Bonanza Empire Chief

Bonanza Empire Chief. . , The history of the Bonanza Empire Chief Mine and Mill mirrors the stories told of fleeting fortunes throughout the San Juan Mountains. The initial discovery of the Bonanza Lode was made on July 4, 1885. Little work was completed on the claim until 1901 when the Henson Creek Lead Mines Company issued $1,500,000 in Capital Stock and began constructing the three-story concentration mill., Over the next few years, little underground work was performed, yet above-ground facilities were developed including an electric power plant, a boarding house, and a blacksmith shop. At the same time, bonds were issued to raise funds needed to cover mounting debts. In 1906, over 3,700 feet of drifts were driven into the mountain as miners followed promising veins of ore that contained galena, zinc, silver, and gold. Unfortunately, as was often the case in hard rock mining, the promise of fortune was short-lived and the mine once again shut down in 1907., The Bonanza Empire Chief experienced a brief revival in the 1920s when the mill was retooled; however, little high-quality ore was produced. In 1929, the mill was once again reworked, but low ore values, rising coal prices, legal battles, transportation problems, national financial problems, and a devastating avalanche forced the mine to close. The Bonanza Empire Chief Mine and Mill was eventually liquidated in a series of Sheriff's Sales., The Bonanza Empire Chief Mill was stabilized in 2000 by the Bureau of Land Management and the Hinsdale County Historical Society. Unfortunately, an avalanche in February 2008 destroyed the structure., Captions , 1. The Empire Chief Mill on Henson Creek in 1929 , -Photo courtesy of Dorothy B. Kelley and Hinsdale County Museum , Hinsdale County Historical Society , 2. An aerial tram was installed to transport ore from the mine portal (entrance) to the Empire Chief Mill. , -Photo courtesy of Dorothy B. Kelley and Hinsdale County Museum - Hinsdale County Historical Society, 3. An advertisement used to entice potential investors on the merits of the Bonanza Empire Chief mining venture, circa 1925. , -Photo courtesy of Hinsdale County Museum - Hinsdale County Historical Society, 4. "We believe the Empire Chief is one of the cleanest and most meritorious money making propositions before the public today. We believe it is an outstanding opportunity ... Not for a few small dividends, But Big Dividends; Continuous For Years and Years." , -F.W. Miller and Company, Investment Securities, Denver, CO