The Savage Mining Company has deposited 1,351 ounces of ore with Van Wyck & Company to be assayed. The ore was crushed at the Granite Mill.
Van Wyck was one of the key assayers for the Savage Mining Company. In order for an assay company to survive in the highly competitive mining climate, even during bonanza times, assayers needed contracts with major mines to keep their businesses alive. Van Wyck certainly had his hands full with the Savage, who had submitted their ores to more than a dozen different custom mills, unlike the Gould & Curry, who built their own mill in 1863.
Van Wyck Time Line:
1860: San Francisco, laborer in a gold refinery
1863: Aurora, Nevada in business with Mr. Winchester
1864: Taylor's Building on Taylor Street in Virginia City
1865: Van Wyck & Sanchez
1866: Gold Hill
1868: sold Gold Hill assay business to E. Ruhling
1869: Hamilton, Nevada
There are many Van Wyck assay receipts out there. I bought this one because it was for a rather obscure mill - the Granite Mill. The Granite Mill got its name because it was supposedly the only mill made of granite on the Comstock.
The Granite Mill was located in Gold Hill and was erected vary early in 1861. By 1864 it had 20 stamps and could process 25 tons of ore a day. The mill was upgraded in 1865 and 1867, but a slow Comstock economy forced the mill to shut down. Its machinery was moved to White Pine.
Did you notice the name of the printer in the lower right hand corner. It was printed by the Territorial Enterprise of Virginia City.
John J Ford Jr. Collection : Western Assayer's Ingots
Fred Holabird
"Mines and Mills of the Comstock Region: Western Nevada" by Ansari
Van Wyck was one of the key assayers for the Savage Mining Company. In order for an assay company to survive in the highly competitive mining climate, even during bonanza times, assayers needed contracts with major mines to keep their businesses alive. Van Wyck certainly had his hands full with the Savage, who had submitted their ores to more than a dozen different custom mills, unlike the Gould & Curry, who built their own mill in 1863.
Van Wyck Time Line:
1860: San Francisco, laborer in a gold refinery
1863: Aurora, Nevada in business with Mr. Winchester
1864: Taylor's Building on Taylor Street in Virginia City
1865: Van Wyck & Sanchez
1866: Gold Hill
1868: sold Gold Hill assay business to E. Ruhling
1869: Hamilton, Nevada
There are many Van Wyck assay receipts out there. I bought this one because it was for a rather obscure mill - the Granite Mill. The Granite Mill got its name because it was supposedly the only mill made of granite on the Comstock.
The Granite Mill was located in Gold Hill and was erected vary early in 1861. By 1864 it had 20 stamps and could process 25 tons of ore a day. The mill was upgraded in 1865 and 1867, but a slow Comstock economy forced the mill to shut down. Its machinery was moved to White Pine.
Did you notice the name of the printer in the lower right hand corner. It was printed by the Territorial Enterprise of Virginia City.
John J Ford Jr. Collection : Western Assayer's Ingots
Fred Holabird
"Mines and Mills of the Comstock Region: Western Nevada" by Ansari