Souvenir Mining Spoons/Souvenir Mining Spoon Hecla Mine

Souvenir Mining Spoons

Souvenir Mining Spoon Hecla Mine.JPG - SOUVENIR MINING SPOON HECLA MINE BURKE IDAHO - Sterling silver souvenir spoon, HECLA MINE BURKE engraved in bowl above engraved depiction of mine structure, handle finial has a coat of arms of the State of Idaho in a floral design on both sides and IDAHO written on the neck of the stem, IH on a triangular flag manufacturer’s mark and STERLING in the mold on the back, 5 in. long, 15.1 grams (Burke was once a thriving silver, lead and zinc mining community located about 7 miles northeast of Wallace, ID. It’s now a ghost town at the upper end of a string of seven historic mining camps that ran between Gem and Burke in Idaho’s Shoshone County. Today the town still shows the remains of the massive brick buildings that were once the Hecla Mining Company offices and mine, whose history is intertwined with the town. With the discovery of rich silver ore, Burke was founded in 1884 as mines and mills were built on the surrounding hillsides of the town’s narrow canyon. Wooden buildings and a railroad followed within three years and the boomtown was on. The Hecla Mine was originally discovered by James Toner on May 5, 1885. His 20-acre silver-lead claim was one of many in the rich Coeur d’Alene Mining District. He sold it and the mine changed hands several times before it was purchased for $150 by a group of investors in 1891. These investors led by Amasa B. Campbell, Patsy Clark and John Finch, founded the Hecla Mining Company and incorporated it in the state of Idaho on Oct. 14, 1891. After seven years of leasing the property, they recapitalized, booted the leasers out and began mining themselves. They reorganized the company in Washington state on July 12, 1898, electing Amasa B. Campbell as its president and capitalizing the company to $250,000. In 1900 they were well on their way to profitability, having built up a large surface plant to process their ore. By the end of 1900, the Hecla Mine produced $229,500 worth of ore. Just over 15 years after its discovery, the mine became one of the top producers in Burke. In Oct. 1904, Hecla’s offices were moved from Spokane to Wallace, ID where they remained for over 80 years. Through the economic ups and downs of the first two decades of the 20th Century, the Hecla Mine was a true bright spot, pumping out its silver, lead and zinc treasures. In 1922, the neighboring Star Mine was purchased by the Hecla Mining Company, and the two mines were then connected by a two-mile long underground tunnel. Unfortunately, the town of Burke was a disaster waiting to happen. It was a compact cluster of wooden buildings jammed into the bottom of a narrow canyon. Because of the narrowness of that hundred-yard wide canyon, the railroad ran through the middle of town. Most towns had main streets. Burke had a railroad. Because of this narrowness, most of the town’s buildings crowded up against the railroad, or spanned over it. Very few wooden mining towns with Burke’s character escaped the ravages of fire. On July 13, 1923, the inevitable happened. Fire ripped through the wooden mass of buildings, quickly burning nearly three-quarters of the town, and reducing the Hecla Mine office and milling complex to ashes. By the early part of 1925, the town was rebuilt of brick and it was business as usual. The good times were short lived and the Great Depression and the collapse of zinc prices in the 30s led to the closure of the Star Mine. The Hecla Mine held on to till 1944 when it too closed after producing nine million tons of ore, yielding 41 million ounces of silver, 732,000 tons of lead and 41,275 tons of zinc, worth some $81 million. Hecla reopened the Star Mine and continued to expand its operations by purchasing additional mining properties. Today Hecla Mining Company is the largest primary silver producer in the U.S. through its primary mines, the Greens Creek Mine in Alaska and the Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho. The company’s expected 2014 silver production is between 9.5 and 10 million ounces.)

Souvenir Mining Spoon Hecla Mine | SOUVENIR MINING SPOON HECLA MINE BURKE IDAHO - Sterling silver souvenir spoon, HECLA MINE BURKE engraved in bowl above engraved depiction of mine structure, handle finial has a coat of arms of the State of Idaho in a floral design on both sides and IDAHO written on the neck of the stem, IH on a triangular flag manufacturer’s mark and STERLING in the mold on the back, 5 in. long, 15.1 grams (Burke was once a thriving silver, lead and zinc mining community located about 7 miles northeast of Wallace, ID. It’s now a ghost town at the upper end of a string of seven historic mining camps that ran between Gem and Burke in Idaho’s Shoshone County. Today the town still shows the remains of the massive brick buildings that were once the Hecla Mining Company offices and mine, whose history is intertwined with the town. With the discovery of rich silver ore, Burke was founded in 1884 as mines and mills were built on the surrounding hillsides of the town’s narrow canyon. Wooden buildings and a railroad followed within three years and the boomtown was on. The Hecla Mine was originally discovered by James Toner on May 5, 1885. His 20-acre silver-lead claim was one of many in the rich Coeur d’Alene Mining District. He sold it and the mine changed hands several times before it was purchased for $150 by a group of investors in 1891. These investors led by Amasa B. Campbell, Patsy Clark and John Finch, founded the Hecla Mining Company and incorporated it in the state of Idaho on Oct. 14, 1891. After seven years of leasing the property, they recapitalized, booted the leasers out and began mining themselves. They reorganized the company in Washington state on July 12, 1898, electing Amasa B. Campbell as its president and capitalizing the company to $250,000. In 1900 they were well on their way to profitability, having built up a large surface plant to process their ore. By the end of 1900, the Hecla Mine produced $229,500 worth of ore. Just over 15 years after its discovery, the mine became one of the top producers in Burke. In Oct. 1904, Hecla’s offices were moved from Spokane to Wallace, ID where they remained for over 80 years. Through the economic ups and downs of the first two decades of the 20th Century, the Hecla Mine was a true bright spot, pumping out its silver, lead and zinc treasures. In 1922, the neighboring Star Mine was purchased by the Hecla Mining Company, and the two mines were then connected by a two-mile long underground tunnel. Unfortunately, the town of Burke was a disaster waiting to happen. It was a compact cluster of wooden buildings jammed into the bottom of a narrow canyon. Because of the narrowness of that hundred-yard wide canyon, the railroad ran through the middle of town. Most towns had main streets. Burke had a railroad. Because of this narrowness, most of the town’s buildings crowded up against the railroad, or spanned over it. Very few wooden mining towns with Burke’s character escaped the ravages of fire. On July 13, 1923, the inevitable happened. Fire ripped through the wooden mass of buildings, quickly burning nearly three-quarters of the town, and reducing the Hecla Mine office and milling complex to ashes. By the early part of 1925, the town was rebuilt of brick and it was business as usual. The good times were short lived and the Great Depression and the collapse of zinc prices in the 30s led to the closure of the Star Mine. The Hecla Mine held on to till 1944 when it too closed after producing nine million tons of ore, yielding 41 million ounces of silver, 732,000 tons of lead and 41,275 tons of zinc, worth some $81 million. Hecla reopened the Star Mine and continued to expand its operations by purchasing additional mining properties. Today Hecla Mining Company is the largest primary silver producer in the U.S. through its primary mines, the Greens Creek Mine in Alaska and the Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho. The company’s expected 2014 silver production is between 9.5 and 10 million ounces.)

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