Stanley Mills: Part Three. Two Smelters and the Consolidated Stanley Mines.
Posted by Chris Walker on Jul 16, 2016; 6:12am
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Stanley-Mills-Part-Three-Two-Smelters-and-the-Consolidated-Stanley-Mines-tp5619.html
X-3508 http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/6201/rv/singleitem
Out past the Western end of Idaho Springs was a place called Spanish Bar named back in the days when the Clear Creek was being Placer mined. Once the sluice miners moved on further upstream to richer "diggings" the hardrock miners moved in and laid claim to this area that later came to be known as Stanley Mills on the C&S.
Here there were a large number of mines and a couple of smelters were established. The location of the largest and longest lived Mine, actually on a Railroad siding served by the C.C./U.P.D.&G./C.&S. and still standing today pretty much in the same form as when the C&S pulled out way back in 1939, that story is to be found here. One of these Smelter buildings was re-purposed for a seperate mining claim before being demolished. There has been several mis-interpretations of that in previous publications which I hope to set right here and also show why the new Shafthouse of the Plutus was completely replaced by another nearby only after a few short years.
Much re-development of this area under the Con. took place over the years and the following photographs will illustrate this to good measure. I have touched on this area previously in Stanley Mills: Part One....The Lincoln and Alma-Lincoln Mills.
http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Stanley-Mills-Part-One-The-Lincoln-and-Alma-Lincoln-Mills-tp3389.html
and in Stanley Mills: Part Two. Salisbury Mill and Donna Juanita Mine.
http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Stanley-Mills-Part-Two-Salisbury-Mill-and-Donna-Juanita-Mine-tp3483.html
In past written works, this whole area has some confusion as to the application and useage of the Stanley Mine name which was the Road Level Tunnel located adjacent the (newest) Gehrmann Shafthouse that still stands today, the "old" Stanley Shafthouse was the Plutus Mine. Add into this the former Hukill and Whale Mines became the Stanley Consolidated with the Crockett, Salisbury, Pride-of-the-West and York properties among a host of other claims and you can easily see where some confusion exists in the vernacular. The Whale Adit has also been known as the Stanley Mine and the Skyrocket Mine was also called the Stanley Mine to add further confusion.
To this extent I have used the USGS references 1908, 1917 and 1966 to compile this but make no attempt to unravel the complex corporate structure of the various Mining Companies that oversaw the operation of the numerous claims.
The first of the "new era" Smelters on Spanish Bar was the Whale.
CHS.X4592 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/10098/rv/singleitem/rec/63
This building was later truncated and modified into a Mill for the adjacent Crockett Mine on the North Bank of Clear Creek but lasted in this configuration only for a short time. It did not become the Stanley Con Smelter as stated in Abbott/McLeod Colorado Central Rail Road, Sundance Publications pg320 and 322. The derelict Brick foundation rectangles of this building were still to be seen in many of the later views and the adjacent Boardinghouse, that later became the Stanley Hotel provides a key locator. The single large-stacked Whale Smelter building construction was similar but differing considerably to that of the nearby Plutus Smelter built later and shown in this photo below.
from pg 26 Secure The Shadow: Lachlan McLean: Colorado Mining Photographer Duane Smith/Hank Wieler CSM Press 1980
Of interest was the Crockett Tunnel portal directly alongside the grade of the Colorado Central. The Mill building is now only half the original length of the Whale Smelter. In the foreground is the newly constructed Plutus Hoisthouse.
from Abbott/McLeod Colorado Central Rail Road, Sundance Publications pg322.
In Mills of Fall River. Connecting the Dots. http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Mills-of-Fall-River-tp2576p2809.html I introduced several photos of a Flume under construction shown here in a companion view by Lachlan McLean.
Z-4758 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/87952/rv/singleitem/rec/525
that led to this building shown on the left.
Lachlan McLean photo Idaho Springs Historical Society coll.
An inside view of the Compressor House.
CHS-B396 http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/3886/rv/singleitem/rec/43
Sanborn Fire Map 1908
from the Colliery Engineer and Metal Mines 1894, Volumes 14 and 15. (SIC Standley)
Installation of the Nozzle that required some good old-fashioned hard work digging down that deep in the bed of Clear Creek with only handtools.
Z-4761 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/80202/rv/singleitem
Note that this snippet from Colorado School of Mines Library confirms the 1894 Date.
General mining news. Colorado (Nov. 3, 1894).
1. Plutus Smelter 2. Plutus Mine Hoisthouse 3. Salisbury Mill 4. Foundation remains Whale Smelter 5. Boardinghouse
6. Powerhouse 7. Crockett Tunnel 8. Whale Adit dump 9. (Future site) Gehrmann Shafthouse 10. Lincoln Mill 11. (Future site) Donna Juanita Headframe (orange)
Lachlan McLean photo Idaho Springs Historical Society coll.
The Mayflower Mill and Hoisthouse was a short distance East of the Whale Smelter.
CHS-B678 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/4034/rv/singleitem/rec/510
Sanborn Fire Map
EDIT:
Lachlan McLean photo
enlarged to show the Hyland Mine(the stealthiest mine building ever).
The Mayflower came under control of new owners.
Lachlan McLean photo
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Stanley-Mills-Part-Three-Two-Smelters-and-the-Consolidated-Stanley-Mines-tp5619.html
X-3508 http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/6201/rv/singleitem
Out past the Western end of Idaho Springs was a place called Spanish Bar named back in the days when the Clear Creek was being Placer mined. Once the sluice miners moved on further upstream to richer "diggings" the hardrock miners moved in and laid claim to this area that later came to be known as Stanley Mills on the C&S.
Here there were a large number of mines and a couple of smelters were established. The location of the largest and longest lived Mine, actually on a Railroad siding served by the C.C./U.P.D.&G./C.&S. and still standing today pretty much in the same form as when the C&S pulled out way back in 1939, that story is to be found here. One of these Smelter buildings was re-purposed for a seperate mining claim before being demolished. There has been several mis-interpretations of that in previous publications which I hope to set right here and also show why the new Shafthouse of the Plutus was completely replaced by another nearby only after a few short years.
Much re-development of this area under the Con. took place over the years and the following photographs will illustrate this to good measure. I have touched on this area previously in Stanley Mills: Part One....The Lincoln and Alma-Lincoln Mills.
http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Stanley-Mills-Part-One-The-Lincoln-and-Alma-Lincoln-Mills-tp3389.html
and in Stanley Mills: Part Two. Salisbury Mill and Donna Juanita Mine.
http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Stanley-Mills-Part-Two-Salisbury-Mill-and-Donna-Juanita-Mine-tp3483.html
In past written works, this whole area has some confusion as to the application and useage of the Stanley Mine name which was the Road Level Tunnel located adjacent the (newest) Gehrmann Shafthouse that still stands today, the "old" Stanley Shafthouse was the Plutus Mine. Add into this the former Hukill and Whale Mines became the Stanley Consolidated with the Crockett, Salisbury, Pride-of-the-West and York properties among a host of other claims and you can easily see where some confusion exists in the vernacular. The Whale Adit has also been known as the Stanley Mine and the Skyrocket Mine was also called the Stanley Mine to add further confusion.
To this extent I have used the USGS references 1908, 1917 and 1966 to compile this but make no attempt to unravel the complex corporate structure of the various Mining Companies that oversaw the operation of the numerous claims.
The first of the "new era" Smelters on Spanish Bar was the Whale.
CHS.X4592 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/10098/rv/singleitem/rec/63
This building was later truncated and modified into a Mill for the adjacent Crockett Mine on the North Bank of Clear Creek but lasted in this configuration only for a short time. It did not become the Stanley Con Smelter as stated in Abbott/McLeod Colorado Central Rail Road, Sundance Publications pg320 and 322. The derelict Brick foundation rectangles of this building were still to be seen in many of the later views and the adjacent Boardinghouse, that later became the Stanley Hotel provides a key locator. The single large-stacked Whale Smelter building construction was similar but differing considerably to that of the nearby Plutus Smelter built later and shown in this photo below.
from pg 26 Secure The Shadow: Lachlan McLean: Colorado Mining Photographer Duane Smith/Hank Wieler CSM Press 1980
Of interest was the Crockett Tunnel portal directly alongside the grade of the Colorado Central. The Mill building is now only half the original length of the Whale Smelter. In the foreground is the newly constructed Plutus Hoisthouse.
from Abbott/McLeod Colorado Central Rail Road, Sundance Publications pg322.
In Mills of Fall River. Connecting the Dots. http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Mills-of-Fall-River-tp2576p2809.html I introduced several photos of a Flume under construction shown here in a companion view by Lachlan McLean.
Z-4758 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/87952/rv/singleitem/rec/525
that led to this building shown on the left.
Lachlan McLean photo Idaho Springs Historical Society coll.
An inside view of the Compressor House.
CHS-B396 http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/3886/rv/singleitem/rec/43
Sanborn Fire Map 1908
from the Colliery Engineer and Metal Mines 1894, Volumes 14 and 15. (SIC Standley)
Installation of the Nozzle that required some good old-fashioned hard work digging down that deep in the bed of Clear Creek with only handtools.
Z-4761 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/80202/rv/singleitem
Note that this snippet from Colorado School of Mines Library confirms the 1894 Date.
General mining news. Colorado (Nov. 3, 1894).
1. Plutus Smelter 2. Plutus Mine Hoisthouse 3. Salisbury Mill 4. Foundation remains Whale Smelter 5. Boardinghouse
6. Powerhouse 7. Crockett Tunnel 8. Whale Adit dump 9. (Future site) Gehrmann Shafthouse 10. Lincoln Mill 11. (Future site) Donna Juanita Headframe (orange)
Lachlan McLean photo Idaho Springs Historical Society coll.
The Mayflower Mill and Hoisthouse was a short distance East of the Whale Smelter.
CHS-B678 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/4034/rv/singleitem/rec/510
Sanborn Fire Map
EDIT:
Lachlan McLean photo
enlarged to show the Hyland Mine(the stealthiest mine building ever).
The Mayflower came under control of new owners.
Lachlan McLean photo
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