Furnaceville & Ingot: Home of the Afterthought mine – Part 2

June 23, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

Miners searching for silver struck the copper vein of the Copper Hill mine in 1862, during the silver rush excitement at Silver City. This vein was located in the boundaries of the Cow Creek mining district. However, mining activity lacked on this property until 1873, several years after the abandonment of Silver City, a former settlement which existed above the present-day town of Ingot. It was Marcus H. Peck, a local miner and prospector, who purchased the Copper Hill mining claim for $6,000, and furthered it’s development into a lucrative lode mine.

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Then in July of 1873, Peck began working a secondary copper mining site called the Silver City Copper Ledge which he purportedly claimed ownership of. This ledge was immense and it was measured at sixty feet wide. After the ore was extracted from the rock it was then delivered by teams which hauled the ore to the Anderson Depot where it was then transferred from Anderson to San Francisco by railroad to be assayed. Assayer’s certified it as being seventy five percent to ninety percent pure copper.

Marcus H. Peck eventually turned this mining claim into a lode mine and sunk a winze down eighteen feet below the surface of the earth. He then constructed a head frame with a hoist that topped the shaft which allowed Peck to extract additional ore from it by toiling away inside the winze with the proper safety gear attached to it and him. He continued to work this mining site. Then Peck began improving the Copper Hill mine by installing a narrow gauge track with rails for the purpose of transferring ore in ore carts from inside the main haulage tunnel and drifts of the lode mine.

During 1875, Peck constructed a crude reverberatory furnace to process the ore of the Copper Hill mine. Yet, this process failed because when he treated the ore, he discovered that it contained zinc, which made it impossible to separate the metals to obtain the copper and silver ore he sought after. Due to this furnace which Peck built it gave it’s name to a brand-new settlement called Furnaceville which was established, that year, due to the completion of the nearby Reid’s Toll Road which connected Buzzard’s Roost to Redding. Furnaceville was located one mile north-east of the present-day town of Ingot. It was then situated on the east bank of North Cow Creek. Furnaceville never had an United States Post Office to send and receive mail either.

Then on, May 18, 1876, the first of two weddings were performed at this settlement which was recorded by the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, in which R.T. Roberts was married to Lucinda McConnell, and then on May 21, 1876, the wedding of Lewis Kenyon to Mary Ann Lint took place at the brand-new settlement.

That year, Peck located an additional copper vein adjoining the Copper Hill mine, and immediately it became known as the Peck mine, yet, Peck eventually patented both mines as the Afterthought mine which was a noted mining term. The definition of “afterthought” means an adjoining claim which was located after the establishment of a major claim on the same mining property.

Marcus H. Peck continued to prospect and develop both the Silver City Copper Ledge, and the Afterthought mines. Peck eventually secured a mineral land patent for the Copper Hill mine which was issued to him on May 27, 1876, and signed by President Ulysses S. Grant.

SEE RELATED ARTICLE: Silver City: A prelude to Furnaceville & Ingot

THE DONKEY MINE SALES

Another mining claim which Peck owned and operated was the Donkey mine, alias the Donkeyhead mine on forty acres of land. This lode mine was yielding lucrative results in copper and silver assessments as well as additional minerals. It was sold by Peck to A.J. Cook, in August of 1874 for $500. Cook was an experienced miner formerly of the mining company, Winter and Cook.

Then, on February 12, 1876, the Shasta Courier newspaper, of Shasta, reported the following news:

“The “Donkey Lode” mining company in North Cow Creek district have incorporated. Capital stock: $400,000.” (SIC) Another report by the same newspaper, on September 16, 1876, claims the following account:

“L. Mullen, who has just returned from the Donkey mine, informs us that the main shaft on the claim is down one hundred and ninety-six feet, the company working three shifts of men and paying the contractors at the rate of $25 per foot. The prospects of the mine are splendid.“

During May of 1879, fire destroyed a mill which was built and operated on the Donkey mining property to treat it’s production of ore. The fire was estimated at $10,000 in damages. In 1905, this mine was purchased by the Great Western Gold Mining Company of St. Louis, Missouri. Then in 1915, the Donkey mine was acquired by the Western Zinc Company, of San Francisco, who extensively worked the mine and continued it’s production and development. Geologists believe that the Donkey vein is an extension of the celebrated Afterthought vein.

THE AFTERTHOUGHT MINE SALES

An English company, owned and operated by Lord W. A. St. Aubyn, called the St. Aubyn Company purchased the Afterthought mine from Marcus H. Peck, and eventually the mine was sold by the St. Aubyn Company to Adoniram J. Loomis, Dr. William D. Olendorf, Dr. J.S. Cameron, Joseph S. Cone, and Frank B. Washington, all prominent residents, of Red Bluff, who filed articles of incorporation for the Afterthought Mining Company with the Secretary of State’s Office on December 25, 1875. They were established with a capital stock of $1,000,000. It was Adoniram J. Loomis who became. the president of this mining company. Their business office was located at the Red Bluff hotel in Red Bluff, and their mining property was located in the boundaries of the Cow Creek mining district of Shasta County.

Above: an assessment notice for the Afterthought Mining Company, from the Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, dated September 2, 1876.

The Afterthought Mining Company began hiring amalgamators, carpenters, furnace men, laborers, masons, miners, muckers, and pipe layers, to start the production of ore and additional mining activities for their mining site. One of the first projects by them was the erection of a $50,000 mill, and to repair and grease the narrow gauge ore cart track on the property where it was needed, and to extend it where it was necessary on this mining property. They were also building a brand-new furnace on their site, and they created a small housing camp with residential houses for their employees on the mining property.

They charged their employees $5 a month for boarding with them on site. Their employees were earning between $2.50 and $4.00 daily, depending on the type of work they were employed to do. Furnaceville continued burgeoning with success due to the Afterthought Mining Company, and the community featured a general merchandise store owned and operated by Daniel Breslauer and William Rediker, the Buckhorn Saloon owned and operated by John Sisk, and the Boyce Saloon, owned and operated by Fred Boyce. A hostelry owned and operated by John Alexander, two small additional stores, feed stables and residential houses. Then on, September 11, 1876, the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper heralded the following news from the Afterthought mine:

“Bullion From The Afterthought Mine

Reading, September 9th,

The Afterthought Mining Company, located at Furnaceville, Shasta County, sent down today for shipment thirty-five imparted bars containing silver, gold and lead, weighing 3,110 pounds. This is the first shipment from their furnaces, and is quite satisfactory to the company.” (SIC)

During May of 1877, the Afterthought Mining Company instructed twenty of their carpenters to fall trees in the area for the purpose of erecting their flume. This flume would convey water out of a nearby creek about a half-mile above Breslauer & Rediker’s general merchandise store at Furnaceville, to provide water for their mill at the Afterthought mine. The mining company planned this flume to be a mile and a half in length. Lumber was also ordered from two local saw mills in Shasta County as well for the purpose of building this structure.

Then on, June 17, 1878, the original mill at the Afterthought mine was entirely destroyed by fire on account of an arsonist. A suspect was never arrested by the local authorities. However, it was a major set-back to the mining company, and they immediately rebuilt the mill. They supposed it was an act of a former disgruntled employee, and they immediately made plans to rebuild it.

Previously, Rediker purchased the interest of Daniel Breslauer in their general merchandise store, and Rediker became the sole owner of this establishment at Furnaceville. By November of 1878, Rediker’s business at Furnaceville was selected as the main polling place for their settlement which allowed their community to pay their poll taxes there. Locals were now able to vote in the upcoming election for 1879 as well. That month, Redding resident John N. Major purchased a team and wagon from William Rediker and Major then established the Redding to Furnaceville Stage Line, which conveyed people into both places twice a week.

By March 8, 1879, construction work on a brand-new mill was nearly completed by the Afterthought Mining Company, who were expecting to have this mill in operation by April of that year. However, complications followed which delayed the project from being finished on time. New roads were added which were cut to the different mining claims on the property as well. A couple of sources still referred to this mine as the “Peck mine” which claimed that it had a rather large tailing or dump pile on site including a large ore-bin.

The ore-bin at the “Peck mine” measured at 22 feet long by 16 feet wide, and 8 feet deep. Ore-bins were utilized on the mining property to load their wagons with the ore they housed to help transfer the ore to their mill for treatment which was awaiting completion of the brand-new mill. A large force of men were extending the inside of the main haulage tunnel of the Afterthought mine from where it faced out as well. They also cleared out large rocks and boulders, and when necessary, securing them as gobbing while their work continued into September of that year.

They also included a general merchandise and supply store on their site which was operated by Adoniram J. Loomis on a daily basis. It was often referred to as the “company store”. Apparently, several more delays occurred in starting the mill which wasn’t operational until October 1, 1879, when they began cleaning up the ore which was transferred from the Peck mine tailings where they had previously been roasting on the log heaps.

After a month of operation the brand-new mill was closed down on November 10, 1879, by the Afterthought Mining Company. A correspondent of the Shasta Courier newspaper, of Shasta, exclaimed the following reasons for this closure in this excerpt of an article:

“At first, Sulphur was found in such abundance that it hindered the gathering of the valuables, then came greasy graphite or plumbago, affecting the amalgamation; then cinnabar, unknown until lately to exist, salivated the entire crew more effectively than any allopathic physician could have done; than an attempt was made to work separately some of what is called the “black ore”, from assays known to be rich in silver and the Superintendent gave orders to have the furnaces heated seven times hotter than hell. The black ore is known to contain silver, gold, copper, antimony, arsenic, cinnabar, Sulphur and graphite and that old fellow that children are taught to call the devil is the only individual that has positive knowledge of what the ore does contain, and perhaps, he might be employed for a season as head boss to work the mine and make it pay – for about twenty Superintendents have been employed at different periods by the Company, each one upon starting declaring that he could make the pay, but meeting with unexpected obstacles, as above named, every attempt has proved futile. The fumes arising from working the combined minerals were almost beyond human endurance – some of the hands complained of being salivated, others coughing, and finally it was agreed to shut down for the season.” (SIC)

These causes also effected the population of Furnaceville and the community was fading away, on the account that the Afterthought mine was now closed. The 1881 History and Business Directory of Shasta County, documents only two people residing and operating businesses at Furnaceville in 1881. They were: William Rediker who still owned and operated his general merchandise store and John Alexander who still owned and operated his hotel.

Oddly, the Sacramento Union newspaper, of Sacramento, records a wedding there on October 23, 1881, between G.W.V. St. John and Sylvia R. Lippincott. Then in 1883, mining at the Afterthought mine was re-commenced by the Afterthought Mining Company, of Red Bluff, although local newspapers claimed it was shut down for several years. But that information was false, because the mine was last worked in 1879.

The mining property reopened in January of 1883, with the mining company sending two bars of bullion to their assayers in San Francisco, that month. Then, they decided to bypass the hazardous Sulphur sections of the mine. Now their miners were extracting a thousand pounds of copper daily. They were also adding two brand-new stamps to their stamp mill and figuring out new ways to overcome the problematic graphite which was affecting the pan-amalgamation process at the mill. Amalgamation occurs when an amalgamator alloys different minerals together using mercury.

By April 28, 1883, the Republican Free Press newspaper, of Redding, heralded the following article:

“The Afterthought.

J.H. De Nice, foreman of the Afterthought mine was in Redding this week to meet his wife, who accompanied him to the mine. The gentleman informs us that the Steward process is working the ore to advantage; that a carload of cement copper was shipped last week which will average 85 percent, on which the company will net a neat little profit. Bar No. 10 of silver, valued at $450, was also sent to San Francisco. The company contemplates the erection of a building to enclose the leachers and car-track, to be 180×30 feet. About 30 men are employed at this camp.” (SIC)

Once again, Furnaceville was booming with brand-new settlers while the local businesses at that location burgeoned with success. Miners struck a brand-new ore body containing silver and copper in July of that year inside the “Peck mine”, and miners were busy extracting this ore from it. The Afterthought mine was being praised by the local media as a complete success, later on, an excerpt of a column written by a local media outlet mentioned the following about the Afterthought mine:

“…that the chances for the erection of a copper mill is very good. This company is solid, as is proven by the fact that each one of the thirty men employed get their wages regularly.”

THE AFTERTHOUGHT MINE CLOSES AGAIN

The miners employed with the Afterthought Mining Company eventually learned that they would be laid off when the Republican Free Press newspaper, of Redding, published the following article on August 11, 1883;

“Want To Sell

The Afterthought mine will shut down on the first of September. A large ore body has recently been uncovered, and it is claimed that the mill is working satisfactorily. The reasons for shutting down are these: First, a great deal of money has been expended in perfecting the works; second, the ore is low grade, and to make it pay large dividends it is necessary to increase the capacity and erect a copper mill; and lastly, they wish to sell out to a company having the necessary capital to make these additional and extended improvements. It is claimed that the mine pays more than expenses but that the dividends are not large enough to suit the stockholders. The mine is a good one, undoubtedly, but to make it pay it is necessary to increase the capacity, and this only part of the company is willing to do, and prevent discord they will sell out to a new company.” (SIC)

The last acts of the Afterthought Mining Company was to distribute the payroll to their employees, and they also ordered their superintendent to have a lucrative bar of silver delivered to San Francisco which was then valued at $650. The mining property was now thought to be deserted and left abandoned, yet, during May of 1884 it was learned that a small crew of men were kept on payroll to prospect and probe the property to locate new ore bodies. They also knew that valuable minerals laid untouched in the Afterthought mine and some of this ore were to be delivered to assayers for assessment purposes. Over the years, damage had been done to the company’s flume on the mining property which conveyed water to the mill, damage was also done to the Afterthought mill, and repairing the flume and mill would cost them about $30,000, which the Afterthought Mining Company lacked in funds.

Then a newspaper from San Francisco heralded the following news on May 23, 1884;

“Mining Development

Red Bluff, Cal., May 22d – Preparations are underway to open the Afterthought mines in Shasta County with San Francisco capital. In connection with these mines other developments in the vicinity will be looked after and improved.”

The above article was reprinted in a number of media outlets. However, it appears that the Afterthought Mining Company failed to complete the deal with the San Francisco capitalists for their celebrated mining property and they held on to their land.

THE AFTERTHOUGHT MINE SOLD & REOPENED

Five years later, the Afterthought Mining Company, of Red Bluff, sold their lucrative mining property to lumberman Joseph E. Enright, the owner of the Shasta Lumber Company, in 1889. Enright purchased the property for the abundance of timber this mining property offered. Timber production and the harvest of new trees failed to come to fruition under Enright’s ownership, however, Enright erected a brand-new furnace on the property which a local media outlet referred to it incorrectly as a “new smelter” which it wasn’t. Enright eventually had two hundred tons of ore from the Afterthought mine extracted and roasted in his brand-new furnace. This ore was then transferred to an undisclosed smelter site to be smelted in 1896. It yielded Enright 37 percent copper, 45 ounces per ton in silver, and $7 per ton in gold.

Above: a group of miners employed by the Tarbet mining syndicate of Salt Lake City, Utah poses for a photograph in front of the adit to the Afterthought mine in 1902. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

ANOTHER SALE

Enright died in San Francisco on December 5, 1897, at the age of sixty-one. The Afterthought mine and holdings went into his estate and laid idled for five years with his son Frank Enright becoming the caretaker of the mining property, until the Enright estate sold the mining property on August 2, 1902, to Alexander Tarbet, the owner of the Tarbet mining syndicate of Salt Lake City, Utah, who purchased the Afterthought mine for $100,000. Later on, the above mining company named W.P. Snyder as a co-owner of the Afterthought mine. During September of 1903, another transaction of this lucrative mining property occurred between the Tarbet mining syndicate and W.P. Snyder who sold out to the Great Western Gold Mining Company of St. Louis, Missouri for $150,000.

As for Furnaceville the settlement boomed again during the late 1890s due to new mining claims and lode mines which were being located by prospectors in the area, one of the new lucrative bonanza’s was the Daisy Bell mine. There were some people who still resided here after the turn of the 20th century as well. For a quarter of a century Furnaceville was an active mining settlement which surpassed it’s predecessor, Silver City, and today nothing remains from Furnaceville.

The brand-new settlement of Ingot became a thriving town which surpassed Furnaceville. Ingot was established with a general merchandise store owned and operated by William McKendrick, a native of Pennsylvania, who formerly ran a store at the Iron Mountain mine, near Keswick, before McKendrick settled at Ingot. There was also a boarding house, a hotel, a stage line and a schoolhouse. The town of Ingot was now able to send and receive mail with the U.S. Post Office being established in McKendrick’s store. The United States Postal Service headquarters in Washington D.C., appointed local resident Winfred Wright as the first postmaster of the newly formed Ingot Post Office on May 13, 1904. The Ingot-Redding Stage Line was established by local resident, Walter Kuney.

Above: the Ingot School during the year, 1905. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Above: The Hotel also known as Ward’s hotel at Ingot with a group of unidentified people standing on the corner of the building’s wrap around porch. There is a dog off to the left side. Date unknown. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

THE SMELTER IS BLOWN IN

At Ingot the brand-new smelter was blown in on the morning of March 24, 1905, at the Afterthought mine, complete with with a ceremonial event consisting of a flag raising, ribbon cutting and additional events to mark this historic day. Even the officers of the Great Western Gold Mining Company attended the event to address the crowd of people. The company’s owner and president, T.S. Henderson and his family were also in attendance that day. It became Shasta County’s third smelter which was now operational.

A newspaper quoted Henderson stating the following that “the Great Western is now an accomplished fact. It is the third largest gold and copper producing company on the Pacific coast, being exceeded now only by the Mountain Copper and Bully Hill companies.” (SIC)

The inaugural first day run was a complete success according to assay reports which amounted to 138 tons of gold and copper and averaged $35 per ton. Their smelter operated on coke and utilized quartz for flux. Three months later, the Great Western Gold Mining Company, announced an increase of raises for their employees. Their employees were working twelve hour days and feeders were making $3.50 per day, which was raised to $4.00 and furnace men from $3.60 to $4.00 per day. Other positions were raised from $3.50 to $4.00 in employee wages.

Employee hours were cut by the Afterthought Copper Company by August 15, 1906 as the twelve hour shifts were shortened to eight hours daily which was due to the wage increase earlier that year. Between 1906 and 1907, the Great Western Gold Mining Company increased their smelter operations and erected a 250-ton water-jacket blast furnace which treated the ores successfully at the Afterthought mine as it’s lucrative production continued yielding extraordinary results.

During May of 1907, miners of the Afterthought mine struck a brand-new ore body which yielded the Afterthought Copper Company $44 a ton in copper, gold and silver according to assessments done by assayers. This ore body was measured at twenty-four feet wide. The strike was made in the five hundred foot level of the mine.

Electricity arrived at the town of Ingot on July 2, 1907, when a transformer was installed in the area. The power came from the Northern California Power Company’s line at Bella Vista. Ingot celebrated that night with the finished installation of a croquet course, which was located next to the town’s tennis court, and the community partied the night away with a dance and live music rendered by the Ingot band. An electric arc light was in the process of installation so locals can play night games on the croquet and tennis courts as well.

A heinous murder occurred inside the Gomez saloon at Ingot, on December 17, 1907, which was bartended by Frank Peoples, whose real name was Benjamin Franklin Peoples. Another man by the name of Paris Malone walked in through the front door and started joking around with Peoples who was standing behind the bar of the saloon when the bartender reached for a revolver and fired a shot at Malone because the jokes were crude and insulting to him. The bullet entered his body above his left breast, inflicting pain as Malone clutched himself, his clothes became drenched with blood, he turned around and exited the saloon through the front door reaching the eight-foot porch as he fell off of it into the street.

After Paris Malone fell and hit the street hard, he cried out “I’m shot! I’m dead.” He instantly died on the spot before anyone could reach him. There were many witnesses to the cold-blooded murder, including Malone’s brother, John. There was no real motive for the killing, either. Peoples was still flashing his revolver and screaming hysterically at everyone. Peoples threatened John Malone as well by telling him, “It’s a good thing you left. You had a shot coming, too.” Because Malone ran after his brother and then he returned to confront Peoples. After raising hell in Ingot the murderer departed the town and eluded law enforcement for an entire day.

Previously Peoples was employed as a foreman for the Great Western Gold Company, at the Afterthought lode mine. It was Sheriff James L. Montgomery who was called in from Redding to investigate the murder scene, and help control the angry town residents who threatened to retaliate by lynching Peoples. Sheriff Montgomery eventually found and arrested Peoples before the locals found him on December 18, 1907, and a lynching never occurred. He was hiding out near Ingot with his weapons loaded in case a lynch mob came for him. He was arraigned and taken to the Shasta County Jail at Redding where he was locked-up by the Sheriff to await his trial.

Then on, July 8, 1908, a jury in the Shasta County Superior Court at Redding, convicted Peoples of manslaughter and he was sentenced to ten years at Folsom State Prison. Peoples was received at Folsom State Prison on July 10, 1908, and he began his sentence as inmate number 7031. If he had good behavior while in custody he would be able to get an early release of seven years served. Peoples was discharged early on July 10, 1915. This case made state wide media coverage.

ANOTHER SALE OF THE AFTERTHOUGHT MINE

In 1909, the Great Western Gold Company sold the Afterthought mine to the newly established Afterthought Copper Company, also of St. Louis, Missouri, and they began operating this mining property. It was S.E. Bretherton who was the president and manager of the Afterthought Copper Company. The Afterthought mine is the reason that the town of Ingot continued flourishing with success unlike its predecessors Silver City and Furnaceville.

While work progressed at the mine and smelter site in Ingot the Afterthought continued to yield lucrative results under the new ownership as miners worked in the drifts and toiled away in the winzes of the mine extracting the ore. Then, about November of 1909, the smelter closed down and the owners had to let go of the largest crew of miners and smelter men ever employed at this site. A group of over 400 men were terminated and a small crew was kept on to guard the mining and smelting site due to the smelter closer.

In the upcoming months, A.R. Fleming became president of the Afterthought Copper Company, taking over Bretherton’s position who had other interests connected with the mining company at that time. Up until March of 1910, the Afterthought Copper Company had faced some additional difficulties at the Afterthought mine and smelter, as well, for instance during the last “several years the Afterthought management worked under the great difficulties of inadequate transportation facilities, having to team all of its freight to and from the terminus of the Terry railroad, over some of the worst road beds in the county. This disadvantage was to be overcome by the construction of a piece to bridge the adobe patches, and enable a plant to run throughout the entire year, which it had been unable to do, especially in winter, when continued rain storms made the roads impassable. Necessary financing was accomplished some time ago for this improvement and the coming of Mr. Fleming may mean prompt action in this direction. ” (SIC)

After a short term closure, Ingot and it’s famous Afterthought mine and smelter were now rejuvenated with some mining activities that year. Later on, during the month of October, a crew of men were hired to re-timber the mine for safety purposes to keep the mine up to county code and regulations to prevent falling rock upon their miners, and to help them preserve the immense ore bodies for future extraction purposes. Re-timbering occurred in the main haulage tunnel, and inside the drifts, winzes and stopes of the mine where the mine was extremely prone to collapse. New stulls were placed in the stopes and gobbing was secured where miners couldn’t haul out the large boulders in the lower levels of the mine.

Above: possible miners of the Afterthought Copper Company standing on the side of a row of buildings and in front of the adit of the Afterthought mine. Another building appears on the hillside above the adit. The miners are standing next to loaded ore cars on a narrow standard gauge ore car track. Date unknown. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Experimental smelting with three hundred pounds of zinc ore from the Afterthought mine at Ingot were sent by the Afterthought Copper Company to the American Zinc Ore Separating Company at Platteville, Wisconsin in October of 1911. Yet, their smelter site was destroyed by fire on October 20, 1911, and while the Afterthought Copper Company waited for their assessments from them, they didn’t know if their zinc ore had burned in the fire or wasn’t delivered to them yet. Various communications were exchanged between the company and their associates, until it was learned by the Afterthought Copper Company that their shipment of zinc ore was lost in the fire in November of that year.

By January of 1912, it was learned from the American Zinc Ore Separating Company at Platteville, Wisconsin that three sacks of ore from the Afterthought mine had been delivered late to them after the fire occurred. Further communications developed by the two companies through out the year, and by April, the three sacks of zinc ore were discovered to be extremely fine to the point of opinion that mechanical separation was impossible for them as this ore failed.

Four months later, in San Francisco, the articles of incorporation for the California, Shasta and Eastern Railroad were filed with the county clerk, on August 21, 1912, “the capital stock was $600,000 divided into shares of $100 each. The amount actually subscribed is $32,000. The directors of the company are S.E. Bretherton, Felix T. Smith, W.T. Barnett, Paul A. McCarthy, F.D. Madison, Platt Kent, and W.V. Vincent.” (SIC) This railroad company was organized to build a broad gauge railroad from Bella Vista to Ingot which connected with the Anderson-Bella Vista Railroad for the purpose of delivering ore.

Above: the map of mines and lands, locating ore railroad, underground, workings, mills, smelters and other buildings of the Afterthought Copper Company. Date unknown. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society with special acknowledgements to the University of Missouri, Western Historical Manuscript Collection – Rolla.

Three years later, in 1915, William McKendrick became the post master of the U.S. Post Office at Ingot. McKendrick’s nephew, Chester A. Lowman assisted his uncle in the store when he could. During the following year, the ore of the Afterthought mine at Ingot, was still conveyed by the California, Shasta and Eastern Railroad via the Anderson-Bella Vista Railroad to different smelting locations by the Afterthought Copper Company. During the year, the local media reported that the Afterthought Copper Company would transfer their ore to Bully Hill if a smelter were constructed there to treat the ore they were extracting at that time. The only problem was determining the best delivery route to Bully Hill, and the problems escalated for them.

Then, on December 1, 1916, Ingot resident William McKendrick died of Tuberculosis in Red Bluff, and his estate was handled by his nephew, Chester A. Lowman. Lowman acquired the Ingot General Merchandise Store from the estate of his uncle, and then he became the next post master of Ingot on January 30, 1917.

Fleming was still the president of the Afterthought Copper Company at Ingot, that year, and the mining company went through considerable changes. At the Afterthought mine and smelter property they were building a brand-new flotation plant to treat the ores of the mine. They rushed the work on it so it could be finished by November of that year, yet, it was practically shut down before it could start treatment, on November 30th. It was mainly due to the second older flotation plant not working and separating additional metals from the zinc correctly.

That year, the Afterthought Copper Company also expended $650,000 in buildings, mining improvements, and posting proofs of labor for their enduring work. The old flotation plant operated on a capacity of 400 tons daily, and the new flotation plant operated on a capacity of 1,000 tons daily. By December of 1917, the mining company were experiencing new problems with their brand-new smelter and they had to close temporarily.

In 1918, the Afterthought Copper Company had 150 men employed at their site, and George Porter was the new president of the Missourian based mining company. Further probing and developments occurred on site while carpenters were hired to build thirty new residential houses for single men and families. While their smelter was closed the mining company kept their men employed instead of laying them off. According to one excerpt of an article from the January 14, 1918, edition of the Courier-Free Press newspaper, of Redding, it stated: “the ore is very rich in minerals, carrying 20 percent zinc, 3 1/2 percent in copper, 6 to 8 ounces in silver per ton and assayed value 50 to 60 cents in gold per ton.”

By March of that year, six new trucks were purchased by the mining company for hauling purposes, mainly concentrates and supplies. At the Afterthought mine and smelter site the ore was being extracted from the mine and carried off by large buckets to the smelter for treatment. Several new residential houses were nearing completion on the mining property and they were almost ready for the tenants to move in.

As the housing camp was growing in population on the Afterthought mine property, so did the town site of Ingot. A community center called Fowler’s Hall was in use by May of that year. This is where the Ingot Chapter of the American Red Cross met and held their meetings. In 1918, the Ingot General Merchandise Store was owned and operated by Chester A. Lowman, whose store also housed the U.S. Post Office at Ingot, of which Lowman was the post master.

THE PATENTED CLAIMS OF THE AFTERTHOUGHT MINE

Two years later, in 1920, the Afterthought mine which was still owned and operated by the Afterthought Copper Company which included nineteen patented claims on three hundred and eighty acres of mineral land. It also included a smelter site on the property and timber lands which amounted to 1,760 acres. The mining claims of this property which had been producing at that time were the following: the Afterthought, the Bull groups, the Copper Hill mine, the Copper Grand, the Last Chance, the Liberty, and the Section 15. Aside from the Afterthought mine at Ingot, the Afterthought Copper Company also owned 160 acres of land north of Redding in the boundaries of the Flat Creek mining district adjoining the Mountain Copper Company LTD., mining property.

Above: the Ingot General Merchandise Store with three men seated on the front porch. A tea and coffee advertising sign is seen behind them. L-R: unknown, Ralph M. Calkins and Chester A. Lowman. Circa 1920s. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Above: the town of Ingot as it appeared in 1922 when this image was taken. There are buildings on both sides of the highway which passed through the town, unlike today. Ingot is located 16 miles miles east of Redding on Highway 299 East. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Once again, the smelting operations on the Afterthought property failed, which caused another closure while their employees were laid off. Ingot was still an active community in 1921, and a California newspaper on April 23, 1921, printed this column amongst their pages:

“Warden James A. Johnston of San Quentin Prison has established a new workers’ camp for prisoners at Ingot, Shasta County. The men will work on the construction of the State Highway.”

The camp would be home to one hundred inmates from San Quentin Prison who will be working on the Redding-Alturas state highway, and state officials continued using this correctional facility at Ingot for future use of housing convicted inmates for different purposes. At Ingot, the boarding house was conducted by Mrs. H. James and she operated a successful business until she and her daughter relocated from Ingot to Sacramento, in June of that year, most of her tenants were employed with the local mining company. Eventually, she sold the boarding house and the new proprietors intended to remodel the building.

SALES OF PROPERTY

Two years later, on June 7, 1923, Forest P. Tralles of St. Louis, Missouri, purchased the Afterthought mine at a public auction on the Redding court house steps for $100,000, “acting in the interest of the estate of John T. Milliken, the only bidder. The property was sold to satisfy the mortgage of the bondholders, who foreclosed on the company April 17, and received a judgement in the superior court at Redding of $902,619.16.” (Note: the company referred to here is the Afterthought Copper Company.)

During February of 1925, the Afterthought mine at Ingot was acquired by John P. Tralles of St. Louis, Missouri. Then it was immediately sold to Adrian D. Joyce of Cleveland, Ohio, for $160,000 who became the brand-new owner of the mining and smelting property. Joyce also owned and operated the Glidden Company which became parent company of the newly established Afterthought Zinc Company when he transferred the mining property to them. This transaction is important to mention because of future collaborations between the Afterthought Zinc Company and the California Zinc Company at Bully Hill.

Later that year, the Afterthought Zinc Company, and the California Zinc Company, who owned the Rising Star and Bully Hill mines in the boundaries of the Pittsburg mining district, of Shasta County, contracted with the Riblett Tramway Company of Spokane, Washington, to erect a brand-new aerial ore car tramway from the Afterthought mine and extended it over the nearby ridge towards Bully Hill a distance of 8.5 miles. Portions of this tramway crossed the Pit River. The project became operational on October 14, 1925. This project cost a shared fee of $160,000, which was split between the above companies. The ore was conveyed that distance from the Afterthought mine to Bully Hill for smelter reduction purposes. Joyce and his companies (Glidden Company & Afterthought Zinc Company) were thrilled with the progress the Riblett Tramway Company made on this tramway and they were excited about the future production of ore they were going to make.

CLOSURES

The California Zinc Company kept extracting zinc from it’s lucrative Rising Star mine at Bully Hill over the next two years, while the Afterthought Zinc Company continued delivering the ore from the Afterthought mine at Ingot towards Bully Hill on their aerial ore car tramway. Suddenly, the production at the Rising Star mine stopped the treatment of their ore at their smelter site. This closure affected the delivery of ore from the Afterthought mine too, due to the price of copper dropping in 1927, which forced the closure of this lode mine.

This closure also effected the miners on the payroll of the Afterthought Zinc Company, and the population of Ingot suffered tremendously. What kept the town from being deserted was it’s location along Highway 299 east which was driven by passing motorists traveling east from Redding to Burney or west from Burney to Redding. It kept the hotel, saloon, and the general merchandise store afloat while Ingot faded away.

Ingot returned to state wide media coverage in September of 1931, when a convict from the local correctional facility escaped. It took authorities a couple of days to apprehend him and he was returned to San Quentin Prison. Later on, other inmates tried their luck at escaping the correctional facility at Ingot and additional improvements were made to the camp.

Eventually, Mrs. Lottie Hillfoung resigned her position as post mistress of the Ingot Post Office during August of 1940, and on August 25, 1940, the Ingot Post Office was discontinued with the U.S. mail rerouted to Bella Vista. This action continued to hurt the towns’ population. However, the Afterthought lode mine wasn’t finished yielding it’s lucrative ore.

NEW OWNERS

Years later, prospectors associated with the Coronado Copper & Zinc Company became interested in the mining property. They determined that the mine could be worked and the ore could be treated the way they wanted it to be. Eventually in 1946, the Coronado Copper & Zinc Company purchased the quitclaim deed by the Afterthought Zinc Company for the Afterthought mining and smelting property for $110,000, and they became the new owners. Immediately, they began to bring in diamond drills to take core samples from the lode mine, and over several thousand holes were made to tap brand-new ore bodies.

Two years later, the Coronado Copper & Zinc Company erected a brand-new one hundred ton flotation plant to help them treat their ore on site, and they began operating their mining site until 1952 when the mine closed down permanently. Today, the Afterthought mining property remains to be privately owned. As for Ingot the town continued into the future although much changed in the area. The state highway which once went through town now passes by residential buildings along Cow Creek with the remains of the Afterthought mine and smelter site on the east side of Cow Creek. Today, Ingot’s population is currently 30 people and the town is situated at an elevation of 1,075.

Above: possible miners from the Coranado Copper & Zinc Company using diamond drills inside a drift of the Afterthought mine at Ingot. Date unknown. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

SEE ALSO:
ConnectGen commits nearly $2M to “robust” Community Benefit Program, showing long-term support for Shasta residents
Citing “extreme drought conditions, wildfire dangers”, SPI and Beaty to close all public timberland access
Catalytic converter thefts spike in Mt. Shasta – Tips on how to protect your vehicle
Sheriff Magrini to step down, take on role as Assistant County CEO

INGOT POST MASTERS:

1. Winifred Wright – May 13, 1904
2. Harry E. Bush – February 23, 1906
3. Harry C. Quirk – January 8, 1908
4. Frank L. Wilson – November 1, 1913
5. William McKendrick – November 24, 1915
6. Chester A. Lowman – January 30, 1917
7. Ralph M. Calkins – July 14, 1920
8. Mrs. Lottie Jordan – December 16, 1938
9 Mrs. Lottie Hillfoung (formerly Jordan) – August 24, 1940

PRESENT-DAY PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AFTERTHOUGHT MINE & INGOT:

Above: the remains of the of the Afterthought mine buildings. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 10, 2021.

Above: the remains of the of the Afterthought mine buildings. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 10, 2021.

Above: the remains of the Afterthought mine. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 10, 2021.

Above: the remains of the of the Afterthought mine buildings. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 10, 2021.

Above: the remains of the of the Afterthought mine buildings and road. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 10, 2021.

Above: the author standing along the State Highway 299 at the Ingot town sign. Cow Creek is flowing beside him. This is a selfie taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 10, 2021.

Above: present-day privately owned residential houses along Highway 299 East at Ingot. This photograph taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 10, 2021.

Above: present-day privately owned residential houses along Highway 299 East at Ingot. This photograph taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 10, 2021.

RESOURCES:

Copper Ore – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 5, 1873
Quartz Mine – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 29, 1874
The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, April 24, 1875
Brief Items – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, May 15, 1875
Real Estate Transactions, Records & Etc. – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 22, 1875
Successful Enterprise – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 12, 1875
Peck’s Mine – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 10, 1875
Specimen – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 10, 1875
Peck’s Mine – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 6, 1875
Personal – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 20, 1875
Incorporations – The Sacramento Daily Union of Sacramento, December 29, 1875
Town And County – The Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, January 29, 1876
The “Donkey Lode” – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 12, 1876
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 1, 1876
Copper Hill mine patent, dated May 27, 1876
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 27, 1876
Married – The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 5, 1876
Patents – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 10, 1876
Brief Item – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, June 24, 1876
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 5, 1876
Bullion From The Afterthought Mine – The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 11, 1876
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 16, 1876
The Afterthought Mining Company – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 23, 1876
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 23, 1876
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 10, 1877
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 24, 1877
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 21, 1877
Furnaceville Items – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 2, 1877
From Furnaceville – The Reading Independent newspaper of Reading, December 5, 1878
Letter From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 9, 1878
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 23, 1878
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 6, 1878
From The Mines – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, April 27, 1878
Mill Burned – The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 18, 1878
Trip To Shasta County – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, July 6, 1878
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 27, 1878
Brief Items – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, October 4, 1878
Taxes – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 9, 1878
Taxes – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, November 16, 1878
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 7, 1878
From Furnaceville – The Reading Independent newspaper of Reading, December 19, 1878
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 8, 1879
Mining Correspondence – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, March 8, 1879
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 22, 1879
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 12, 1879
Mining Correspondence – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, April 19, 1879
Letter From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 10, 1879
Letter From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 17, 1879
Mountain Correspondence – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, May 17, 1879
Brief Items – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, May 17, 1879
Letter From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 31, 1879
The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, June 7, 1879
Mountain Correspondence – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, June 21, 1879
Mountain Correspondence – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, July 5, 1879
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 12, 1879
Mountain Correspondence – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, September 13, 1879
Mountain Correspondence – The Red Bluff Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, September 27, 1879
From Furnaceville – The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 15, 1879
From Wednesday’s Daily – The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Oroville, January 13, 1883
The Humboldt Times newspaper of Eureka, January 17, 1883
From Friday’s Daily – The Chico Weekly Enterprise newspaper of Chico, January 26, 1883
Shasta County News Items – The Chico Weekly Enterprise newspaper of Chico, February 2, 1883
The Afterthought – The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 28, 1883
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 30, 1883
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 7, 1883
Bullskin Jack’s Budget Of News – The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 21, 1883
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 28, 1883
Want To Sell – The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 11, 1883
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 1, 1883
Small Talk – The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Oroville, September 8, 1883
From Furnaceville – The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 3, 1884
Mining Development – The Daily Alta California newspaper of San Francisco, May 23, 1884
The Northern Section – The Chico Weekly Enterprise newspaper of Chico, May 30, 1884
Wm. Rediker – The Daily Alta California newspaper of San Francisco, November 21, 1885
At The Afterthought – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 23, 1896
The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 19, 1896
The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 17, 1896
Frank R. Enright – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 31, 1897
The Smelter On North Cow Creek – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 22, 1897
The Smelter On Cow Creek – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 16, 1897
News From The Mines – The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, November 21, 1897
The Afterthought Smelter – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 30, 1897
Death Of Enright – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 6, 1897
Joseph Enright Dead – San Jose Mercury newspaper of San Jose, December 7, 1897
Cow Creek Smelter – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 16, 1897
Afterthought Smelter – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 8, 1898
Daisy Bell Mine Proves A Bonanza – The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, March 5, 1899
Ill-Luck Pursues One. Fortune The Other – The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, May 1, 1899
Copper Mines Bonded – The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, August 25, 1899
Affidavit Of Labor Performed And Improvements Made – The Afterthought Quartz Mining Claim. $100. William McDermot representing J.G. Enright, dated November 24, 1899 Proofs of Labor. Book 1, page 163.
The Afterthought Again – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 12, 1900
New Bond On Afterthought – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 16, 1900
Ready To Work Afterthought – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 21, 1900
Option On The Donkey – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 24, 1900
Interest In The Donkey Bond – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 1, 1900
The Afterthought Is A Great Mine – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 9, 1901
The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, January 5, 1902
In Furnaceville District – The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, March 30, 1902
Great Western Company Makes A Big Payment On the Afterthought Mine – The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 21, 1903
Company Accuses Former Manager – The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, September 23, 1903
Active Work At Afterthought – The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 25, 1903
Great Western Revises Plan – The Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 8, 1903
Final Payment On Afterthought – The Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 30, 1903
Smelter Blown In – The San Diego Union and Daily Bee newspaper of San Diego, March 25, 1905
Start Fires In Furnaces Of Third Big Smelter – The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, March 25, 1905
Great Western Officers Here – Los Angeles Herald newspaper of Los Angeles, March 30, 1905
Struck Ore In The Afterthought Lower Level – The Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 22, 1905
Loads Of Coke Stranded – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 2, 1906
New Furnace For Ingot – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 21, 1906
Increases Pay Of Miners – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 25, 1906
An Eight Hour Day – The Sacramento Union newspaper Sacramento, August 13, 1906
Broad-Guage Railroad – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 5, 1906
Hotel At Ingot Burned – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 11, 1906.
Afterthought Smelter At Ingot Again Running – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 9, 1906
Rich Strike At The Afterthought – The Los Angeles Herald newspaper of Los Angeles, May 7, 1907
Great Western Gold Company To Do Big Things – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 22, 1907 Things Booming At Ingot – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July, 2, 1907
The Afterthought Smelter – The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 30, 1907
Shot Down In Cold Blood In Shasta – The Marysville Daily Appeal newspaper of Marysville, December 17, 1907
Barkeeper At Ingot Commits Murder And Escapes – The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, December 17, 1907
Slayer Gives Himself Up – The Los Angeles Herald newspaper of Los Angeles, December 18, 1907
Frank Peoples Will Linger At Folsom – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, July 9, 1908
Afterthought May Operate In Near Future – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 23, 1910
Ingot To Open Up – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 22, 1910
Operations Are To Commence Very Soon – The Marysville Daily Appeal newspaper of Marysville, March 24, 1910
Build Railroad To Shasta Mine – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 26, 1910
Find Rich Body Of Ore – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 19, 1910
Afterthought Mine Retimbers Workings – Los Angeles Herald newspaper of Los Angeles, October 20, 1910
Railroad To Be Built From Bella Vista To Ingot This Summer – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 23, 1911
Shasta May Have Another Railroad – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 6, 1912
Deal For Purchase Of Railroad Is Closed – The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, August 10, 1912
Shasta Railroad Is Incorporated – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, August 22, 1912
To Improve Road In Shasta County – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, January 22, 1913
Afterthought Asks To Bond For $797,000 – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 20, 1913
Electric Power For Donkey Mine – The Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 21, 1913
Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.
Bully Hill To Build Zinc Smelter, Report – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 16, 1916
Sells Mining Claims At Ingot For $20,000 – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, March 27, 1916
Ingot Merchant Left A Fortune – The Red Bluff Daily News newspaper of Red Bluff, December 13, 1916
Ninety Men Employed At Afterthought Mine – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 9, 1917
Ingot Becoming Bustling Camp – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, May 14, 1917
Afterthought Will Have 150 Employees At Work February 1 – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 14, 1918
$300,000 Plant Reopens Again Friday Morning – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 2, 1918
Afterthought Is Now Working 125 Men – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 13, 1918
Ingot-Redding Stage Line Is Sold By Kuney – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 28, 1918
Ingot Chapter Will Hold Red Cross Benefit – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 13, 1918
Ingot Zinc Smelter Is Ordered Closed – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento – June 5, 1918
Employee Of The Afterthought Passes Away – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 22, 1918
Oil Flotation Plant At Ingot Has Started Up – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 19, 1918
Chester Lowman, Former Ingot Postmaster, $6,000 Short, Charge; Indicted – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 10, 1919
Ingot Postmaster Gets Sentence Of One Year – San Luis Obispo Tribune newspaper of San Luis Obispo, April 27, 1920
The Mines Handbook An Enlargement of the Copper Handbook – founded by Horace J. Stevens, 1900 – A Manual of the Mining Industry of the World by Walter Harvey Weed, New York City ©1920
Ingot Items – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 10, 1921
Ingot Items – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 8, 1921
Ingot Items – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 21, 1921
Ingot Items – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 24, 1921
Ingot Items – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 7, 1921
4 Convicts Escape From State Highway Camp At Ingot In Shasta County – The Red Bluff Daily News newspaper of Red Bluff, December 24, 1921
Morgan Finally Breaks Into Jail; Must Serve Out Bootlegging Fine – The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, February 28, 1922
Receiver For Afterthought Copper Named – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 23, 1922
Asks $662,759.75 Judgement From Afterthought Co. – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 6, 1923
Forest P. Tralles Buys Afterthought Mine For $100,000 – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 7, 1923
Judgement Caused Big Ingot Mine To Be Sold Yesterday – The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, June 8, 1923
Afterthought Property To Be Worked – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 19, 1924
Lead Smelter At Ingot To Be Enlarged – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 24, 1925
Afterthought Is Bought By Zinc Company – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 16, 1925
Tramline Carries Ore To Bully Hill – The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 21, 1925
California Zinc Co. Closes Operations At Bully Hill And Ingot – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 14, 1927
Bully Hill And Ingot Will Not Stop Operation – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 24, 1927
Bully Hill And Afterthought Closed Down – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 3, 1927
Ingot Folks Want Old Road Abandoned – The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 2, 1932
Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, California – County Report 6 – by Philip A. Lydon and J.C. O’ Brien ©1974 by California Division of Mines and Geology
U.S., Appointments of U.S. Postmasters, 1832-1971
California, U.S., Prison and Correctional Records, 1851-1950 for Benjamin Frank Peoples
New Life May Lie Ahead For Afterthought Mine written by Garth Sanders, Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 1, 1975
Afterthought Mine 622 A – Mining, available at the Shasta Historical Society in Redding, with special acknowledgements to the University of Missouri Western, Historical Manuscript Collection – Rolla.
622 VF – Afterthought mine, on file at the Shasta Historical Society in Redding.

Meet the writer: Jeremy M. Tuggle
Education and Community Engagement Manager – Shasta Historical Society

Jeremy M. Tuggle, born in Redding, is a descendant of 11 pioneer families who settled Shasta County between 1849-1889. Jeremy attended Shasta College and is the author of two published books, Rooted in Shasta County (2003), and A Journey Through Time: Ono and the Bald Hills (2008), as well as various articles on local history.

In 2017 Mr. Tuggle was awarded a Community Service Award, a prestigious national award for community service in historic preservation, by the Major Pierson B. Reading Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Jeremy is a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of California, and an Eagle Scout.

Tuggle has been employed at the Shasta Historical Society since November of 2009. In his present role as Education & Community Engagement Manager, Jeremy conducts research for the historical society’s programs and events, contributes to the Society’s social media presence, and ensures the highest quality guest and patron experience at our programs and community events.

Mr. Tuggle enjoys sharing his knowledge of local history and events, and is available to community organizations to present programs about Shasta County history.

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Contact the editor: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.