Ruby Shaft

Ruby Shaft. . Most of the ore that brought tremendous riches and fame to Granite was brought out of the Ruby Shaft, operated by the Granite Mountain Mining Company. Several tunnels outside the Ruby Shaft were also important in producing the silver (and some gold) ore that went to the mills and became ingots. The shaft work began in about 1880 when Mr. McIntyre was contracted to “sink a 50-foot shaft upon the ledge” in return for a one-quarter interest in the mine. The shaft that Mr. McIntyre sank, however, was one foot short. He decided not to finish the task and surrendered his share in the mine. This one-quarter share was eventually worth over $3,000,000 in dividends. In 1885, a new shaft, the Ruby Shaft, was started and was driven to a depth of 1550 feet. Soon several hundred miners were working three eight-hour shifts a day, six days a week.

The headframe of the Ruby Shaft, which has since fallen into the shaft, was contained in a building as shown. Power for the hoist was provided by steam engines that burned wood and coal. In the early years, ore was crushed in Mills A and B which were adjacent to the mine.

In 1888, the Granite Mountain Mining Company began construction of a large mill called the Rumsey Mill or Mill C in a valley to the east on Fred Burr Creek. The mill was completed in 1889 and was connected to the mining complex by an 8750-foot aerial tramway.