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Manuscript Group 187
Records, 1922-1982
8 cubic feet
The records of the Research and Development Division of the Bunker Hill Company were donated to the University of Idaho Library by the company between November 1986 and January 1987. They were processed by Judith Nielsen in February and March 1990.
The Bunker Hill Company was founded following the discovery of the Bunker Hill Mine in 1885; it was incorporated in 1887. It grew from a strictly mining enterprise to a large industrial complex capable of carrying out every step in the production process from removing ore from the ground to fabricating finished metal products. The company was an important supplier of the nation's requirements for lead, zinc, silver, and cadmium. The lead smelter had the capacity to produce 135,000 tons of refined lead per year, or 17% of the U.S. capacity, while the electrolytic zinc plant produced 104,000 tons, or 14% of the U.S. capacity. The company also produced over 9 million troy ounces of silver, over one million pounds of refined cadmium, and a variety of by-products including 1000 ounces of refined gold. In 1968 Bunker Hill merged with Gulf Resources.
The records of the Bunker Hill Research and Development Division span the years 1922 to 1982, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1945 to 1975.
The papers include brochures issued by the company, organizational manuals, reports on various research and development projects, papers dealing with Washington Water Power requests for rate increases, drawings of plant flow sheets, aerial views of the plant and smelter, and visitors registers.
Two other Bunker Hill groups in the University of Idaho Special Collections Library are MG 130 and MG 188, both of which deal with the mining aspects of the company and contain legal documents relating to mining claim litigations.
Most of the papers in this record group were in labeled file folders or three ring notebooks, but were in no discernible order. Therefore, while folder and notebook headings were retained, a series order was imposed during processing. The folders in each series are in alphabetical order and the original order of the material is maintained throughout.
The first series contains material concerning the overall organization of the division, including budget manuals, policies manuals, supervisors manuals, and work rules.
The second series, or research files, is divided into two subseries, one is the material that was originally in file folders, the second is the material originally contained in notebooks. Most items in this series deal with the operation of the plant, and various experiments performed. There is a section on patent applications, and a list of patents held by the company.
The Washington Water Power rate increase requests are arranged by case number. Included are petitions and other legal documents, transcripts of testimonies, and occasionally legal documents from court cases resulting from the application.
The final series contains blueprints of the lead and zinc plants, aerial views of the zinc plant and smelter, a University of Idaho thesis, flow sheets, and two visitors registers.
Annual reports of the Bunker Hill Company, and the session papers of the American Mining Congress were removed from the collection and sent to the library's gift receiving office for possible cataloging into the library's main collection. Suppliers catalogs, annual reports from other companies, and duplicate materials were discarded. Material from notebooks was transferred to file folders. By these means the bulk of the records was reduced by 7 cubic feet.
I. Organization, 1966-1981 1 II. Research Files, 1922-1982 1-6 A. File Folders, 1922-1982 B. Notebooks, 1929-1981 III. Washington Water Power Cases, 1966-1982 6-8 IV. Other Material, 1956-1980 8
1 1 Brochures, 1968-1980 7 2 Building and equipment manual, 1975 1 3 Capital budget procedures, 1974-1981 15 4 Capital expenditure manual, 1973 1 5 Chart of accounts, 1976 1 6 Keys, 1979 4 7 Library filing index, 1966-1968 2 8 Marketing division manual, 196-? 1 9-10 Policies and procedures manual, 1979 1 11 Quality Control Preventative Maintenance Program Plan, by John Benjamin, 1979 1 12 Supervisor's manual, 1967 1 13 Supervisor's handbook, 1973 1 14 Supervisor's newsletter, 1980-1981 4 15 Warehouse catalog, 1981 1 16 Work rules, 1974 1
17 American Journal of Mining: facsimile of first issue in 1886, 1941 1 18 Assay ranges, 1970-1972 1 Battelle Northwest 19 Air pollution, 1968-1970 12 20 Bunker Hill research, 1965-1969 57 21 Carbon Sorbates, 1968-1969 21 22 Cl, F, and SB removal from solution of ZnO fume in acid, 1969-1970 36 23 Development of a Fused Salt Catalytic Extraction Process for Removal of So2 from Flue Gas, 1970 2 24 Monitoring equipment (Y-40539), 1968-1969 23 25 Proprietary agreement, 1968 2 26 Bunker Hill lead and zinc concentrates, 1981 7 27 Bunker Hill medallion, 1981-1982 17 28 Byproducts, 1978 7 29 Cadmium, 1974-1975 10 30 Cadmium - Gould contract, 1975 8 31 Calcium-lead alloy, 1974-1981 7 32 COD, 1975 4 33 Colombia samples, 1980-1981 91 34 COMINCO, 1981 1 35 Concentrates, 1975-1976 4 36 Copper, 1961 1 37 Correspondence, submissions, 1978 1 38 Determination of lead in ores, 1973-1982 4 39 Exide Management and Technology Company, 1980 3 2 40 Gould MF-10 alloy, 1977-1980 38 41 Henwood, Arthur B., 1903-1968 10 42 ILZRO Program Review Committee, 1969 1 43 International Precious Metals Institute, 1978-1980 8 44 Investigation of Arkansas bauxite, 1948 1 45-46 Lead, 1972-1978 24 47 Lead-antimony alloy, 1978 1 48 Literature search on process for removal of lead from zinc fume, 1975 1 49 LME (London Metal Exchange), 1974-1980 32 50 Material safety data sheets, 1971-1981 39 51 Memos, 1976 2 52 Miller, J.L., 1981 4 Patent Applications 53 Ammonium chloride, 1929-1931 33 54 Hydrometallurgical process for removing chlorides from chloride bearing zinc oxides, 1970-1971 9 55 Precipitating arsenic from solution, 1968-1970 10 56 Process for the hydrometallurgical treatment of argentiferous tetrahedrite minerals, 1971 9 57 Recovering indium from leach solutions, 1967-1970 14 58 Recovery of lead from waste storage batteries, 1976 5 59 Recovery of metallic values from phosphorus electric furnace dust, 1968-1969 6 60 Simultaneous leaching of zinc and manganese ores, 1956-1970 20 Patents 61 Abstracts of, 1942-1964 25 62 Bethune/Bunker Hill, 1960-1965 6 63 Bunker Hill patents, 1969-1976 1 64 Canadian patents 10 65 Pleasant Valley Coal District, Utah, n.d. 3 66 Prospective shippings, 1975 4 67 Request for analysis, 1976-1978 4 68 Research and development, 1978 28 69 Research progress reports, 1977 44 70 Review of chemical abstracts related to electrolytic zinc deposition, 1948-1963 1 71 Sample preparation, 1967-1969 15 72 Sample storage and preparation, 1967 6 73 Sampling, 1969-1977 6 74 Sampling and preparation, 1973 7 75 Scrap, 1977-1978 4 76 Silver, 1977-1979 4 77 Skeen International Company, 1978 6 78 Smelter, 1978 1 79 Sulfuric acid, 1972-1978 27 80 Supervision, 1968-1977 21 81 Volcanic ash, 1980-1981 6 82 Weekly mercury analyses of sulfuric acid plants, 1972-1981 24 83 X-Ray values, 1978 10 84 Zinc, 1970-1978 37 85 Zinc, samples of, 1922-1928 1 86 Zinc alloys, 1977 1 87 Zinc concentrate sampling, 1972 2 88 Zinc dust - Pasco, 1967-1975 65 89 Zinc oxide flue dust, 1974 5 90 Zinc oxide fume to zinc plant, 1981 6
91 Aluminum and alumina, 1957-1959 11 American Society for Testing and Materials 92 Committee B-2, Nonferrous Metals and Alloys, 1966-1981 14 93 Committee B-2-02, 1977-1981 32 94 Committee B-2-04, 1974-1980 15 95 Committee B-2-05, 1977-1980 10 96 Committee B-6, Die Cast Metals and Alloys, 1973-1981 22 97 Committee B-6-02, 1967-1976 12 98 Committee E-2-06, Development of Lead Standards, 1976 3 99 Committee E-3-05.09, Silver, 1977 5 100-101 Committee E-16, Taskforce on Lead and Zinc, 1969-1976 130 3 102 American Zinc Institute Symposium on Plating of Zinc Die Castings, 1959 1 103 Antimonial and arsenical lead production, 1946-1960 40 104 Antimony and its Smelting, by Walter Wendt, 1951 1 105 Arsenic control program, 1954-1959 28 106 Arsenic purification Burt solution, 1941 1 107 Baghouse, 1954-1962 53 108 Barium chemicals, 1957 40 109 Battelle Memorial Institute, 1954-1964 45 110 Budget, 1953-1961 26 111 Bunker Hill-Bailey Meter Density Recorder and Controller, by Alvin F. Kroll, 1964 1 112-113 Bunker Hill zinc plant expansion and cell room mechanization study, 1973 2 114 By-Products, 1976-1977 1 115 Cadmium plant, letters, experiments, etc., 1947-1965 33 116 Casting, 1954-1961 23 117 Charge preparation and pelletizing plant, 1949-1963 59 118 Cobalt information, 1956-1957 2 119 Combustion burners, 1950-1955 10 120 Comparison and weighted averages on zinc concentrates and cadmium sponge purchased, 1957-1964 1 121 Computers, 1968-1970 5 122 Continuous softening, 1950 6 123 Copper dross smelting, 1955-1963 18 124 Copper matte and speiss, 1953-1963 42 125 Cost distribution and economics, 1953-1954 47 4 126 Cost statements, analytical lab, 1967 1 127 Cost Statements, combined lab, 1967-1981 1 128 Cost Statements, Coeur d'Alene lab, 1972-1981 1 129 Cottrell, 1956-1960 7 130 Dechloridizing-Defluorodizing zinc fume, 1950-1962 5 131 De-Golding, de-Silverizing, 1962 1 132 Diversification, 1956-1959 28 133 Drossing, 1955-1964 17 134 Dry ore plant, Sb ore reports, 1940-1942 38 135 Economics - smelting margins, 1957-1959 19 136-137 Electric furnace, 1950-1964 116 138-139 Environmental health, 1970-1977 63 140 Environmental health - lead, 1978-1980 7 141 Environmental Sciences Associates, blood lead, 1973-1979 22 142 Environmental Sciences Associates, lead testing, 1977-1979 25 143 Experimental laboratory notebook, 1930-1936 1 144 Foundry alloys, 1980 8 145-146 Fuming plant, 1943-1963 120 147 Hard lead run costs, 1954 2 148 Indirect cost and general expense, 1953-1958 3 149 Laboratory notebook, n.d. 1 150 Laboratory notebook, 1971 1 151-153 Lead hygiene, 1972-1979 61 154-155 Lead refinery, 1931-1960 90 5 156 Lead uses, 1953-1959 62 157 Material flow and balances, 1950-1959 18 158-159 Material specifications and analysis, 1975-1981 1 160 Mining and metallurgical qualifications for engineering and construction. Wellman-Power Gas, Inc., 1972 2 161 Miscellaneous, 1954-1962 77 162 New Cottrell, 1954-1957 34 163 Optical emission quantometer fortran programs, 1979 1 164 Optical emission specification limits, 1971 1 165-166 Ore purchases, 1952-1963 334 167 Ore receiving and handling, 1953-1961 9 168 Ore settlements, cost distribution, 1947-1952 4 169 Ore stock and smelting rate, 1954-1955 10 170 Other plants, 1955-1959 22 171 Other plants - visits, 1952-1961 24 172 Outside work, 1953-1959 43 173 Overtime and absences, 1980-1981 1 174 Patent: Beasley combustion igniter, 1929-1931 190 175 Product certification, 1979-1981 12 176 Proposed sintering plant, 1954-1960 11 177 Research and development procedures notebook, n.d. 1 178 Retreatment of cobalt residue, n.d. 1 179 Retreatment of zinc plant residue, 1930-1936 4 180 Sales, 1954-1959 61 181 Sherrit Gordon Mines, Ltd., 1966-1967 7 182 Silver manuscript by Donald B. Macurda, 1964? 4 183 Silver refinery, 1942-1963 55 184 Sinter plant and Cottrell, 1953-1963 30 185 Sintering, 1951-1959 12 6 186-187 Slag fuming plant, 1942-1943 6 188-190 Slag fuming plant, operating data, 1953-1965 1 191 SO2 in Peabody effluent, L. Hoffman notes, 1972-1978 9 192 Super pure antimony, 1957-1964 89 193 Unidentified scientific notes, 1941-1942 3 194 Vacuum dezincing, 1954-1960 13 195 Wheelabrator baghouse, 1953-1962 53 196 Zinc alloy manual, 1970 1 197 Zinc oxide benefication, 1956-1965 50 198-199 Zinc plant melting furnace, 1956 60 200 Zinc plant research work, 1956-1962 31
201-203 WWP standard prepared testimonies and exhibits for rate cases, 1981 2 7 204 Case P-300-16. Consideration of essential needs rates, 1980-1981 6 205 Case P-300-18/U-1008-144. Consideration of certain ratemaking standards, 1981 4 206 Case U-1006-159. Application of Idaho Power Company for authority to increase rates and charges, 1981 2 Application of the Washington Water Power Company for an Order Approving Revised Rates and Charges for Electric/Gas Service in the State of Idaho. 207 Case U-1008-86. Reporter's transcript. 1974 1 208 Case U-1008-93/94, 1975-1981 19 209 Case U-1008-109. WWP surcharge, 1978 1 210-212 Case U-1008-101/102, 1966-1967 7 213 Case U-1008-112, 1977-1980 20 214 Case U-1008-117. WWP vs. Bunker Hill, 1977-1978 17 215-216 Case U-1008-133/134. Testimony, 1979 3 217 U-1008-144/145. Rebuttal testimony, 1980 2 8 218-219 Case U-1008-147. Legal documents and testimony, 1980-1981 35 220 Case U-1008-154/155, 1981 2 221-222 Case U-1008-155/156, 1980-1981 48 223 Case U-1008-161, 1981 3 224 Related material, 1981-1982 21 225 Related material - Bonneville Power Co., 1981 2 226 Idaho Public Utilities file of J.E. McKay, vice president for Technical Services, 1973-1975 60 227 Idaho Public Utilities Commission. Summary of utilities activities, 1980-1981 8
228 Blueprints of lead and zinc plants, 1966-1976 11 229 Aerial views of zinc plant and smelter, 1977 2 230 Publications about Bunker Hill and the Coeur d'Alene mining area, 1956-1980 5 231 Thesis: Decopperizing Lead with Arsenic and Sulphur, by Denton Mark Tucker, University of Idaho, 1962 1 232 The Gold Ingot Mark Book, n.d. 1 233 Metals recovery facility flow sheet, 1967 2 234 Copper dross flue dust recovery flow sheet, 1967 1 235 Metals recovery plant general arrangement, 1967 2 236 Unidentified drawing, n.d 1 237-238 Visitors registers, 1969-1970 2
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