A History of Phosphate 

Mining in Southeastern 

Idaho 

By William H. Lee1 

Open-File Report 00-425 

Version 1.0 

This report is also available online at http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of00-425/ 

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey 

editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, product, or 

firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. 

Government. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

1 Idaho State Office, Bureau of Land Management, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, Idaho 83709 
Table of Contents 

page 

Introduction .................................................................1


Purpose and Background ..................................................1


Early Exploration ........................................................1


Early Scientific Surveys ...................................................3


Discovery of Phosphate ...................................................4


Mining Claims and Patents .....................................................5


Phosphate Withdrawals, Classifications and Restorations ........................9


The Mines ..................................................................20


Waterloo Mine .........................................................20


Hot Springs Mine .......................................................33


Paris Canyon Mine ......................................................41


Rattlesnake Canyon Mine ................................................52


Bear Lake Mine ........................................................56


Conda Mine ...........................................................62


Home Canyon Mine .....................................................78


Consolidated Mine ......................................................82


Bennington Canyon Mine ................................................89


Wyodak Coal and Manufacturing Company ..................................93


Gay Mine ............................................................101


Ballard Mine .........................................................110


Maybe Canyon Mine ...................................................116


Georgetown Canyon Mine ...............................................128


Blackfoot Narrows Mine ................................................139


Centennial Mine .......................................................144


Diamond Gulch Mine ..................................................148


Fall Creek Mine .......................................................154


Mountain Fuel Mine ...................................................159


Mill Canyon Mine .....................................................165


Taylor Creek Adit .....................................................171


Henry Mine ..........................................................176


Bloomington Canyon Mine ..............................................182


Pritchard Creek Mine ...................................................186


Little Long Valley Mine ................................................191


Lanes Creek Mine .....................................................195


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Champ Mine ..........................................................200 

Smoky Canyon Mine ...................................................205 

Enoch Valley Mine ....................................................210 

Rasmussen Ridge Mine .................................................216 

Dry Valley Mine ......................................................221 

Acknowledgments ..........................................................230 

References Cited ............................................................231 

Illustrations 

Plate 1. Chronology of Phosphate Mining in Southeast Idaho .................... on disc 

page


Figure 1. Generalized location map showing phosphate mines in southeastern Idaho ........2


2. USGS phosphate prospect in SE1⁄4, Section 34, T. 4 S., R. 40 E. ................12


3. P. V. Roundy in trench, Fred and Lewis Campbell, NE1⁄4 Section 30, 	

T. 5 S., R. 40 E. (Portneuf Quadrangle), September 7, 1916 ................12 

4. Map showing the location of the Waterloo Mine and associated mining claims and 	

mineral patents, Bear Lake County, Idaho ..............................21 

5. Black phosphate bed opened by surface stripping at Waterloo Mine .............24 

6. Prospect at south end of the Waterloo claim, T. 13 S., R. 45 E., Section 6 showing 	

local displacement in phosphate shales ................................24 

7. The Waterloo phosphate mine 4 miles east of Montpelier, Idaho, 1909	 ..........25 

8. The Waterloo phosphate mine 4 miles east of Montpelier, Idaho, 1909	 ..........26 

9. Hand auger drilling in a stope in the Waterloo Hill Mine, about 1915 ............27 

10. Waterloo Mine tramway, about 1925	 ....................................28 

11. Trucking phosphate rock from mine bins to railroad, Waterloo Mine	 ...........29 

12. Unloading phosphate rock from truck to car, side view, Montpelier, Idaho, 1925	 . 29 

13. Unloading phosphate rock from truck to car, end view, Montpelier, Idaho, 1925 . . 30 

14. Underground workings, Waterloo Mine, August, 1919	 ......................31 

15. Waterloo Mine east of Montpelier, Idaho, August, 1975	 .....................32 

16. Map showing the location of the patented mining claims of the Hot Springs 	

Mine, Bear Lake County, Idaho ......................................34 

17. Hot Springs Mine, at Hermitage Discovery, 9,000 feet north of the Nashville 	

Lode Mining Claim, looking south, 1911 ..............................35 

18. Discovery tunnel of Nashville Lode Mining Claim, 1911	 ....................36 

19. Union Phosphate Company’s tunnel on the right (Rich Placer Claim) and the 	

Nashville Lode Mining Claim tunnel on the left, 1911 ....................37 

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Figure 20. Union Phosphate Company’s tunnel on the right (Rich Placer Claim) and the 

Nashville Lode Mining Claim tunnel on the left, September 9, 1996 .........37 

21. Underground mine map of the two tunnels on the Nashville Lode Mining Claim . . 38 

22. Trench above the Hot Springs Mine, on the Hermitage Lode Mining Claim, 	

June 25, 1996 ....................................................39 

23. Hot Springs Mine portal, exploring the Carthage and Hermitage Lode Mining 	

Claims, June 25, 1996 .............................................40 

24. Map showing the location of the Paris Canyon Mine, Bear Lake County, Idaho	 . . 41 

25. General view of the pulverizing mill and crude rock storage bins of the Idaho 	

Phosphate Company ...............................................44 

26. Overview of the Paris Canyon Mine showing the snowshed over the tramway, 	

August 31, 1920 ..................................................44 

27. Cars at crude rock bins	 ...............................................45 

28. View from the Paris Canyon Mine entrance showing storehouse, employees 	

cottages and part of the mill .........................................46 

29. Ray C. McIlwee, General Manager, Paris Canyon Mine	 .....................47 

30. Map of underground development, Paris Canyon Mine ......................49 

31. Paris Canyon Mine, about 1943, view southeast	 ...........................50 

32. Paris Canyon Mine, about 1943, view southwest, showing portal and dump of 	

Paris adit with mill and camp buildings of the McIlwee phosphate operation 

in the background .................................................50 

33. Paris Canyon Mine, view southwest, September, 1975	 ......................51 

34. Map showing the location of the Rattlesnake Canyon Mine, Bear Lake County, 	

Idaho ..........................................................53 

35. Remains of the trestle, Rattlesnake Canyon Mine, June 24, 1996	 ..............54 

36. Remains of the trestle, Rattlesnake Canyon Mine, June 24, 1996	 ..............55 

37. Caved portal, Rattlesnake Canyon Mine, June 24, 1996	 .....................55 

38. Map showing the location of the Bear Lake Mine, Bear Lake County, Idaho	 .....57 

39. Bear Lake Mine, August 30, 1920	 ......................................57 

40. Bear Lake Mine, Western Phosphate Company, 1925	 .......................58 

41. Bear Lake Mine, July, 1966	 ...........................................60 

42. Site of Bear Lake Mine, September 9, 1996 ...............................60 

43. Map showing the location of the Conda townsite and the patented mining claims 	

of the Conda Mine, Caribou County, Idaho .............................63 

44. Panorama of R. J. Shields phosphate pit in Formation Canyon in Section 23, 	

T. 8 S., R. 42 E., September 12, 1920 .................................65 

45. Panorama of portal of Anaconda Copper Mining Company	’s phosphate mine, in 

Section 15, T. 8 S., R. 42 E., September 12, 1920 ........................66 

46. Conda town and phosphate mill, 1921	 ...................................66 

47. Conda, Idaho .......................................................67 

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Figure 48. Conda Mine, mill, and bins ............................................68


49. Armstrong Shuveloader, Conda Mine, circa 1922 ..........................69


50. Series of 10-ton ore cars, Conda Mine, 1925 ..............................70


51. Adit Number One, Conda Mine, circa 1922 ...............................70


52. Adit Number Two, Conda Mine ........................................71


53. Conda Mine and townsite, view north, 1975 ..............................72


54. Conda Mine superintendent	’s house, formerly located at Conda, Idaho, now 

near Bancroft, Idaho, June 8, 1998 ...................................72 

55. The “Galloping Goose” ...............................................73 

56. Conda townsite and mine, view east, 1975 ................................73 

57. Crushing and drying plant, Conda Mine, circa 1922	 ........................74 

58. Crushing and drying plant, Conda Mine, circa 1922	 ........................74 

59. Conda Mine, date unknown	 ...........................................76 

60. Conda Mine, showing highwall, date unknown	 ............................76 

61. Conda Mine, footwall and ore body at right, benched waste area to left, 	

date unknown ....................................................77 

62. Conda townsite and main street, June 24, 1996	 ............................77 

63. Map showing the location of the Home Canyon Mine and associated patented 	

lode mining claims, Bear Lake County, Idaho ..........................79 

64. Home Canyon Mine, American Phosphate Corporation plant under 	

construction, 1921 ................................................80 

65. Home Canyon Mine and plant of the American Phosphate Corporation,	

circa 1923 .......................................................80 

66. Caved Home Canyon Mine portal, June 24, 1966	 ..........................81 

67. Map showing the location of the Consolidated Mine, Bear Lake County, Idaho ...82 

68. Little Canyon spur off of Bloomington Canyon ............................84 

69. The Solar Development Company’s Consolidated Mine, circa 1931 ............85 

70. Portal of the Consolidated Mine showing the dump from the north and south 	

drifts, circa 1943 .................................................86 

71. The Consolidated Mine, June 25, 1996	 ..................................87 

72. Consolidated Mine showing the upper adit, June 25, 1996	 ...................87 

73. Upper adit, Consolidated Mine, June 25, 1996 .............................88 

74. Map showing the location of the Bennington Canyon Mine, Bear Lake County,	

Idaho ..........................................................90 

75. Bennington Canyon Mine, June 24, 1996 .................................91 

76. Open pit, Bennington Canyon Mine, June 24, 1996 .........................92 

77. Ruins of the processing facility, Bennington Canyon Mine, June 24, 1996 .......92 

78. Map showing the location of Wyodak trenches and underground development, 	

Bear Lake County, Idaho ...........................................94 

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Figure 79. Geologic sketch map of the Paris-Bloomington vanadium area., adapted 

from Wyodak, 1944 ...............................................95 

80. Phosphate prospects on north side of Bloomington Canyon, Idaho .............98 

81. Bloomington Canyon, view north, showing Bloomington Creek, compressor 	

equipment in an old road-metal quarry, and dump at No. 14 South 

incline, 1944 .....................................................99 

82. Number 1 west stope, 14S incline, Bloomington Canyon, 1944, view north 	

toward the chute from the upper end of the stope ........................99 

83. Map showing the location of the Gay Mine, Bingham and Bannock Counties, 	

Idaho .........................................................102 

84. Prospect trench, date unknown	 ........................................103 

85. Drilling rig, Gay Mine	 ..............................................103 

86. Start of mining, Gay Mine	 ...........................................104 

87. Gay Mine loading area, view east, August 15, 1973	 .......................105 

88. Gay Mine, August 12, 1975	 ..........................................107 

89. Stripping overburden at the Gay Mine	 ..................................107 

90. Gay Mine, October 18, 1948 ..........................................108 

91. Map showing the location of the Ballard Mine, Caribou County, Idaho	 ........111 

92. Ballard Mine, July 16, 1951	 ..........................................112 

93. Ballard Mine, 1975	 .................................................113 

94. Ballard Mine, August 12, 1975 ........................................113 

95. West Ballard Mine tipple, July 10, 1962	 ................................114 

96. Ballard Mine, north pit of West Ballard, view east showing 45-inch auger holes, 	

spring, 1966 ....................................................115 

97. Map showing the location of the North and South Maybe Canyon Mines, 	

Caribou County, Idaho ............................................117 

98. Area of the Western Fertilizer Association camp of 1950 in Maybe Canyon, 	

June 8, 1998 ....................................................118 

99. Portal area, Western Fertilizer Association prospect tunnel, July, 1951	 ........119 

100. Western Fertilizer Association prospect tunnel in Maybe Canyon, 	

October 10, 1951 ................................................120 

101. 500-hp Gardner-Denver compressor, Maybe Canyon underground mine	 ......121 

102. Western Fertilizer Association EIMCO mucking machine and face at 	

Maybe Canyon underground mine, view northeast ......................121 

103. Caved adit of the Maybe Canyon underground mine, June 8, 1998 ...........122 

104. Western Fertilizer Association trench, South Maybe Canyon area, July, 1951	 . . 123 

105. Maybe Canyon Mine, view north, August 12, 1975 .......................124 

106. North Maybe Canyon Mine, August 5, 1966	 ............................125 

107. North Maybe Canyon Mine, August 5, 1966	 ............................126 

108. Maybe Canyon Mine, fall, 1978	 ......................................127 

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Figure 109. Map showing the location of the patented mining claims of the Georgetown 

Canyon Mine, Bear Lake and Caribou Counties, Idaho ..................130 

110. View of Tunnel Improvement No. 2, Superior Extension Claim, Georgetown 	

Canyon Mine, October 3, 1916 .....................................131 

111. Furnace construction, Georgetown Canyon, 1957	 ........................133 

112. Kiln construction, Georgetown Canyon, 1957	 ...........................133 

113. Phosphate rock beneficiation building, Georgetown Canyon, 1958 ...........134 

114. Georgetown Canyon phosphate plant of Central Farmers Fertilizer Company, 	

June, 1978 .....................................................134 

115. Central Farmers Fertilizer Company plant in Georgetown Canyon, date 	

unknown .......................................................135 

116. Georgetown Canyon Mine, date unknown	 ..............................135 

117. First ore starts down conveyor belt at Central Farmers Fertilizer Company	’s 

Georgetown Canyon Mine, date unknown ............................136 

118. Conveyor belt at Georgetown Canyon Mine, date unknown	 ................136 

119. Cutting bridge at Central Farmers Fertilizer Company complex, date unknown . 137 

120. Map showing the location of the Blackfoot Narrows Mine, Caribou County,	

Idaho .........................................................140 

121. Blackfoot Narrows Mine, view north, 1975	 .............................141 

122. Blackfoot Narrows Mine, August 19, 1978	 .............................142 

123. Blackfoot Narrows Mine, view north, June 27, 1996 ......................142 

124. Map showing the location of the Centennial Mine, Clark County, Idaho and	

Beaverhead County, Montana ......................................145 

125. Centennial Mine, September 23, 1957	 .................................146 

126. Loading Centennial Mine phosphate ore at Monida, Montana, 	

September 23, 1957 ..............................................146 

127. Drilling rig, Centennial Mine, September 23, 1957	 .......................147 

128. Map showing the location of the Diamond Gulch Mine, Caribou County, Idaho	 149 

129. Stripping overburden, Diamond Gulch Mine, May, 1960	 ..................150 

130. Mining ore, Diamond Gulch Mine, May, 1960	 ..........................150 

131. Diamond Gulch Mine, 1975, view east, showing open pit boundaries	 ........151 

132. Loading ore, Diamond Gulch Mine, May, 1960 ..........................152 

133. Diamond Gulch Mine, June 26, 1996 ..................................152 

134. Map showing the location of the Fall Creek Mine, Bonneville County, Idaho	 . . 154 

135. Fall Creek Mine, date unknown	 ......................................156 

136. FMC prospecting at the Fall Creek Mine	 ...............................156 

137. Map of FMC’s underground workings at Fall Creek Mine .................157 

138. Caved Fall Creek Mine adit, June 2, 1997	 ..............................158 

139. Map showing the location of the Mountain Fuel Mine, Caribou County, Idaho	 . 160 

140. Area of the Mountain Fuel Mine, view north, 1974	 .......................161 

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Figure 141. Mountain Fuel Mine tipple, May 3, 1995 ...............................163


142. Mountain Fuel Mine, view south, October 10, 1991 ......................163


143. Reclaimed Mountain Fuel Mine, June 27, 1996 ..........................164


144. Map showing the location of the Mill Canyon (Wooley Valley #4) Mine, 	

Caribou County, Idaho ............................................166 

145. Ore conveyor belt, Mill Canyon Mine, July 30, 1975	 .....................167 

146. Dump No. 4, Mill Canyon Mine, September 7, 1973 ......................168 

147. 	“The Nose” area, Mill Canyon Mine, 1975 .............................168 

148. Mill Canyon Mine, view east, showing haul road and conveyor belt, 	

July 18, 1984 ...................................................169 

149. Mill Canyon Mine reclamation, view north, July 30, 1975	 .................170 

150. Map showing the location of the Taylor Creek Adit, Clark County, Idaho	 .....171 

151. Underground mine map of the Taylor Creek Adit	 ........................173 

152. Taylor Creek Adit, September 24, 1980 ................................174 

153. Taylor Creek Adit, September 24, 1980 ................................174 

154. Abandoned Taylor Creek Adit, date and individuals unknown	 ..............175 

155. Map showing the location of the Henry Mine, Caribou County, Idaho	 ........176 

156. Core drill and drill site, Henry Mine, view north, date unknown .............177 

157. Exploration trench, Henry Mine, view east, date and individual unknown	 .....178 

158. South Henry Mine, view west, July, 1978	 ..............................179 

159. Center Henry Mine, August 12, 1975 ..................................180 

160. Center Henry Mine, view northwest, 1975 ..............................181 

161. Henry Mine, view southeast, 1975	 ....................................181 

162. Map showing the location of the Bloomington Canyon Mine, Bear Lake 	

County, Idaho ...................................................182 

163. Phosphate prospects on north side of Bloomington Canyon, date unknown	 ....183 

164. Bloomington Canyon Mine, view north, August 12, 1975 ..................184 

165. Bloomington Canyon Mine, view north, November, 1978	 .................185 

166. Underground mine map, Bloomington Canyon Mine, October, 1975	 .........185 

167. Map showing the location of the Pritchard Creek Mine, Bonneville 	

County, Idaho ...................................................186 

168. Overview of Pritchard Creek Mine, view northwest, 1975	 .................187 

169. Panorama of the Pritchard Creek Mine area, April 16, 1976	 ................188 

170. Pritchard Creek Mine portal, August 14, 1975 ...........................188 

171. Panorama of the portal area, Pritchard Creek Mine, September 3, 1975	 .......189 

172. Abandoned Pritchard Creek Mine portal area, June 2, 1997	 ................190 

173. Map showing the location of the Little Long Valley (Wooley Valley #3) Mine,	

Caribou County, Idaho ............................................192 

174. Site of Little Long Valley Mine (pre-mining), view northeast, 1973 ..........193 

175. Aerial view of Little Long Valley Mine, August, 1978	 ....................194 

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Figure 176. Map showing the location of the Lanes Creek Mine, Caribou County, Idaho ...195


177. Beginning of mining at Lanes Creek Mine, August, 1978 ..................197


178. Ore trucks at Lanes Creek Mine, date unknown ..........................197


179. Reshaping Lanes Creek Mine dump by the J. R. Simplot Company, 	

June 8, 1998 ....................................................198 

180. Lanes Creek Mine, view north, June 8, 1998	 ............................198 

181. Lanes Creek Mine, view south, June 8, 1998	 ............................199 

182. Map showing the location of the Champ Mine and the Champ Mine Extension, 	

Caribou County, Idaho ............................................200 

183. Exploration Trench “E”, Champ Mine, date unknown .....................202 

184. Champ Mine, view north, June 11, 1986	 ...............................203 

185. Map showing the location of the Smoky Canyon Mine, Caribou County, 	

Idaho .........................................................206 

186. Smoky Canyon Mine, June 27, 1996	 ..................................207 

187. Truck-shovel operation, Smoky Canyon Mine, June 27, 1996 ...............208 

188. Map showing the location of the Enoch Valley Mine, Caribou County, Idaho	 . . 210 

189. Enoch Valley Mine, May 4, 1995 .....................................213 

190. Truck-shovel operations, Enoch Valley Mine, August, 1997 ................214 

191. South end of the Enoch Valley Mine, June 26, 1996	 ......................215 

192. Monsanto’s State lease, Enoch Valley Mine, May 4, 1995 .................215 

193. Map showing the location of the Rasmussen Ridge Mine, Caribou 	

County, Idaho ...................................................217 

194. Initial scraper-dozer operations, Rasmussen Ridge Mine, date unknown	 ......218 

195. Current operations, Rasmussen Ridge Mine, June 10, 1998	 ................219 

196. Map showing the location of the Dry Valley Mine, Caribou County, Idaho	 ....222 

197. Site of the 1910 USGS trench in Caldwell Canyon, later modified by 	

bulldozer, view east, June 8, 1998 ...................................223 

198. Test pit, Dry Valley Mine, August 15, 1973 .............................225 

199. Exploration drilling, Dry Valley Mine site, September 22, 1975 .............226 

200. FMC	’s Winter-Weiss Model 524 drilling rig, Dry Valley Mine, 

September 22, 1975 ..............................................226 

201. Early exploration, Dry Valley Mine	 ...................................227 

202. 	“B” Pit, Dry Valley Mine, October 13, 1994 ............................228 

203. 	“B” Pit, Dry Valley Mine, view south, June 27, 1996 .....................228 

204. 	“A” Pit backfilling, Dry Valley Mine, October 13, 1994 ...................229 

205. Reclaimed “A” Pit, Dry Valley Mine, June 27, 1996 ......................229 

Tables 

Table 1. USGS phosphate trenches, prospects, pits, tunnels, and drill holes ..............13 

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Table 2. Mining claims and mineral patents at the Waterloo Mine .....................23


3. Patented mining claims of the Hot Springs Mine ............................33


4. Permit/lease summary for Federally-owned phosphate in and around 


Bear Lake Mine ..................................................61


5. Patented mining claims of the Conda Mine	 ................................64


6. Patented mining claims of the Consolidated Mine	 ...........................83


7. Tabulation of Wyodak trenching, Paris-Bloomington area	 ....................96


8. Tabulation of Wyodak’s underground development, Paris-Bloomington area .....97


9. Patented mining claims of the Georgetown Canyon Mine ....................129


10. Northern Investment Company	’s historic permitting/leasing activities in the 


area of Taylor Creek .............................................172


ix