TOTAL WRECK MINE
The Total Wreck Mine was discovered
in 1879 by John R. Dillon (or Dilden depending on the
source). The mine got its name when Dillon was asked what he planned to
call it when he filed his claim. He said he didn’t know but that the hill
on which the ledge was located looked like a total wreck.
Very little work was done at the mine until 1881 when the claim was purchased
by the Empire Mining and Developing Company. They installed a seventy-ton
mill and began operations. A camp was soon established at the Total Wreck and
by 1883, the camp had two hundred inhabitants and
consisted of fifty houses, three stores, three hotels, four saloons, a butcher
shop and a lumberyard. The Total Wreck Post Office was established on 12
August 1881 and continued operating until 1 November 1890.
The Total Wreck Mine Group was owned at times (or in parts) and sporadically
worked by a number of different groups and individuals from 1880 to 1940.
Initial operations at the mine were rather short lived. By the end
of 1884, the mine and the mill were closed and the property sold for taxes to
Gates and the Vail Brothers (Edward & Walter). Other owners over the
years were Roberts, E. P. Drew, Schley, Adams & Saxby, Gardner & Young,
and Torres.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Mines, total production between 1880 and 1940
was14,000 tons of ore consisting of about 8% lead, 7
ounces per ton of silver and traces of copper and gold. About 8 tons of
molybdenum concentrates were shipped in 1918. However, these production
figures are highly suspect. The Bureau of Mines admits that little is
known of production figures before 1902. Other sources indicate that the
Total Wreck Mine was rich in silver and that over a half million dollars in
profits were generated between 1883 and 1887. Walter Vail put much of
that money into expanding the Empire Ranch.
Two interesting occurrences concerning the Total Wreck Mine are:
In June 1883, some Mexicans who were hired to cut wood for the mill were
working on the west slopes of the
A strange shooting also occurred at the town. A Mr. E. B. Salsig got into a dispute with another man who drew his gun
and fired. Mr. Salsig survived the incident
because he had a large package of love-letters in his vest pocket, which
stopped the bullet. Mr. Salsig later married
the lady who had written the letters.
Summary prepared by T. Johnson from old mining articles.
Additional Material: GVHC Library File 29