Manuscript Group 280
Records, 1905-1955
0.5 cubic feet
The records of the Phoenix Mining and Milling Company are part of the records of Day Mines, Inc., donated to the University of Idaho by Henry Day in 1984 and 1985. Initial processing of this manuscript group was done by Judith Nielsen in April 1987. Processing was completed by Michael Tarabulski in March 1992. Funds for processing were provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the U.S. Department of Education HEA Title II-C "Strengthening Research Library Resources" program, the Library Associates of the University of Idaho and other donors.
The Phoenix Mining and Milling Company of Wallace, Idaho, was incorporated November 5, 1905, by Norman Ebbley, J.R. McDonald, Walter J. Bracking, William Roberts, and George W. Winter. Its capitalization was 1,000,000 shares, with a par value of $1.00 per share. The Articles of Incorporation were amended in April 1954 reducing the par value of the shares and making the term of existence perpetual.
The original claims included the Edna, Inez, and Hemlock properties in the Summit Mining District of Shoshone County. in 1906 the manager and president of the company, Norman Ebbley, acquired nine additional claims and turned them over to the company. By 1930 the property of the company, which adjoined the Sunset and Sunrise groups, included Phoenix, Phoenix Fraction, Phoenix 1,2,3,4, and 5, Inez, Hemlock, Edna, Oregon, and Agnes.
In 1906 the company contracted with C & R Mining Company to drive a new tunnel in return for giving C & R a right of way in the company's lower tunnel. In December 1906 the Phoenix company had 55 feet of tunneling in the mine, a 16 x 22 foot cabin built and equipped, and 500 feet of track purchased. To pay for this work the company levied its first stock assessment in 1914, but due to lack of advertising of delinquent stock, the delinquent stock was not sold until 1921. By 1920 the property was idle except for annual assessment work.
The annual report of the Inspector of Mines does not list the mine from 1922 to 1950, and there are no listings after 1956. A document in the minute book of the company lists the following directors in 1930: Norman Ebbley, Roy Kingsbury, and Lester Crocker of Wallace, E.C. Allen of Seattle, and Joseph Whelan of Vancouver, B.C.
In 1951 when the office was moved to the Day Building in Wallace the property consisted of 12 unpatented claims and the president was Mary G. Ebbley.
The records of the Phoenix Mining and Milling Company span the years 1905 to 1955. With the exception of the early minutes, 1905-21, the bulk of the material covers the years 1950-1954. Included are minutes of meetings, financial statements, correspondence with suppliers and stockholders, annual statements and reports to state agencies, a stock ledger, cancelled stock certificates, and assessment records.
Since there are so few items the records of the Phoenix Mining and Milling Company are not arranged series, however, their physical arrangement follows that of the larger groups of Day Mines records.
The records of the board of directors and stockholders include minutes of meetings, notices of meetings and assessments, proxies, and other similar records, annual reports and financial balance sheets. The general correspondence includes correspondence with stockholders and suppliers, legal documents, and salary information. A stock ledger, cancelled stock certificates, a stock audit and records relating to stock assessments are the remaining items in this collection.
Box Folder Description
1 1 Minutes and organizational records, 1905-1921, 1950-1954 2 Records relating to meetings of directors and stockholders, 1951 3 Annual Reports and Statements, 1950-1955 4 General records, A-K, 1950-1954 5 L, 1899-1907, 1928, 1947-1950 6 Legal documents, 1928-1950 7 Office and legal salaries, 1950-1951 8 P-Z, 1950-1955 9 Stock ledger, 1905-1921 10-11 Cancelled stock certificates, 1908-1928 12 Audit, 1950 13 Records relating to stock assessments, 1914-1916