-1890
3/83
Niklaus family: history
8 items
undated
3/84
Photographs and clippings
21 items
1877-1903
3/85
Carrie Niklaus travel diary and correspondence
15 items
1872
3/86
Photographs: Glass negatives
3 items
undated
3/87
Caro Lou's Lakeview house
9 items
ca. 1930-1982
3/88
Caro Lou and the Weber family
42 items
ca. 1920-1960
3/89
Bayview & Coeur d'Alene
14 items
ca. 1890-1906
3/90
Frank Weber's launch "Navy" with wife, sisters & maid; Webers leaving Lakeview for winter in Indianapolis; Woman in boat with string of fish
9 items
ca. 1913
3/91
Lakeview main street; Women vote for the first time in Lakeview
2 items
1920s
3/92
Lakeview, aerial view, 1932; Weber mine, ca. 1910; Weber open pit #1, ca. 1980
6 items
3/93
Indianapolis home; Garvin's family
11 items
ca. 1940-1979
3/94
Lakeview & vacation
36 items
ca. 1966-1985
3/95
Spokane: Monroe St. Bridge, Spokane Falls
7 items
ca. 1920
3/96
Miscellaneous photographs
6 items
ca. 1900-1920
3/97
Negatives
261 items
ca. 1910-1960

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Mining corporations -- Idaho -- Lakeview -- Records and correspondence
  • Silver mines and mining -- Idaho -- Bonner County -- Records and correspondence

Personal Names

  • Bastian, Carolyn Louise Weber, 1914-1991-- Correspondence
  • Weber, Frank C., 1876-1962 -- Correspondence
  • Weber, Frederick A., ca. 1846-1928 -- Correspondence

Corporate Names

  • Weber Mines -- Records and correspondence