Mohave County miner., 1901-01-26
Montana's First Stamp Mill.

which is quite curiosity. 1t is one of
five which were made in Bannack City.
Montana. (then Idaho) in 1862, by j. f.
Allen, Sr., for mill that he built and
operated near there that year
In 1861 party of eighteen, of which
Mr.. Allen was one, outfitted in Color.
ado for prospecting tour into Mon.
tana-then IdahO-in search of the
precious metals. Arriving in 1862 near
Bannack, which they afterwards named
Grasshopper Gulch, some of the party |
found placer gold in considerable quan
tity, and after further prospecting the
party decided to locate there. They |
/ formed company, built cabins, v hip !
sawed lumber and made sluice boxes |
| to work placer mines, aud made eigh- |
| teen quartz locations, drawing nun.
| bers for the places Of their locations.
Mr.. Allen was the last one to draw,
and shortly afterwards sold his claim
/ for 5,OOOS, without even having stuck
pick into the ground. After taking out
about 2,00)5 from the placers, one half
of the party was sent to Salt Lake for
additional supplies for the coming win.
ter, each being allowed 80 per day
while on the trip.
When the placers were worked out,
it was evident that some sort of mill
would have to be secured to work the
quartz properties. In the meantime
there had been quite a stampede to
the new Eldorado. Among the new
comers were number of blacksmiths,
aud the miners tried to persuade them
to make the necessary stamps for the
mill, but none would undertake the
task Mr. Allen, being machinist by
trade, concluded that he could master
the proposition, so he set up shop,
constructed a large bellows, burned a
ant and started to work. As iron was
scarce article there in those days,
it had to be secured whenever aud how.
ever possible, and at no incOnslderable
expense. The material used in the Sc
E stamps was almost all wagon tires,
] which were cut into strips eight inches
long, heated aud welded together layer
! upon layer, until the stamp was the
desired thickness. 1t took a great
5 many tires to make the five ponderous
stamps, and every "prairie schooner"
= aud old aud new wagon which came
j. into the camp, and could be purcha 'ed,
| found its way to the shop to be utilized
( in making the first stamp mill built in
J., Montana. When completed, the stamps
!, were eight inches square, weighed 300
b pounds each, aud the cost for the five
5 was upwards of .jOOS.
b The building of such mill in those
t days were expensive, slow and labor
e ious work, but when Mr.. Allen finally
y got it completed and ready for work
a it "pouudedn out over 5jO0O5 in gold
0 in three months. The ore was all taken
d from claim No. l, which was named the
Dakota The ore was designated "red
:, surrounded by hard limestone for
e NATION.
It In those days ore was measured by
II the cord the same as wood, and Mr.
/. Allen was paid lOJS cord for milling
r, the ore.
p Upon sinking in the mine, the pay
If ore gradually pinched out, until finally
& no trace of gold could be found. Ther
n the company broke up, and Mr. Allen
e sold his mill to a party who afterwards
h proved to be tricky and dishonest
D. for in running ore for others he would
a keep back part of the gold and mix il
IS iron, etc, instead. He was soon dis
a. covered at his tricks, however, anC
j. would have been roughly handled haC
r. he not skipped out. Then some par
r ties tore down the mill and cleaned uI
At about l.00O5; and as Mr.. Allen had re
10 ceived but small payment from tn
le sale, his loss was considerable. Tn
)f stamps were afterwards taken for var
10 ious purposes and the one now at Git
,e bonsville was taken there by a black
A. smith named Anderson, who used it il
as his shop for several years as an anvil
le Mr.. Allen still follows the pursuit 0
to mining aud milling, and is one of tn
ID best mill men aud amalgamators i
s. the west today. Although he is uF
ne wards of 70 years oeage and has passe,
through the numerous hardships il