The Bryant Mining District's "Relics Page"

I decided to share some random artifacts and relics from the past. Many of these items were passed down, or found scattered along the hillsides and mining properties. If you would like to feature something from your family's collection, we would love to show it on our site. Thank You for stopping by, Jacoby

(glendalecrazy@aol.com)

 

This token is from the Mose Morrison Saloon in Lion City, Montana. Andrew "Mose" Morrison was a respected citizen and one of the earlier settlers of the Bryant Mining District. He was murdered in Dillon, Montana after leaving the Nevada Saloon in which he was partners. The murder/suicide was the result of an affair he was having with a woman and her jealous suitor, the year was 1885.

This token was acquired in 2010 and shows the reverse side of the Mose Morrison Saloon. The Token bears the inscription,"The J.M. Brunswick & Balke Cos." I am not sure what the inscription "check" refers to.

 

 

Photo taken by Elias Foster Everitt of Mankato, Minnesota during his short time in Montana touring and photographing Yellowstone National Park during the mid 1870s. This image shows the Hecla Mining Company Smelter at Glendale probably in 1877 to 1878. Copy of this photo was graciously given by Paul Ostlie to the site author. This is an extremely rare image of the Smelter as it was not known that Everitt photographed in this area. Two men are seen standing at the bottom of the stairwell leading down to Trapper Creek in this photo. Trapper Creek fed the Smelter at Glendale and also provided water suppression for the town's fire fighting capabilities. Many structures in Glendale were lost to fire because the town lacked an ability to fight the blaze.
This wonderful artifact was found during the summer of 2010 while on a camping trip to Hecla. It is a hand molded pottery jug in miniature scale. Due to the size, it is apparent that it was a child's toy. It was laying in the creek bed, probably uncovered by one of the harsh winter snow melts.

This key almost cost me my life! Scaling the steep cliff side of Lion Mountian and upon reaching the platform of the once famous "Cleopatra Mine", this key lay exposed to the elements. I have wondered many times, who owned this key and what lock or what door it may have opened? Through the 120+ years of rust, you can still make out the gold or brass tone of the key.
This milk bottle is one of many that originated from the George Howard Dairy at Glendale, Montana. The family of Sarah Howard's descendents in Utah had crates of them. George and Sarah Howard died in Montana but their descendents went on to Idaho and later, Utah. The family graciously gifted many of these wonderful artifacts to the site's author.

These shovels were found during the summer of 2010 on the slope of Lion Mountain. Buried deep beneath the rocks, these shovels were discovered. The shovel on the left nearly cost me my life trying to grab hold of it, all the while trying to hold on to the steep cliff. The shovels date to the early years of mining on Lion Mountain.
This wonderful document was acquired during the summer of 2009. It shows the telephone numbers for the Hecla Company's offices and buildings throughout the Bryant Mining District.

 

This extremely rare stock certificate came from the estate of Matthew Baird of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Matthew Baird was a multi-millionaire and owner of Baldwin Locomotive Works. Matthew Baird was the original Treasurer for the Hecla Consolidated Mining Company and when he died in 1877, his son Charles Baird took his place. Charles Baird remained active with the company for many years. This is one of only two stock certificates  that survive. The other certificate is also from Matthew Baird, charter member and founder of the Hecla Consolidated Mining Company.

 
This extremely rare stock certificate came from the estate of Matthew Baird of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of two that I have acquired over the years.

 

 This rare and wonderful document was acquired by the site's author during the summer of 2009. it is the original hand drawn rendition of what the kilns in Canyon Creek were to look like. Drawn on the reverse of the Hecla Company's letterhead, Henry Knippenberg drafted the new kiln for their construction. The reverse of this letter indicates the inventor of the Kilns as J.C. Cameron, now in Tintic District, Utah.
 

This extremely rare artifact is among the rarest in our collection of Bryant Mining District items. It dates to 1872 when Noah Armstrong and Elias Atkins were in the Tintic Mining District of Utah. In the front cover, it indicates this but is crossed out and replaced with "Bryant Mining District, Montana Territory" and contains nearly 300 pages of assay results from all the newly discovered mining properties in the Bryant Mining District. Included, are assay results from Butte City mines also. Butte would later "boom" and grow independent of any assay or smelting services that Glendale provided. This ledger was taken to Seattle by the family of Noah Armstrong during the 1880s and was recently gifted to the site's author by the family. It is a wonderful piece of early Montana Mining history and I am grateful to them for their generosity.

 

 

This miner's pick head was acquired during the summer of 2010 while hanging on the steep slope of Lion Mountain. it bears the 120+ years of mountain air and elements as indicated in the thick layer of rust. This miner's pick was hand forged, most likely in the local company blacksmith shop.
These wonderful items were gifted during the summer of 2009 from the descendents of Henry Knippenberg out of New Jersey. Henry Knippenberg was key in the organization of the Society of the Framer of the Constitution of the State of Montana. These are among many artifacts that I will eventually share from the Knippenberg/Chapman Families.

 

 

The machinists at the Glendale smelter constructed a smooth, bare, steel cannon of small caliber for use on the fourth of July and other occasions when noise is required to help the people of Glendale rejoice. Anytime an event occurred that the towns people felt a need to declare, they would fire off this cannon which was nailed to a pole. Glendale reached the peak of productiveness in the early 1880's. In those days it was generally thought that the town was destined to flourish permanently, Glendalites were confident that the smelter camp was an embryonic city. This cannon is currently owned by the grandson of one of the smelter workers.

 
These letters are among some of the earliest correspondences from Glendale, Montana. They are dated to 1875 and are requesting building supplies needed for the young mining camp.

 

 

 

 This extremely rare glimpse into Glendale, Montana's past was photographed by Henry Brown. At the time this photo was taken, Henry Brown was still at Bannack City. He would later relocate to Glendale and become the chief photographer of the area. He would ultimately move on to the Bellingham, Washington area. This smelter photo was taken of the original smelter that later burned in 1879. The company would rebuild the structure the following year. This photo was gifted to the site author by the family of Noah Armstrong.
This flag was acquired in the summer of 2009 along with some original furniture items from the Glendale Odd Fellows Lodge. It is the original flag used by the independent Order Of Odd Fellows at Glendale, Montana. Bannack Lodge No. 3.

 

 

 

 

 This extremely rare stereoview was photographed by Oliver Bundy of Virginia City, Montana in 1875. It is very special because it belonged to Noah Armstrong himself. The family of Noah Armstrong generously gifted this stereoview to the site's author. I am extremely proud and honored to have such an early piece of Glendale's early development. Oliver Bundy would later team up with Edgar Train in Helena, Montana.
This document was gifted by the family of Noah Armstrong to the site's author. I have not been able to determine why Noah kept this specific document or it's significance but the dollar amount either deposited or written on the front of this certificate represents a very large amount of money for that time period. Noah Armstrong was the founder of the Hecla Consolidated Mining Company and operated a banking house in addition to a mercantile. This could very well represent a payment for shares of stock that Armstrong held or an amount that the company owed him through a buyout. We will never know for sure but it is anyone's guess!

Noah Armstrong was an avid horse breeder and racer and became internationally known in 1889 with the win of his Kentucky Derby winning horse, "Spokane".

Spokane would race against Proctor Knott and the win was considered "unlikely" as Spokane was raised in the high mountains of Montana. Until this time, Spokane was unheard of in racing circles but would move on to international fame.

 

 This is a letterhead from the Mercantile of Pond & Vance at Dewey's Montana. Henry Pond was the Father in law to George Vance. Together, they operated a mercantile during the early 1890s.
Various letterheads from the mercantile house of Henry Pond at Glendale and Melrose, Montana. Ethelia Pond would carry on the business after the death of her husband.

 

 

A cancelled envelope from the mercantile of Pond and Urlin at Glendale, Montana. Henry Pond was in business with Alfred Urlin for a brief time at Glendale before Urlin moved his family to Missoula. Alfred Urlin would later die from complications from an injury that escalated his poor health. Urlin sustained serious injuries during a derailment of a passenger train he was on while enroute to Missoula. Alfred Urlin would later become a major land owner in Missoula and become quite wealthy. There is a section of Missoula Townsite that is referred to as the "Urlin Addition". He gifted much land to entice the railroad through Missoula, the very railroad that he would later sue due to injuries sustained on one of their passenger trains. Alfred and Henry would become acquainted during their early years while at Bannack City, Montana during the early 1860s.

 

 
George Tarbell was a widely respected man of the Bryant Mining District. He operated a Saloon and Billiard hall at Lion City and would eventually fall ill and succumb to his poor health while visiting the Boulder Hot Springs in Jefferson County, the very Hot Springs that my family started  back in the 1880s. It was originally named the Hotel May in honor of My Great Great Great Aunt May (Mary) Lowney.

 
 

 

 Hiram Stuart was the Undertaker and furniture maker at Glendale for many years before losing his building to fire as a result from a fire that broke out at a blacksmith shop located directly across the road from his building. During this same fire, Henry Brown Photographer who borrowed space above Stuarts, lost everything in the fire also. The town would later build a water suppression system due to the number of fire breakouts.
James Lyons and Nightwine, Saloon and Billiard Hall at Hecla, Montana. The document indicated, "Office of the Hecla". I was extremely pleased to acquire this piece recently on ebay.

 

 

 This is an autograph book owned by the young lady of whom Melrose, Montana was named. Melrose Fleser was the daughter of Adam and Lucina Fleser. After the divorce between Lucina and Adam, Lucina moved her children to Camp Creek (later Melrose) and married William Bowe. Together, they operated a stage stop and hotel. When the railroad was fast approaching the area from the south, William (Billy) quickly platted out a townsite and began selling lots. He gave land for the railroad and would name this new town from Camp Creek  to Melrose, Montana in honor of his step daughter.
This is another autograph book kept by Melrose Fleser at Melrose. These autograph books contains signatures and well wishes from many of Melrose, Montana's earliest pioneers. Both books date to the early 1880s.

 

 

 A large chunk of native silver obtained from Lion Mountain during the summer of 2010. Native Silver is blue in color and this piece is solid silver. What a great piece of Bryant Mining District history.

Birdseye View of Glendale, Montana dated to 1883
This map is available for sale in reproduction form should you want a copy.
The price is 70.00 which includes postage and handling. The map is shipped in a tube. The reproductions are of excellent quality and shows every building and landmark of Glendale during it's heyday. Should you wish a copy sent to you, please send an email for details on payment. We do accept paypal. The bottom of this map contains a legend indicating where some of the business houses were located.

 
I included this cutout to show you the remarkable detail this map contains.

 

 

 Another cross section of the Birdseye View of Beck & Pauli's map 1883, published by J.J. Stoner of Wisconsin.
This token was used by the men who went to work in the tunnels of the Hecla Consolidated Mining Company. Before starting a shift underground, the miner would hang this token on a nail or give it to the shift boss who would use the token to indicate whether the man returned from underground at the end of the day. If the man failed to return to claim his specific numbered token, it spelled trouble for the miner. I acquired this token from James Eighorn, a native of Melrose, Montana.

This Journal was written in 1863 and 1864 while Henry Smith Pond struggled along in the early mining community of Bannack City, Montana. In the Journal, Henry mentions an historic event that involved the hanging of Henry Plummer, Buck Stinson, and Ned Ray, all notorious Road Agents. Though the journal does not have anything to do with the Bryant Mining District, the man who poured his daily thoughts out in this fragile journal would later relocate to Glendale, Melrose, and Dewey's Montana. Henry Pond would remain here until his death in 1898.

This early check was one of the original checks used by the Hecla Consolidated Mining Company during the 1870s. This check has an engraving of the Icelandic Volcano, Mount Hekla which lent it's name to this newly formed company. The company would spell it "Hecla" This check is being shared courtesy of James Eighorn of Melrose, Montana.

These kilns were among the first constructed in the district. Their purpose was to supply charcoal to the expanding operation of the Glendale Smelter and Reduction Works. Henry Knippenberg had them dismantled in 1883 and the native stone was used in the construction of the new office building which also housed the assay office. This structure still stands today and evidence of kiln rock is still apparent as many of the stones still show burned carbon. This photo is courtesy of James Eighorn.
This photo was taken around 1878 or 1879 showing the ladder and snow shed on Lion Mountain.

This image shows the newly constructed mining camps of Hecla and Lion City looking eastwardly away from Lion Mountain. Hecla stood at the base of Lion Mountain and Lion City was within walking distance below (approx 1 mile). These photos most likely date to the latter 1870s time period and the photographer is unknown.

This photo was taken during the 1870s and was taken from a platform high atop the face of Lion Mountain. It overlooks the valley floor below and the communities of Hecla, Lion City, and Trapper City are visible in the background. Photo was taken by Hazeltines of Butte City, Montana.

This scale was procured from Nevada City, Montana in 1889 by Lewis T. Morgan who was General Manager of the Hecla Mercantile and Banking Company at Melrose, Montana. When L.T. Morgan left Melrose, he took this scale with him to Gallatin County and it has remained in his family for generations. The scale is courtesy of Terri Morgan Ricks.
These original documents were gifted to the site's author in 2005 by Velma Goody Yarrow of Denver, Colorado (formerly of Melrose, Montana). The interesting story behind these two documents date back to the 1930s when the Vance home in Melrose, Montana caught fire and burned down. For some odd reason, the family moved to a different house in Melrose, leaving a box of personal treasures behind in their small garage that originally occupied the same lot as the house that caught fire. My family never went back for these items. Velma Goody Yarrow inherited these items from the lady who lived on the property and during the early months of 2005, she along with her brother, Ben Goody brought these artifacts back to the family in Missoula. These documents are the original declaration of intention to become a citizen and the actual certificate of citizenship of George Robert Vance, my Great Great Grandfather. I am very grateful to this day for this generous and special gift.

This document dates to the year 1888 and is from the Pickett & Vance, dealers in Wines, Liquors and Cigars, Agents for Centennial Brewing Co. located in Glendale, Montana.

The Centennial Brewing Company operated out of Butte City, Montana.

Here are a few letterheads from the Fort Scott Foundry & Machinery Works at Fort Scott, Kansas. The invoices are dated to 1882 and are for equipment and supplies for the newly constructed concentrator at Greenwood, Montana.


 

Melrose, Montana cancel dated 1881, addressed to Ida Harvey of Chicago, Illinois. I recently purchased this great cancel through Ebay. The writer mentions what a "lively crowd the boys are in Melrose".

This cancel came from the Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company at Glendale, Montana, it is dated 1887. The cancel was one of many that accompanied approximately 1000 checks hidden in a box between the walls of the old Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company building at Melrose, Montana. The building owner at the time (Linda Cue) asked her father (Guy Palmer) to knock a hole in the wall between the two buildings and found a box of company checks hidden between the walls. It is a mystery as to why they were placed there prior to the bricks going up but remained there until being re-discoverd more than 120 years later.

 

 

 These checks are dated 1885 and represent about three of one thousand checks discovered between the walls of the old Hecla Mercantile building at Melrose, Montana. This website's author purchased the entire collection from the man who discovered the box of checks while cutting the hole through the brick wall in an effort to join the two buildings. The second addition to the building was added around 1889 and many of the checks are dated to this year but do not post date 1889. It is likely that this box was placed between the walls in 1889. What was the reason for placing these checks between the walls and then bricking it up?
These checks are part of the same collection that I purchased from Guy Palmer. Guy is a mining collector living in Butte, Montana and operates an antique store in uptown Butte. All of the 1000 checks are from the Glendale Branch but ended up at Melrose, sealed for nearly 130 years between the brick walls joining the two buildings. Most of the checks were placed inside company envelopes marked with the month.

 

This is an interior view of the "Glendale Branch" of the Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company. The man on the far right is George Vance and man standing second from the left is George B. Conway.
Here are two more checks from the large collection I purchased in 2009. The interesting thing about these two checks is that the front was left blank and the check was handwritten on the blank reverse. They are from the Glendale Branch and date to the inception of the Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company which was formed in 1886.

This money exchange certificate is from the Glendale, Montana Branch of the Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company. It has the stub attached showing the amount of money being converted from German Marks to United States currency.
This stock certificate is from the Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company and shows the image of Henry Knippenberg on the face. The Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company was formed in 1886.

This check was used by the Hecla Consolidated Mining Company after the Territory became a State in 1889. The check is rather ornate.
This artifact is from the Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company with branches at Hecla, Glendale, and Melrose, Montana. It dates to a period between 1889 and 1891 as it includes an image of Lewis T. Morgan, Branch Manager at Melrose on (top left). Lewis T. Morgan left the employ of the company in about 1891. This is an image of the actual artifact and we do not know the source of the photo or what became of the artifact. It would be nice to locate this artifact so we could cross reference the names on each of these photos with others that we have in our collection that are unidentified. The images on this mantle artifact are most likely managers and/or officers of the Hecla Mercantile & Banking Company. The image at the bottom is that of the company's president, Henry Knippenberg. The center of this artifact displays images of the various locations in addition to the warehouse located on the railway at Melrose. The site author is offering to purchase this artifact should anyone know who has it and should it be available for sale.

This unique artifact was discovered during the summer months of 2011 between Hecla and Lion City, Montana. While visiting the area with Elias Atkin's Great Grandson, Stuart Atkins, we discovered this unique and rare item laying in the snow melt off in Trapper Creek. It appears to be a cast piece of metal depicting a castle or large structure. This may have been either a children's toy or possibly an advertising piece.
These tools were discovered in the summer months of 2011 while on a trip to Trapper City, Montana. The site author was visiting the area with the Great Grandson of the Company's Founder, Elias Atkins. These tools were buried in a section of land that was part of the original Main Street of town which bordered Trapper Creek. These tools were located together, one is a hasp and the other is unknown.

These old nails are very rare and were located on the section of land in Glendale that was site to the charcoal sheds used by the Hecla Consolidated Mining Company. The structure stood directly across the road from where the plant once stood.  The nails are most likely from the structure that once stood at this site. Items were located in the summer months of 2011 while on a trip to Glendale with the Great Grandson of the Company's Founder, Elias Atkins.
This heavy object was located during the summer months of 2011, high on top Lion Mountain while on a trip to the area with The Atkin's Family. This item appears to be a counter weight, possibly a tension hammer, or some other item used by the Mining Company. It appears to be crudely made or fashioned at a local blacksmith shop or possibly a machine shop. It appears to be made of iron.

This item appears to be a braking pedal, possibly from an old mining car used in the tunnels of Lion Mountain. Item was discovered during the summer months of 2011 while on a trip to the area with the Great Grandson of the Company's founder, Elias Atkins. If this is not from a mining car (ore car), the item is definitely a braking pedal as it is obvious in it's design.

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