In the beginning there was Rubyville (more commonly known as Ruby Hill, but I will use Rubyville to avoid confusion with Ruby Hill, Eureka County), but there was no Grizzly Mine. In 1893 there wasn’t much of a Rubyville, but there was a very productive Grizzly Mine.
(Right) Original 1878 Notice of Location for the Grizzly Bear Mine.
Rubyville General History:
The original location was the Cow and Calf Mine in 1871, Within weeks a small camp formed and prospectors scoured the hills for other rich finds. By 1872 the Silver Wreath, Iowa Chief and many other mines were at work, but the Lookout Mine was the most prosperous. From 1873 to 1878 they had a gross yield of $5,627.
Rubyville didn’t have quite the same success as the Lookout. It reached its peak in August of 1872 when it had a population of 150, There were two 5-Stamp mills in operation. In town one could find two restaurants, two stores, a bar, and a boarding house.
The major mines (other than the Lookout) became involved in extensive litigation in 1873 and they were boarded up. With almost all of the mines closed up, the town quickly emptied.
In the 1880’s a revival took place in the form of the Oregon Mining Company. They owned the richest and best claims in the district. But this revival was also short lived as by 1885 only two people were left in town: W. B. Lawlor and his wife.
However, Lawlor never gave up on mining at Rubyville. A September 6, 1887 article in the Nevada State Journal on White Pine County mining, spends a great deal of time talking about the Ruby Hill area. The article features the Lookout Mine. Work on the Lookout has been renewed with “...Most encouraging results.”
It also talks about the Grizzly Mine and Mr. Lawlor. Lawlor is working a small force of men and has uncovered some fine looking ore. So far, however, the results have all been from the surface or near the surface. But nothing would come of this new excitement.
In 1892, things once again began to look up for Rubyville and it mines. In that year Lawlor sold the Grizzly Mine to a group of prospectors from Ely. (We will see later that they actually were from Salt Lake City.) The group consisted of prospectors J. R. Sharp, L. G. Hardy, A. E. Hyde, John Beck, A.M. Cannon, J. M. Fox, D. W. James, and J. E. Jennings who had arrived from Ely.
This company’s persistence paid off when a big strike was hit in July of 1893. On July 11, 1893 the Reno Evening Gazette reprinted an article from the San Francisco Chronicle. It starts: Nevada’s Mining Industry Reviving No section of the West has a more interesting history as regards mining than White Pine count, Nev. It has been the scene of some of the greatest crazes ever known over the discovery of rich silver ores. Within a few weeks ore has been encountered in the famous old camp of Ruby Hill surpassing the original find which attracted thousands thither more than twenty years ago. [it seems the Chronicle was confusing the number of citizens that the Ruby Hill camp had in its heyday. Ruby Hill in Eureka County had indeed thousands of citizens. Ruby Hill in White Pine County only had hundreds of citizens.
According to Shaun Hall in “Romancing Nevada’s Past” the mine was worked until 1895 with one assay being 20,000 ounces per ton. The mine shut down in 1895 after producing about $50,000. According to Crouch & carpenter in “Nevada’s Mineral and Mining Production” on 1893 broke the $5,000 barrier and that year produced $5,700.
Either way 1895 spelled the doom for the Grizzly and other historic 19th Century mines from the Aurum Mining District. 1. Romancing Nevada’s Past” by Hall 2. “Nevada’s Metal & Mineral Production” by Couch & Carpenter 3. Nevada State Journal, September 6, 1887 4. Reno Evening Gazette, July 11, 1893
The Grizzly Mine
August 26, 1878: This history was triggered by a series of Legal Titles that were acquired by the author. The first is dated 1878 and is a Notice of Location signed by W. B. Lawlor. Lawlor has located 1,500 feet with all dikes, spurs and angles. They start “from this monument” and commencing 800 feet in a southerly direction to the early boundary lines of the Lookout and Silver Wreath. It is recorded by A. Tiffany, Deputy Recorder.
April 28, 1883: It seems that J. L. McLain et al is selling 130 feet of ground just east of the Grizzly mine and adjacent to the Cow & Calf Mine to J. B. Lawlor for $5.00. (Turns out to be a shrewd investment!)
November 7, 1892: This is an original Article of Incorporation for the Grizzly Bear Mining Company. The company is authorized to sell $1,000,000 worth of stock at $10 a share. Incorporators are J. R. Sharp, L. G. Hardy, A. E. Hyde, John Beck, A.M. Cannon, J. M. Fox, D. W. James, and J. E. Jennings. This is the same list from Shaun Hall in his book “Romancing Nevada’s Past.” However, it clearly states that the people involved all call Salt Lake City their permanent home - and not Ely.
November 10, 1892: Deed of sale from William B. Lawlor to the Grizzly Mining Claim for the Look Out (Free Coinage, Ruby Silver) Mine. It is an original with Lawlor’s signature.
I am sure he must have sold the actual Grizzly account to them at some time, but I do not have that document.
July 10, 1893: Remember the first paper where A. Tiffany was the Deputy Recorder who recorded Lawlor’s original claim? It has the original Nevada Notary Public Seal
Well, the last paper is the Grizzly Mining Company selling A. Tiffany rights to some of one mines: 1/3 interest in the Iowa Chief. Is this a pay-off?
All in all, these papers show a trail of ownership in the Grizzly Mine and other original, major mines in the Ruby Hill Mining District and is a nice set of papers.
Right Hand Side; Top to Bottom
Original 1878 Location
Lawlor buys more ground in 1892
1892 Articles of Incorpration for the Grizzley Mining Comapny