The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-08-14
C0EUR D'ALENE PIONEER
AND HIS DISCOVERIES
FRANK M'ELRoY DISCOVERED
SOME OF THE BEST LEpcEs
IN THE coEUR D'ALENEs.

The passing away of B. +. Noel
roy, In Arizona few days ago
Frank McElroy. as he was Away,
known here---recnlls much interesting
history Of the early days OF the Soutf
Fork, the lead-silver belt OF the Cocul
dAlenes. He was among the early
prospectors In this section and pers
onally made some Of the best discover
les and locations In the camp. From
some Of these he realized a consider
able sum Of money, and later develop
ment showed some Of the holdings to
be Of very great value
Came Hare 20 Years Ago.
Inquiry from some Of the pioneers
OF the camp indicate that he came
here from Butte early In 1885.
Charles Rudy states that he first
met Frank McElroy when camped on
Beaver creek, at point later known
for Years as Reds place." or Beaver
station. early in the spring Of 1885
Evidently he was then first coming
into the South Fork district by way
Of Murray. John Sheehy county
auditor, who dates back practically
to the beginning Of Eagle and Muir
ray, agrees with Charley Ruddy that
this was about the date Of his COM
ing.
Found the California and Mineral
Point.
The records Of the county would
indicate that he began his prospect
ing on the South Side on Nine Mile
What seems to be his first location
on the county records Is that of the
California. two and half miles from
Wallace ON tributary Of Nine Mile.
The California had a fine surface
showing Of galena. It has been a |
producer Of much high grade galena
and is yet recognized as a very waltz
able property. This was on July 30,
1885.
During the same summer he dis
covered and located the Mineral Point,
near Osburn, one OF the most promi-
nent properties In the dry ore belt,
valuable property today and con-
siderable producer In the past
Located Valuable Ground at Wardner.
In September. 1885, with Mike Me-
Hale a we'll known prospector and
miner in the early days Of the camp
he located the Lackawanna and Buck
eye, in the immediate Bunker Hill
Last Chance vicinity. This was sold
to the Bunker Hill company and in 4
case generally known as the Mann
moth Lacka wanna, 1t was In the big
litigation between the two Wardner
when the district court Of
Shoshone county was held at Osburn
in the territorial days, the Bunker
Hill winning the case. L
Staked the Monarch.
June 4, 1887, he located the Mon
arch, valuable property lying above
md adjoining the California. There !
we're a number Of partners in this.
ma after some little development It
vas sold for about $4,000 cash to J
he late Col. Stewart Fuller and Ter :
itoral Judge Logan. It Is now the
of the heirs of Judge Logan
n Virginia. p
He also located the Ohio, ground a
wing between the Black Cloud and s
california and the Panhandle and u
everal other claims Of lesser import a
nee in the Nine Mile section.
Frank McElroy made his home on l.
line Mile and later in Wallace for Il
,any years. and was for time en-
aged In the grocery business with Il
harles Vedder in Wallace. 81
In nearly all his mineral discover Il
- and holdings here he was asso- al
ated with Scott Mcdonald. one of In
he most prominent Of the early min b.
IL operations Of the Occur d'Alenes, t,
olding valuable interests around m
urke Osburn. Wardner and on Nine e
lie, who later made large fortune
ON the Payne mine, in British Col
nbia
Few men have been so fortunate In :,
scovering valuable mineral lodes as -.
as Frank McElroy. -.