C OLORADO C ULTURAL R ESOURCE S URVEY Historic Archaeology Component Form
OAHP 1402 Rev. 11/10
1. Resource Number : 5BL.7094
2. Temporary Resource Number :
N/A
3. Site Name: Boyd Smelter/Mill Site 4. Does this form pertain to the site in general?
Yes
No
If no, please supply a feature/structure number or name: 5. Site, Component or Feature Type : Smelter, Mill
6. Narrative History (based on archival research, expand as necessary) : The Boyd Smelter was constructed in response to the Telluride Boom (1872–1880) in the nearby Gold Hill Mining District. Telluride gold, a compound comprised of gold, sulphur, and tellurium, is very rare in most parts of the world, but abundant in Boulder County. Because telluride gold generally cannot be visually identified, it had been overlooked during the first gold rush of the 1860s. The mineral was not identified until 1872, when Boulder assayer J. Alden Smith confirmed its presence. In the rush that followed, several smelters were constructed to treat the ore and separate the gold from the waste (Twitty 2007). Mr. J.H. Boyd of Chicago, Illinois, purchased property to build a smelter in 1873. Boyd arrived in Boulder that November to finalize his plans, and construction of the smelter began in the spring of 1874. A Boulder County News article from July 3, 1874 noted that “Mr. Boyd has six acres of ground for the accommodation of his business. The present building is 52 x 90 feet, but will be enlarged to meet the wants of the busines” (Gladden 1982). The smelter began treating ore in 1876. Its location at the mouth of Boulder Canyon helped reduce the cost of transporting raw ore from the mines, one of the primary challenges of the telluride gold industry (Twitty 2007). Boyd, A.J. Bean, and Corydon Sanborn organized the Cash Gold & Silver Mining Company in 1875 to work the Cash mine, located in the Gold Hill Mining District. Boyd invested in this mining company to ensure a steady supply of ore for his Boulder smelter and mill (Twitty 2007). In 1876, a news article reported that the smelter was regularly processing 15 tons a day; approximately six tons of gold and silver and nine tons of iron and lime (Gladden 1982). The Telluride Boom ended in 1880, giving way to a period of consolidation and industrialization of the local mining industry by a few large corporations (Twitty 2007). Boyd put his Boulder smelter up for sale circa 1883. On April 29, 1885, the Boulder County Herald reported that the smelter had been purchased by Mr. John E. Lord of Chicago (Gladden 1982). Boyd himself moved on to construct and operate a new facility, the Cash Mill, in Summerville (Twitty 2007). PaleoWest found little information regarding operations at the Boyd Smelter between circa 1885–1905. An 1886 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map states “Not in operation” next to the mill (Sanborn Fire Insurance Company 1886). While the 1895 map had no such commentary, the 1900 map reads “(CLOSED) Not in good condition” (Sanborn Fire Insurance Company 1895, 1900). The Boyd Smelter found renewed purpose as the Boulder Tungsten District developed. In 1900, Samuel Conger identified tungsten ore near Nederland. At the same time, engineers around the world were developing the first tungsten-based steel alloys. Together, these factors resulted in the first tungsten mining boom in Boulder County. In 1905, the Colorado Tungsten Corporation bought and refitted the Boyd Smelter with a mill to treat tungsten. However, a 1907 national recession forced the Colorado Tungsten Corporation to sell its assets and close the Boyd Smelter and Mill in 1908 (Twitty 2007). With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, increased demand for steel led to a revitalization of the tungsten industry in Boulder County. In 1916, brothers N.G., A.G., and J.A. McKenna established the Vanadium Alloy Steel Corporation, also known as Vasco. They purchased the Boyd Smelter and Mill and began to operate it once again. However, this second tungsten boom was short lived. The 1918 influenza pandemic hit the district hard, and many mining operations were shut down. In addition, the armistice agreement in November 1918 brought an end to weapons manufacturing, and the discovery of tungsten deposits in China – where the labor force was plentiful and cheap – led to a sudden and drastic decline in the value of American tungsten (Twitty 2007). Accordingly, the tungsten boom ended and with it, the Boyd Smelter/Mill Site closed. The Boyd Smelter/Mill Site operated until circa 1918. No part of the mill or smelter is shown on a 1922 map (Sanborn Map Company 1922). Most of the mill machinery and buildings were dismantled and removed shortly after it closed; however, several stone and concrete structures remained in place through the 1950s. Most remaining features were buried or destroyed circa the late 1960s or early 1970s when the area was landscaped to
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