Oregon Copper Company records

Collection

Identifier: Mss 1032

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the records of the Oregon Copper Company, which owned mines in Baker County, Oregon. These records include correspondence of and between manager John Arthur and board member C. B. Handy, financial records, maps and plans of mining sites, reports to and correspondence with stockholders, and summaries of the company's operations. The collection also contains correspondence and schematics relating to mining equipment designed by Lyle McLean; materials relating to the Clover Creek Consolidated Mining Company and the Balm Creek Gold Mining Company, which Arthur also managed; and photographs of mine shafts at the Balm Creek mining site.

Dates

1928-1943

Creator

Oregon Copper Company (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Administrative History

The Oregon Copper Company operated the Mother Lode Mine in Baker County, Oregon, from 1907 to 1939, producing more than 8,100 ounces of gold and 4 million pounds of copper. By the mid-1930s, the mine was operating two shafts, three tunnels, and a 100-ton flotation mill. However, production at the Mother Lode Mine ceased in the late 1930s due to decreasing copper prices and rising operational costs.

Source: "Mother Lode Mine, Baker County," by Cain Allen, The Oregon History Project, https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/mother-lode-mine-baker-county/#.Y1K6onbMIuU.

Extent

0.2 Cubic Feet (5 folders in shared box; 1 oversize folder (36x48))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Records and correspondence of the Oregon Copper Company. The Oregon Copper Company operated the Mother Lode Mine in Baker County, Oregon, from 1907 to 1939.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Amelia S. Handy or her estate, circa 1963 (Lib. Acc. 10018).

Related Materials

Additional photographs relating to the Oregon Copper Company at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and designated Org. Lot 806.

Processing Information

Photographs in this collection were part of Oregon Copper Company photographs, Org. Lot 806, until 2022. Oversize materials were in the Architecture collection, Mss 1525, until 2009, and then in Coll 142, Plans and drawings relating to public transportation in Oregon, until 2022.