History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant and the Ducktown Mining District Copper Basin, Tennessee
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE COPPER COMPANY AND SUCCESSOR FIRMS AT THE COPPERHILL PLANT AND THE DUCKTOWN MINING DISTRICT COPPER BASIN, TENNESSEE
March 2008
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE COPPER COMPANY AND SUCCESSOR FIRMS AT THE COPPERHILL PLANT AND THE DUCKTOWN MINING DISTRICT COPPER BASIN, TENNESSEE
Prepared for:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Nashville District Region 4 Nashville, Tennessee Atlanta, Georgia
Prepared by:
Science Applications International Corporation 18912 North Creek Parkway, Suite 101 Bothell, WA 98011
Contract DACW62-03-D-0003, Task Order 07, Subtask 18 SAIC Project No.: 06-5124-04-2241-180
March 2008 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
TITLE PAGE
Project: Data Gathering Activities for Interim Action Records of Decision, Operable Units 2-D and 3-D, Davis Mill Creek Site, Copper Basin, Tennessee
Document Title: History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant and the Ducktown Mining District, Copper Basin, Tennessee
Preparer: Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)
Prepared for: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4
Project Manager: Tom Dubé
Principal Authors: Tom Dubé, figures by Ruth Otteman
Reviewer: Ruth Otteman
DISCLAIMER This report was prepared by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District (USACE), to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 (EPA). The report was prepared under task order 07 of USACE Contract DACW62-03-D-0003. This report has not been reviewed or approved by the Corps of Engineers or EPA, and thus does not represent the conclusion or opinion of either organization. The report was prepared under SAIC project number 06-5124-04-2241-180.
March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Introduction ...... ii Development of Historical Summary...... iii Reference Sources Used...... v
Historical Summary Report...... 1 References for Historical Summary ...... 107 Commonly Used Abbreviations...... 116 Footnotes ...... 117
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Features of the Ducktown Mining District, Copper Basin Figure 2. Features of the Copperhill Plant in 1907 Figure 3. Historical and Recent Facilities at Copperhill Plant
APPENDIX
Appendix A. Historical Photographs of the Copperhill Plant
i March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Introduction
This report presents the results of a compilation of a large amount of historical information pertaining to activities in the Copper Basin mining area of Polk County, southeastern Tennessee. The report was prepared for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 (EPA) under the Support for Others Function of contract DACW62-03-D-0003, Delivery Order 07, from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District. This report is a non-decision document that summarizes information from numerous sources related to environmental investigations and from many other sources that are directly unrelated to environmental activities.
Historically, the mining and processing area within the Copper Basin has been referred to in the literature as the Ducktown mining district. It also has been termed the Ducktown Basin or Copper Basin mining district. Two towns in the Basin that straddle the district include Ducktown, which formed the mining center, and Copperhill, which was adjacent to a large smelter and chemical manufacturing plant (Figure 1). The most important company in the 150-year history of this district was the Tennessee Copper Company (TCC), which operated the Copperhill Plant, various mines, and other facilities for many decades. TCC was incorporated in 1899, and the process leading to this event began in 1896, which forms the chronological beginning of this historical summary report. This document describes activities taken by TCC and many successor firms in the Copper Basin. TCC eventually grew and expanded into a medium-large corporation, with facilities and subsidiaries across the United States. Although this historical summary report mentions those broader aspects of TCC and successor firms, it focuses on activities in the Ducktown district.
This report covers a wide ranging list of historical aspects, including mining, metallurgy, engineering, legal cases, waste generation, environmental and regulatory issues, business decisions, and others. An enormous body of information is available that describes elements of activities that have taken place in the mining district and the wider Copper Basin, including environmental aspects. Much of this information is located in archives of the Ducktown Basin Museum, but much also resides at offices of the Copperhill Plant. Environmental agencies also hold large files of information about environmental and historical activities in the Copper Basin. And other information is available in libraries and through the internet. This report attempts to compile and synthesize a sizable fraction of this information into a topical framework, focusing on activities related to TCC and the Copperhill Plant.
Regarding geographic terminology, it should be noted that the term Copper Basin commonly refers to a large area that was very heavily impacted by mining-related activities in the district beginning in 1850. Adverse impacts included deforestation of an area covering approximately 50 square miles in Tennessee and northernmost Georgia, with about 36 square miles suffering from severe erosion. In the heart of the Copper Basin lies the Ducktown mining district north of the Ocoee River (Figure 1), which has an area of 10 square miles and was essentially barren of vegetation until the recent past. This area has been dubbed the “Ducktown Desert” and it was even outlined and labeled as such on a U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. It should also be noted that the term “Southwest Ducktown district” has been used for the adjacent mining and prospecting areas south of the Ocoee River in northern Georgia.
Mining in the Ducktown district extended from 1850 to 1987, and chemical manufacturing extended from 1907 to the present. The Copper Basin is renowned for a number of reasons. During
ii March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant years of operation, it comprised the largest copper mining district east of the Rocky Mountains and south of Lake Superior. Thus its main resources (copper, iron, zinc, sulfuric acid) served the important eastern cities and the South more economically than other districts. In addition, the situation of its location near the Georgia state boundary resulted in one of the earliest U.S. Supreme Court decisions on environmental issues and cross-boundary jurisdiction. This landmark 1907 decision is widely quoted and has recently been raised as an environmental case example by the Supreme Court, regarding global warming (2007). The deforestation of the Copper Basin, a result largely of ore smelting and roasting activities, was massive enough to be seen by Apollo astronauts, one of only two or three man-made objects visible from space.
This mining district was the first in the northern hemisphere to successfully operate commercial “pyritic smelting,” where open heap-roasting of high-sulfide ores became a thing of the past. TCC constructed the world’s first sulfuric acid plant that operated from smelter blast-furnace gases, and TCC operated the largest sulfuric acid plant in the world for many years. These chamber-process acid plants in the district would eventually become the largest lead chamber installation ever operated. The London mill would become renowned for a number of pioneering innovations, and by 1958 was producing more sulfide ore concentrates than anywhere in the country. TCC also was instrumental in a number of other less renowned “firsts” in the mining and chemical world, and became noted as an innovator and model of a well-managed firm. TCC and its successor firms were quite popular on Wall Street, and well-reported in New York newspapers and mining journals. TCC’s neighboring firm for three decades, the Ducktown Sulphur, Copper & Iron Company (DSCI), also was well-known as an innovator and well-run firm. For years DSCI maintained the world record for investment profit by a copper company. This firm’s successor, Ducktown Chemical & Iron Company (DCI), was the first in the world to use metallurgical wet-gas cleaning, as part of their first contact acid plant.
Even today, some “firsts” are taking place in the Copper Basin, but now from an environmental aspect. A water treatment system that strips metals and acidity from surface water in North Potato Creek, and then discharges to the South Pit (Figure 1), may be the largest acid-mine drainage treatment plant in the world. And a 5.3-foot diameter pipeline along Davis Mill Creek, used to reroute clean surface water away from mining wastes and unclean water, is the largest polyethylene pipe in use within North America.
Development of Historical Summary
This summary of historical activities in the Ducktown district was first begun in 2001 as part of the mine waste inventory conducted in the Davis Mill Creek watershed by EPA. The summary at that time focused only on the complex history of the Copperhill Plant from its beginnings, in order to better understand the development of facilities, processes, and wastes produced in and near this location. The Copperhill Plant extends from near the Ocoee River, northward within the Davis Mill Creek and East Branch watersheds to the Shea Hollow area, and westward to Highway 68 including all of the Cantrell Flats area (Figures 1 to 3).
The initial resources used for this summary of the Plant site included mainly the TCC company newsletters, known as Topics and earlier as The Acid Test, which were published from 1943 to 1984. After these useful documents were reviewed and the information tabulated in a chronological listing, a number of other useful sources of data were examined to further supplement the newsletter information. These sources included some of the company annual reports, articles in mining
iii March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant journals, other trade journals, old photographs (including postcards), aerial photos, books and theses on the Copper Basin, newspaper articles, environmental reports, information from company employees, and a large variety of material at the Ducktown Basin Museum. Some of this information was incorporated into the waste inventory documents (revised version in 2002). This historical information became quite useful for an understanding of other environmental-related tasks being performed in the Copper Basin. As a result, the historical work on this project continued until about 2003, but the document was left only partly done. The task of filling out this detailed summary then restarted in spring 2007 as part of a historical synthesis task.
During this task activity, the initial focus solely on the Copperhill Plant has been broadened, out of necessity for a proper understanding of the subject matter and to make the document usable for a wider audience. During the development of this historical summary, it was realized that simply describing activities at the Plant site did not fully explain the background or reason for those activities. A more general history of the companies performing these operations was needed, and hence the title of this document includes the term “Tennessee Copper Company and successor firms.” The companies that have operated at the Copperhill Plant site and surrounding areas of the Ducktown district include Tennessee Copper Company, Tennessee Copper & Chemical Corporation (later changing name to Tennessee Corporation), Cities Service Company, Tennessee Chemical Company, Boliden Intertrade (later changing name to Intertrade Holdings), Marsulex (retaining the Intertrade Holdings name), and Growth Management Services (also retaining the Intertrade Holdings name). It should also be noted that the name Tennessee Copper Company was retained until 1970 as a subsidiary firm or a division of a larger company.
In keeping with the wider focus in this report, the activities of other mining companies in the district have been included because they were sometimes key to understanding the actions taken by TCC. This is especially the case for DSCI based at Isabella. Consequently, the major activities of DSCI and its successor, DCI, are included in this historical summary, from the late 1890s up to 1936 when Tennessee Corporation purchased DCI. Other mining companies that have operated in the Basin since the 1890s include Pittsburgh & Tennessee Copper Company, Copper Pyrites Corporation, Number 20 Copper Mining Company, and Ocoee Copper Company (previously Chattanooga Copper Company). Many of the mining properties and leases of these companies later were purchased by TCC. Again, only the key developments and mining activities of these other companies are included in this summary, in order to maintain a focus on TCC and successor firms.
In addition to simply describing events at the Copperhill Plant, this document includes a brief synopsis of other major activities that TCC undertook in other portions of the mining district. This again adds pertinent information to better understand what occurred at the Plant site. For example, the construction and modification of the London flotation mill had an enormous impact on activities at the Copperhill Plant. Similarly, activities at the various mines affected the Plant activities in a variety of ways. For completeness, at least the start and end dates of all major mining activities in the district since the late 1890s have been included in this history table. In addition, the major environmental activities that have taken place in the Copper Basin are contained in this summary, including major steps in reforestation of the Basin. Early environmental legal decisions, some involving the U.S. Supreme Court, also are an integral part of this summary. Environmental work has become an increasingly important part of activities taking place to shape the landscape of the Copper Basin since mining ceased in 1987; this document also summarizes these major recent environmental actions.
iv March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Bibliographical references used in this document certainly do not comprise anything approaching a complete list. Many sources of information were inspected for this historical summary and, if found to be pertinent, were incorporated. In some ways, early literature on the mining district is much more available than later information. For example, the company annual reports and mining journals both curtail their detailed information on the district in the late 1920s. And much of the company information during World War II was not released. A wide variety of references have been consulted for all time periods in order to better understand and describe the full story. In some cases, the multiple references for any given event include redundant information, but are all included here because some may show additional details or may be more readily available. This is especially the case for company annual reports, which were widely distributed and summarized or rewritten in various published references. However, for cases where the text of a news wire article is nearly identical between newspapers or journals (e.g., New York Times and Wall Street Journal), only the one that has the more complete information is included here.
The chronological listings in this document are usually given by year and month, where the month is known; but often the source information lumps activities together by year. So for many events in this historical summary, only the year (or range of years) is provided. This variation in level of dating events was found to be more amenable to placing activities in a chronological text table instead of into a normal text-paragraph structure. Hence this history is not a free-flowing narrative, but is intended more as a searchable reference document in the form of a chronological table.
This historical summary attempts to bring together a large amount of information from this unique mining district. This document forms the most complete summary of the activities of TCC and later operators at the Copperhill Plant and the surrounding areas of the Copper Basin.
Reference Sources Used
Material reviewed to compile this historical summary includes the following:
• Company newsletters, Acid Test and Topics, were entirely reviewed for the years 1943 to 1984 • Engineering and Mining Journal was entirely reviewed from 1896 to 1929 and 1936 to 1945, plus review of other mining trade journals for scattered years • TCC and successor firms’ Annual Reports from 1902 to 1964 (excluding 1915, 1917, and 1918, which were not available but were summarize elsewhere) • The Copper Handbook (and successor volumes) from 1901 to 1965 • The Mineral Industry from 1896 to 1921 • USGS Mineral Resources and Minerals Yearbook for 1893 and 1900 to 1987 • Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (various internet searches from 1909 to 1950) • Newspaper articles – approximately 700 articles, mostly from historical New York Times and Wall Street Journal (internet searches), plus many recent local newspapers • Review of many hundreds of engineering drawings and maps in the map room of Intertrade Holdings • Review of hundreds of historical photographs, including aerial photos and postcards, from a wide variety of sources, including Ducktown Basin Museum and the collection of Jack Mozingo
v March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
• Mining Department monthly reports from TCC and other firms for selected years/months, kept at the Ducktown Basin Museum (much of this information transmitted via curator Ken Rush) • A variety of other documents and information provided by Ken Rush from the museum • Three Master’s theses on the Copper Basin, and a book by R.E. Barclay • Basin Briefings newsletters on environmental advancements in the Copper Basin • Court documents on environmental decisions (available on internet) • Review of many documents in the EPA-SAIC 2000-2002 Copper Basin docket system (2,458 total entries listed, and hundreds of them were examined) • Discussions with current and former employees of the operating firms at the Copperhill Plant • A wide variety of internet information
This document is divided into seven main sections. First is this introductory text. Second is the historical summary report itself, which is presented in the form of a large table document. This document has reference codes listed adjacent to each event. The third section includes all full references for the historical summary, arranged alphabetically by the reference code. Fourth is a list of commonly used abbreviations, found in both the main table document and the reference list. The fifth section includes a few endnotes for the main table. Sixth is the three map figures. And seventh is Appendix A, which includes numerous historical photos showing changes through time of the Copperhill Plant.
Ideally, a historical report such as this would have a large number of maps, showing key features at different snapshots in time. The Plant underwent major changes throughout its lifetime, especially during the first decade, during World War I, and during “Project Copperhill” in the early 1970s. To show at least a portion of the many changes, and the wider mining district, three maps have been included in this report. Figure 1 is a general map showing features of the entire district. Figure 2 is a snapshot of the Plant area from 1907, when the first acid plant and other structures were built, and lower Davis Mill Creek was realigned for placement of a new rail yard. Figure 3 represents a composite through time between about 1907 and the present. It shows most of the significant structures present during this long interval, distinguished by those that were operational after 1976 versus those that were out of operation by the end of 1976. This year marks the time when many new facilities had recently been brought on line, while older ones were being decommissioned.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE COPPER COMPANY AND SUCCESSOR FIRMS AT THE COPPERHILL PLANT AND THE DUCKTOWN MINING DISTRICT COPPER BASIN, TENNESSEE
Date and Activity Reference 1896 E:96/7,10,12; The well-known firm of Lewisohn Brothers in New York City is interested in the E:97/1,3; H:97; possibility of opening copper mines in the Ducktown mining district of Tennessee. E:98/3, MI:98; The Lewisohns include brothers Leonard and Adolph, who own a large mercantile E:00/2,3; Y:02/3/6; business and are international metal brokers. They already are heavily involved in the E:02/3; E:16/12; U.S. copper industry, with significant interests in mines and metal refineries in a few E:20/10; E:21/1; states. The Lewisohns discuss the Ducktown ore deposits with a mining engineer, J. R:2; E:38/9; Parke Channing, who has been working in part with their affiliated mining companies Y:42/10/14; in Michigan and Montana. During this year, Channing opens a New York consulting E:42/11; MS; office and then travels to the western U.S. to evaluate mineral properties. He will Y:55/12/25; RB; later become the president of Tennessee Copper Company (TCC) and will rise to NA national prominence in engineering and labor issues.1 1897, February E:97/1,5; WW:2; When Channing returns from his western ventures, Lewisohn Brothers sign him on as EH; E:21/1; their consulting engineer and send him as an agent to secure options on all available E:42/11; RB mineral properties within the Ducktown district. Channing is then to begin evaluating the economic potential of these already famous copper deposits. He gains options on the Burra Burra, London, Eureka, and Culchote mines, as well as 5,700 acres of other district lands belonging to the heirs of former mining leader, Julius E. Raht. 1897, February or March E:97/5; D:97; To conduct a program of exploration and assaying, Channing hires Louis D. Huntoon, E:99/4; W:99/7/10; a noted New York mining engineer, and Dr. Pierre de Peyster Ricketts, an analytical WW:2; BG; EH; chemist at Columbia University. Huntoon then begins extensive diamond-bit drilling, MS day and night, at the old Burra Burra and London mines to determine the size and grade of these two ore bodies. 1897, Spring to Summer E:97/5; D:97; By May, the drilling assay results are proving to be promising, leading to the E:99/4; JK; BG; feasibility of opening the two mines. Drilling is conducted on five drill holes at E:21/1; EL; MS; London mine (with completion dates of April to July) and five drill holes at Burra RB Burra (completed June to August). Huntoon prepares the drilling assay drawings for Channing, indicating economically viable deposits. Channing then presents a favorable report to Lewisohn Brothers. Huntoon subsequently (1898) becomes superintendent of mines for the Ducktown Sulphur, Copper & Iron Company (DSCI).
1 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1897 G:93,08; BR; HE; Two companies are currently mining copper ore in the Ducktown district. DSCI is a E:96/8,12; British firm operating here since 1890 and incorporated in February 1891; it owns the MI:96,98; Mary, Calloway, Isabella, East Tennessee, and Cherokee mines. DSCI’s smelter E:97/9,10,12; plant and offices are located in the town of Isabella, with their roast yard at nearby E:98/6,9,11; Cartertown. Pittsburgh & Tennessee Copper Company (PTC) had begun operations E:99/4; JK; MC; following incorporation in June 1891, with leases on the Polk County and Old EH; E:25/11; EL; Tennessee mines. PTC’s smelter, roast yard, and offices are located on Copper Hill EP; WE:3; JT; near the Polk County mine. GD:5; RB; RU 1897, latter half EH As a result of generally low copper prices, Lewisohn Brothers and Channing relinquish their Ducktown mining options. Late 1897 E:97/10; E:99/2,4; Due to financial hardship, PTC goes into receivership. But PTC continues to operate GD:5; RB the Polk County mine and even expands its smelter on Polk County Hill. 1898 Y:98/6/8; MI:98; Following a rise in copper prices, Lewisohn Brothers and Channing renew options on H:99; E:00/2; EH; these mining properties. Apparently, planning is now set in motion to purchase and E:20/10; BU; fully develop the properties. During the latter half of 1898 and 1899, the Lewisohns Y:55/12/25; NA also build one of the largest and best-equipped metal refineries in the world, the Raritan Copper Works at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 1899, late February HE; E:99/2; C:02; Channing initiates purchase of the Polk County mine property and lease from PTC, BG; W:07/3/1; which is still shipping copper. The Polk County lease had been made by PTC in July E:21/1; EL; 1893, for a term of 35 years. Royalty payments to the owners, the Keith family heirs E:42/11; MS; RB of Atlanta, include $7.50 per ton of metallic copper produced from this mine, and 15 cents per ton for other ore minerals. These terms will continue upon purchase of the mine lease from PTC. Channing has been given complete control of acquisition and development of the mines and future smelter plant for Lewisohn Brothers, acting as their agent and trustee. 1899, March HE; Y:98/11/29; Channing purchases the Burra Burra, London, Eureka, Biggs/Boyd, and Culchote MI:98; E:99/4; mining properties, as well as all facilities and mining leases from PTC, which W:99/7/10; H:99; together include all deposits in the district not owned by DSCI. These mines are WW:1; D:00,07; previously owned by the Burra Burra Copper Company (reorganized in New E:01/2; C:02; BG; Orleans), and by the heirs of J.E. Raht, and the Boyd successors. The Keith heirs HW; E:21/1; EL; remain as leasers of the Polk County mine property. The lease for the Old Tennessee R:2; MN; WE:3; mine is also secured at about this time from the County School Commission, which RB; RU owns a square mile on this deposit. The future Copperhill Plant will be situated on property purchased from the old United States Mining Company, between the rail stations of Isabella Junction and McCays along the Atlanta, Knoxville & Northern Railway (AK&N), just north of the Ocoee River. The cost for purchase of all properties is $157,500. (Note: the name “Copperhill” will not be officially used for the adjacent town until 1908.)
2 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1899, mid-April E:99/4,8; H:99; Prior to incorporation, the new firm (TCC) begins operations at Copperhill on April A:02,06,23; 14th, with its first payroll this month for 50 new employees. Company staff move into C:02,03; E:03/3; former facilities of PTC near the Polk County mine, using these as a general office, D:07; E:21/1; supply house, commissary, and residences. Channing has now purchased 13,157 E:23/5; EL; acres in the area, of which about 2,100 are mineral properties. Ground clearing Y:42/10/14; begins for mine shafts at Burra Burra and London, and dewatering begins at Polk E:42/11; MS; County mine. Randolph Adams is assigned as property general manager, and he T:50/3; T:64/4; RB; oversees all local daily activities. Channing holds the senior management position of TC:12 consulting engineer, and he directs the development and equipping of all mines and smelter plant facilities. He anticipates that the new company will eventually produce 12 to 15M pounds of copper annually, at a cost of 8 cents per pound in New York (time will prove his accuracy). Channing’s success for the entire operation will result from adapting the mining methods used in Michigan and the smelting techniques from Montana. 1899, late April MI:98; Y:99/4/26; Lewisohn Brothers incorporate their new firm, Tennessee Copper Company, under E:99/4; W:99/7/10; laws of New Jersey on April 25th. Incorporators at Trenton include five men who will H:99; E:01/4; have little to do with the future of TCC. The company is headquartered at the E:02/2,3; C:02; Lewisohn’s New York office, at 81-83 Fulton Street. TCC stock begins selling on the E:20/10; E:23/11; NYC curb market at $25 per share, with 200,000 shares of capital stock for a total of EL; E:42/11; RB; $5M. TCC is initially managed by president Albert C. Burrage, vice president TC:12 Leonard Lewisohn, and treasurer Adolph Lewisohn. Frederick Lewisohn is later assigned as secretary. Other directors include Henry H. Rogers and Joseph Rechert (Rechert is one of the incorporators). Burrage and Rogers are Standard Oil executives and are added to TCC’s board by necessity.2 1899, late April Y:99/4/26,27,29; Two days after TCC incorporates (April 27th), William Rockefeller, Rogers, Burrage E:99/4,5; H:99,03; and others organize a large trust, the Amalgamated Copper Company, which absorbs Y:01/4/7,9,16; many copper firms including Anaconda and eventually most of the Lewisohn- E:01/4,6; Y:02/3/6; invested mines and refineries. Lewisohn Brothers are obligated to be actively E:02/3; C:02; involved in this combination from the beginning, or risk losing a huge share of the E:09/5; R:1,2; copper refining and selling market.3 The merger initially plans to include TCC Y:55/12/25; NA (continuing to spring 1901), but this is decided against because the Ducktown ore deposits are relatively too small and sulfurous. Amalgamated-Anaconda quickly becomes a major factor in the U.S. and world copper markets. Had TCC been absorbed by Amalgamated, the history of the Ducktown district and Copper Basin may have been quite different. 1899, May E:99/4,7,8; E:01/2; Sinking of new mine shafts commences at Burra Burra and London mines. Work G:00,01; A:02; begins at Burra Burra shaft on May 9th, utilizing only three men armed with picks and E:03/2; H:03; BG; shovels, plus a carpenter’s framing square to mark off timber for the collar of the EH; E:24/5; EL; inclined shaft. TCC’s mining work is initiated with knowledge of only the 1897 MN; T:58/6; RB; diamond drillhole data and records of the black copper operations from 1850 to 1872. TC:12 Polk County mine shaft (125-ft deep) also begins to be enlarged in May 1899. Work starts soon on grading for railroad, roads, roast yards, and clearing for the Copperhill Plant (actual plant construction does not begin until 1900).
3 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1899, June RB TCC files charter to conduct business in the State of Tennessee on June 23rd, and Channing formally transfers the mining properties to TCC. 1899, July E:99/4; W:99/7/10; Development work begins to systematically define and block out ore reserves at E:01/2; MI:01; Burra Burra, London, and Polk County mines. WW:2; A:02; H:03 1899, August W:99/7/10; E:99/8; Preparatory work is under way for surface equipment at the mines, while shafts G:00,01 continue to be sunk at Burra Burra and London mines. 1899, September L:99/9/16; A major labor strike and riot erupt at the DSCI mines, significantly affecting E:99/9,11,12; production. The strike begins at the Mary mine and soon spreads to Isabella, Y:99/11/9; RB Cartertown, and Hiwassee (which is Ducktown). DSCI operations are completely shut down for at least one month, with 600 miners on strike, while the company has 100 deputies protecting the property. Some miners are armed, with both firearms and whiskey, and “becoming boisterous” while guarding the mines from any potential new employees. The strike is caused by a number of men joining the labor union. Both DSCI and TCC have posted notices that union men will not be employed, and these individuals are subsequently discharged. Altogether, more than 1,000 men are threatened with losing employment. TCC resolves these labor issues in December by making concessions, while DSCI continues with a reduced force of non-union miners. Throughout its history, DSCI will employ only non-union labor. 1899, November D:99,00 TCC engineers working in the general office create the first official drawing for the Copperhill Plant facilities, titled “TCC General Plan & Sections of Smelter.” This drawing proposes four blast furnaces, one reverberatory furnace, three converters, and four refining furnaces inside the smelter, plus a flue and smokestack, charging tracks, ore bins, sampling mill bins, and coke yards. But engineers would revise this initial plan a few times before construction begins in May 1900. 1899, December E:99/4; WW:1; TCC is operating the Polk County mine, hoisting its ore, and preparing ore reserves E:01/2; D:07; EL; while awaiting initiation of smelting. Much of the old PTC equipment is utilized at JT; T:50/9; T:52/12 the mine plant. Around this time, TCC dismantles the five-year old PTC smelter and roast yard south of Polk County mine. Burra Burra and London shafts continue being driven. Some hills near Ducktown at this time are covered with timber and grass, and cattle are grazed. TCC also keeps a dairy cow near the general office.
4 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1899–1908 G:93,00-03,08; BR; Gossan iron ore is mined within the Ducktown district by the Virginia Iron, Coal & HE; E:97/5; Coke Company, with royalties paid to TCC, DSCI, and the School Commission. A Y:99/2/25; total of 1.5 to 2M tons of iron ore is mined from oxidized shallow deposits, known as E:99/2,4,5,6; limonite gossans, within narrow open cuts to depths of about 60 to 75 feet. Extraction W:99/5/8; WW:1,2; takes place on TCC’s Burra Burra and McPherson deposits (mined 1900-08), London E:01/2; JK; MC; deposit (1900-03), and Eureka deposit (1901-07), via leases made to the newly A:02-08,12; formed Virginia company in 1899. The Old Tennessee/School Property gossan is E:03/2; D:03,05,07; also later mined in lengthy cuts (1905-07). The Virginia company installs rail spurs E:04/3; E:05/4; to access the Eureka deposit from the TCC line in 1901, and to the Old Tennessee C:05-08; E:06/4; deposit from the mainline at McHarg4 station by 1905. Ore is loaded into shipping DS; EH; E:08/11; railcars at an iron ore platform south of the Copperhill Plant, along the AK&N line E:11/3; RJ; EL; EP; (becoming L&N in 1905). This desirable low-phosphorus ore is shipped to iron WE:1,3; T:49/10; furnaces for steel-making at Middlesboro, Kentucky, or to Bristol, Tennessee. Iron JT; MM; RB; RU ore mining in the district provides employment for up to 150 men, which continues until these extensive gossans are virtually removed.
The large Isabella gossan (and small Mary gossan) of DSCI had been mined intermittently between the early 1890s and 1899 by the London Coal & Iron Company, with ore shipped to Chattanooga and South Pittsburg, Tennessee, and to Virginia. But London’s Isabella gossan lease is purchased in February 1899 by Watts Steel & Iron Syndicate, and this British firm is in turn purchased by the Virginia company in May 1899. 1900, January Y:00/2/3,12; The United Metals Selling Company is formed in New Jersey by Leonard and Adolph E:00/2,3; Lewisohn, William Rockefeller, H.H. Rogers and others, essentially as a selling Y:01/4/16; subsidiary for Amalgamated Copper. This new company is a successor to the Y:02/3/6; E:02/3; refining and selling portion of Lewisohn Brothers, who will manage the company, C:02; H:03; with Adolph as president. This firm will market all copper output of Amalgamated Y:06/2/27; R:1,2; Copper, Asarco, several western mines, TCC, and other Lewisohn-invested mines, E:20/10; BU; altogether amounting to 85 percent of U.S. copper. United Metals also absorbs some E:38/9; major metal refineries, including the Lewisohn’s Raritan Copper Works. The new Y:55/12/55; NA firm will become the largest metal sales firm in America and the largest copper broker in the world. A new joint office for United Metals, Lewisohn Brothers, and TCC is being prepared at 11 Broadway, New York, to be occupied in March. The Lewisohns also have three sales offices in Europe, where large amounts of TCC copper will be shipped. 1900, January to February D:00,01; E:03/3; TCC engineers continue working day and night, six days per week, to design and E:21/1; E:42/11; redesign the layout of the Copperhill Plant, using oil lamps and coal stoves for heat in T:52/12 the general office. Channing directs the design of the plant, and facilities are later built under his general supervision. During these months, several smelter plans are drafted with proposed and modified locations of structures. These plans incorporate only two blast furnaces and two converters in the smelter, along with the power house and boiler room, plus a warehouse near the Plant entrance, storage yard and bins, etc. This layout is close to what is actually built over the next year. 1900, May E:99/8; E:01/2; Ground-breaking begins for TCC smelter facilities, including the power house. A:02; C:03,04; HW Construction work starts around this time on the railroad and roast yards.
5 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1900, May to December G:00; E:01/2; Grading and construction work are ongoing at the Copperhill Plant site for the: MI:01; C:03,08; smelter, power house, large storage bins (for ore, silica flux, coke) north of the D:00-02; BG; EH; smelter, smelter flue and 150-ft tall red-brick stack on hill, first laboratory (on hill T:50/6; RB; Ph northeast of power house), shops, warehouse (near Plant entrance), rail system, and two 40,000-gallon water tanks on the hill north of the smelter. Ore continues to be developed at the mines, and by year end 800,000 tons are blocked out and ready for mining. 1900, midyear E:00/8; E:01/6 TCC smelter facility equipment is being manufactured, including furnace blowing engines for the power house. 1901, first half A:02; T:64/4; TCC’s Hiwassee Store is built. This company store is named after the original town T:71/9; RB; NP:87; name of Ducktown; the store would later be called the Ducktown Store. This CA:96 building also later houses the Miners State Bank. 1901, early G:00,01; E:01/2; TCC initiates some mining of copper ore, but full-scale mining does not start until WW:2; A:02; C:02; May. Equipment at the surface plants for Burra Burra and London mines is mostly D:01-03,07; BG; completed, and largely finished during the year. Two roast yards are now graded and EL; MN; T:56/1 laid out in benches, and roast sheds are being erected and tracks laid. About 7.5 miles of standard-gauge rail tracks are completed between the mines, roast yards, smelter, and AK&N mainline. TCC’s tracks now extend from McCays to Ducktown. Rolling stock includes two locomotives, 22 gondola cars for carrying ore to the roast yards, and 25 ballast cars for carrying roasted ore to the smelter. Also constructed are four track scales (for weighing) and a small locomotive house east of the ore bins. Smelter facilities are nearly complete except for ore/coke bins. The laboratory, temporary machine shop, and warehouses are complete, and 28 dwellings for employees have been built on various parts of the property. 1901, March D:01,02; E:01/2,6; Smelter construction is now considered complete. The steel building houses two G:01; C:02; J:1; water-jacketed blast furnaces, each with a settler for slag and copper matte5 (situated WW:2; Ph; HW in northern half of building), along with six Leghorn trough converter shells in two hydraulic stands (southeast part of building). The smelter facilities also include a clay mill (west of smelter building) for converter linings, a clay platform (inside building) an electric crane, and an elevator. Bins for ore, quartz flux and coke are located north of and above the smelter. A store room/warehouse and smelter office are built around this time, between the smelter and power house. The brick and steel power house/boiler room includes two Nordberg condensing blowing engines for blast furnaces, one blower for converters, four coal-fired boilers, and an electric shop with GE machines to power the smelter, including locomotives for charging cars and slag cars, and all building lights. (The brick power house is still standing today, but heavily modified since.)
6 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1901, April G:01; J:1,2; MC; Heap roasting of ore begins on two TCC roast yards – Burra Burra and Polk County – A:02; E:03/2; D:03; while a third yard is being constructed. Burra Burra (near McPherson shaft) has 205 C:03; BG; HW; roasting sheds on an area of 14 acres, and Polk County has 78 sheds on 4 acres. EL; RS:2; T:50/5,6; These open-sided covered sheds are constructed with oak posts and kept in good JT; T:51/11; condition to avoid copper leaching from rainwater. The floor of the shed is formed of GD:4,5; RB; MQ; stamped clay. Cordwood for fuel is hauled by wagon to the roast yards, using about LM 65 cords per roast heap; this resulted in cutting of trees for many miles around. Ore is roasted with wood in the sheds for 60 to 90 days per batch, using 250 to 300 tons of ore each. Gray-white sulfurous smoke now spreads from these yards like dense fog and fills the lower parts of the Basin. Workers sometimes need a lantern to see in the daytime. These clouds of smoke hug the ground and destroy all vegetation in the area. Since the 1890s and continuing for many decades, the area around the mining district is a barren zone with little or no vegetation, surrounded by a grass zone (see 1910 for description). This environmental degradation results from ongoing activities of both TCC and DSCI, in addition to previous mining companies. 1901, May E:01/5,6; G:01 Regular, full-scale mining operations for TCC begin on May 1st, initially at Burra Burra and Polk County mines, and soon after at London mine. The two mines together produce 700 tons of ore per day. 1901, August D:01,02; E:01/2,8; Smelting begins and the first Bessemer pig copper is produced (bullion of 210 pounds G:01; MC; A:02; each, 99.4% Cu), using only one of two 500-ton blast furnaces, and six converter E:04/4; WW:2; shells. First furnace is fired up in late July, and full smelting begins early in August. C:02,03; BG; EL; At the smelter, flue dust is captured in a large dust chamber and re-smelted. A few GD:5,7; TC:12 shops (carpenter, machine, blacksmith, plate/structural shops) are scattered east of the power house, while coke storage is north of the power house and coal storage is south. A total of $327,000 has been spent so far on the smelter plant, and a total of $3.4M on real estate and all improvements. A temporary injunction against TCC, due to local farmers’ claims of injurious sulfurous fumes, is overturned by the Tennessee State Court. 1901, November Y:01/12/10; First trainload of eight cars of pig copper leaves Copperhill Plant on November 7th for E:02/1; A:02; G:02; refining at the Raritan Copper Works in New Jersey (formerly owned by Lewisohns, C:02; R:2; T:59/1; now Amalgamated). The copper is then sold through the United Metals Selling RB; NA Company. Unfortunately, at this very time, demand for copper is declining and prices begin to plummet. Amalgamated Copper and United Metals have attempted to artificially maintain high prices through the year; but now they begin selling off copper at greatly reduced prices. 1901–1906 D:01,02; WW:2; Local vein quartz and silica sand is initially collected offsite, and then hauled by steer E:03/2; C:03; A:03; and wagon to the smelter for use as silica flux in the furnaces. A silica plant, T:51/12; T:62/3 probably for crushing, is located west of the smelter during at least 1901 to 1902. But with time, quartz is increasingly shipped by railroad from farther sources. (TCC eventually opens a quartz quarry in 1906.)
7 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1901–1907 D:00,01; WW:2; Copper matte of DSCI (“custom” matte) is converted to pig copper at the TCC MC; A:02-06; smelter. This arrangement with DSCI extends from about 1901 until mid-1907. By E:05/6; E:06/4; June 1900, a plan had been drawn up by TCC to build a temporary crushing and E:07/4; G:06,07 sampling plant to handle DSCI matte. In 1901, a sampling house and several large matte bins are located in the area east of the lab and shops; however, these are removed by the next year. In 1902, the two mining companies in the Ducktown district employ a total of about 1,800 men. 1902, January L:02/1/20; E:02/2 Another injunction is initiated, apparently by Tennessee state, against TCC and DSCI for sulfur smoke and fumes emitted from the roasting plants. TCC president, A.C. Burrage, has informed Randolph Adams that when this injunction is served, the entire works are to be shut down and all employees laid off. Fortunately, it does not reach this point. 1902, early D:01,02,04 A large locomotive house (engine house) is built on the eastern side of the Copperhill Plant, along with a rail office just west and a coal bin just north of this shop. The initial locomotive house east of the ore bins remains standing until about 1903. 1902, March Y:02/3/6; E:02/3; Leonard Lewisohn dies following two or three years of weak health, due to “too close Y:04/4/3; E:20/10; attention to business.” Adolph Lewisohn subsequently withdraws as an active E:38/9; RB; NA member of the TCC directorate; he transfers the business of Lewisohn Brothers to Adolph Lewisohn & Sons. This new firm will later (1916) rescue TCC from failure and will become its copper selling agent for many decades. In 1902 the Lewisohn Brothers firm remains in the hands of Leonard’s sons (Walter, Frederick, Jesse), who continue in the metals business. 1902, May D:02,04; WH; Ph The pot slag dump at the Copperhill Plant is small but beginning to expand southward from the area of the smelter. TCC is producing 250,000 tons of slag per year (during 1902-04). The small locomotive house east of the smelter has been removed.
8 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1902 D:01-05; J:3; Smelter bins are enlarged to 500-ft length (8,700-ton capacity). A new WW:2; MC; A:02; plate/structural shop is built east of the power house. The third TCC roast yard, G:02; E:03/2; C:03; Buena Vista, is put into commission on 6 acres of land north of the railroad tunnel E:09/12; T:51/1; (future “Triangle” area); this yard initially operates with uncovered open heaps of T:75/12; SP about 2,000 tons, but later sheds are installed with 300 tons under each. Total capacity for all three roast yards is 83,000 tons of ore. The other two yards have accumulated a large amount of rich sows and bottoms. Sorting of siliceous ore at mines now greatly improves heap roasting and smelting operations. However, the 24 acres of roast yards cannot handle all the ore. Tracy shaft, which is the second shaft at the Burra mine, is deepened for use. The mining headquarters building (future Ducktown museum) is constructed. About 7.5 miles of TCC mainline rail tracks and 3.5 miles of branch lines and side tracks are ballasted by waste rock. The company rolling stock now includes four locomotives and 64 ore cars. Dwellings are constructed for workers and officers; and a staff boarding house or “smelter club house” is present, which would became the future Blue Goose Hotel (this name is first used about 1905). The average number of TCC full-time equivalents this year is about 820 employees. TCC is already investigating sulfuric acid production, which appears promising. 1902, May to June G:01,02; A:02,03; Smelter plant attains full capacity when the second blast furnace and blowing engine D:01,02,04; WW:2; are started, and a seventh converter shell is added. A reverberatory refining furnace is MC; W:03/1/14; installed (starting up midyear) in a new western extension of the smelter, and large E:03/2; C:03; amounts of refined copper as ingot and cake begin to be shipped (refining at E:42/11 Copperhill lasts only until 1904). Pig copper also is electrolytically refined at Raritan Copper Works, while some pig copper is sold as a final product. Much of the copper was successfully held back awaiting higher copper prices. All departments of TCC now reach full capacity. The whole operation produces copper in the proper quantity and at the cost initially predicted by Channing. The total amount of copper produced at the smelter during the year is 8.1M pounds. 1902, June W:02/6/17; A:02 Construction of the Copperhill Plant is considered entirely complete, after two long years of construction. A TCC official states: “We planned at the start to build a plant which would be sufficient for all time, and we have done this.” Statements such as these are made to please the stockholders, who are growing impatient, and some have sold their stock in disgust. 1903, January E:02/1,2; A:02,42; At the beginning of the year, Channing is promoted from consulting engineer to Y:03/2/5; president of TCC. The office of vice president is assigned to Frederick Lewisohn, W:03/2/5; E:03/2; treasurer to Julius H. Susmann, and secretary to Edward C. Westervelt. Other G:03; C:03; E:04/6; members of the board of directors include H.H. Rogers, A.C. Burrage, Walter Y:42/10/14; Lewisohn, and Edgar Buffum. In February, James Phillips, Jr. (involved with E:42/11; MS; RB Amalgamated Copper) is added in lieu of Adolph Lewisohn. Randolph Adams remains as general manager at Copperhill, and William A. Heywood is the smelter superintendent.
9 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1903, January TSC; CB; RB; RP First lawsuit award payments are made by a copper company of the Ducktown district, in this case by DSCI for smoke damage. Three individuals of Fannin County, Georgia, are paid a total of about $200 for a case initiated in 1900. The first lawsuits for smoke damage reportedly had been filed about 1895, and the first decision against DSCI is made by 1900. 1903, July W:03/2/9; TCC finally pays out its first stock dividend ($1.25 per share). Dividends then Y:03/7/2; continue to be paid out for most years, at a rate between quarterly and annually. At W:03/7/2; E:03/7; this time, the Lewisohns own about 80 percent of company stock. A:03; E:04/1,3 1903 A:02,03; E:03/2,8; The smelter building is enlarged and a third water-jacket blast furnace is built (west E:04/3; W:03/9/23; of other two) beginning about February and completed in December. Burra Burra G:03; C:04,06; RB; roast yard is expanded by 150 sheds during springtime. TCC’s three roast yards now MQ have a total area of 30 acres, with more than 3 miles of rail spur tracks, and a capacity of 135,000 tons of ore. Rock and pot slag are being used for general railroad ballast. Total copper produced during the year amounts to 10.7M pounds. The pig copper is sold in Europe, but some copper is refined. 1903, October E:98/6,9; WF; DSCI successfully begins pyritic smelting of raw “green” ore without the need for W:03/9/23; prior heap roasting. This method involves initial smelting in the blast furnace using W:03/10/29; G:03; iron sulfide as the principal fuel, with no need for wood. This method necessitates E:04/5,8; A:04; adding silica (quartz) as furnace flux and minimizing the amount of coke. DSCI had C:04-06; stopped mining between August 1902 and September 1903, in order to exhaust the W:09/6/16; TS; large heap piles at Cartertown via open roasting. DSCI had begun experiments on E:10/1; RF; HW; green ore smelting in 1898, reached initial success early in 1902, and then made a MI:14; E:20/1; demonstration of the cold-blast furnace process in summer 1902. This success E:21/1; EC; RB; influences TCC to begin experimentation, which it begins in earnest by September NR; MQ; RU 1903. DSCI is the first company in the northern hemisphere to succeed at this process, which ignites a research revolution in the mining/metallurgical trade. In addition, upon success at pyritic smelting, DSCI had begun experimenting on sulfuric acid production about 1903, using a small contact-process unit. Despite this, injunction proceedings are instituted at this time against DSCI in the Chancery Court of Appeals. 1903–1904 E:01/2; A:03,06; The Cowanee Club is organized among members of the TCC engineering staff for C:04; D:05; arranging social functions. It initially meets in a room of the Blue Goose boarding E:09/12; E:10/7; house, and club quarters are also kept in the basement of the TCC office. The Blue CC; MR; T:50/9; Goose is enlarged at this time, and residences for managers are built on Smelter Hill RB; KD in 1903-1904 (this had been delayed until the plant was running smoothly). TCC now owns about 60 dwellings for their employees. A company baseball diamond is located in a wide field later covered by the large pot slag pile and L&N rail switchyard. The ball teams are sponsored by TCC. TCC’s new general office is completed in December at the site of the modern main office, and is first occupied early in 1904. It has 14 rooms on two floors for officers, clerical, and engineering staff.
10 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1904, January W:03/10/29; TCC completes successful experiments with pyritic smelting (green smelting) in one E:04/2-5; A:03,04; of the furnaces, and therefore decides to eliminate open heap roasting, following the G:03; E:10/1; practice of DSCI. E:21/1; GD:5; RB 1904, January E:03/8; A:03; C:04; Briquetting plant is completed and begins operation to briquette flue dust and fine ore E:05/4; G:04; D:05 for smelting. This plant (Chisholm, Boyd & White type) is soon enlarged. A large tonnage of flue dust has accumulated since 1901 and cannot otherwise be smelted in blast furnaces. The power house is being expanded to accommodate a third Nordberg blowing engine, two Murphy boilers, mechanical stokers, and a complete electric lighting plant. 1904, January Y:03/11/2; The State of Georgia seeks an injunction in U.S. Supreme Court against TCC and Y:04/4/24; E:04/4; DSCI, resulting from damage by sulfurous fumes. Their complaint is withdrawn in C:05; SC; EL; JT; April because of negotiated agreements to permanently abandon heap roasting, GD:5; RB; MQ; RP hoping to resolve the smoke problem. 1904, February RB TCC loses its mining lease for the School Property, including the Old Tennessee mine, to the Township commissioners in a Chancery Court battle. An appeal is made, but that is also lost in September 1904. (The lease will be regained in 1912.) 1904, March Y:04/4/24; A:04; TCC’s last roast yard piles are ignited on March 31st, but continue burning for up to RB several months. More than 100,000 tons of ore currently reside on the roast heaps. The Copperhill general manager states in the annual report that the new method of ore treatment “will remove the unpleasant features of our former experience with the open heap roasting.” 1904, April A:03,04; E:04/3-5; TCC begins gradually switching over to pyritic smelting of unroasted ore. The mines Y:04/4/24; stop extracting ore on April 1st, remaining idle for several weeks to allow roast yards W:04/9/20; G:04; to be cleaned of ore and then smelted. A third blast furnace and third blowing engine MI:04; E:05/4,6,7; are started up. Two furnaces are then used for ore, and the third furnace for C:04-06; E:06/4; concentrating matte. TCC had delayed in transferring to pyritic smelting due to the EL; EC; T:75/6; previously low costs using the old method (compared to other mining districts). RB; MQ However, the new method will actually lower costs even further. 1904 A:04; E:05/4,6; TCC first smelts imported or “custom” ore, a practice which will continue for years. G:04-07; C:08,11; This includes ore from other mining districts, to supplement TCC ore with high-grade E:10/7; E:14/6; EL copper or siliceous ore (the latter is needed for pyritic smelting).
11 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1904 A:04-06; E:05/4; As a result of labor shortages, TCC brings in large numbers of workers from other D:05,07,08; RB; states. In addition, a number of foreign employees are imported, including Slavs, NP:92; KD Poles, and Italians, who are housed in camps at Copperhill and Ducktown. Newtown is also built to make housing available to attract workers. Many company houses for employees are also built in Ducktown. About this time, TCC also builds a temporary hospital just south of the boarding house, a laundry, athletic fields, partly to induce employees to work here during these years of labor shortages. The average number of full-time equivalent employees at TCC is 721, of whom 261 work in the smelter plant and 162 in the mines. 1904 A:04; D:04,06; A one-story supply storeroom or warehouse is constructed east of the power house T:51/11; Ph boiler room, and a bi-level smelter supply house is built east of that; the existing shops at these locations are removed. A new machine shop, carpenter shop, plate working shop, and foundry are under construction. A newer railroad “roundhouse” is built to replace the locomotive engine house at its same location on the east side of the Copperhill Plant. 1904, latter half A:04; J:2,3; WH; TCC begins full pyritic smelting. The new method is less expensive overall and cuts RB the amount of copper wasted in slag by more than half. After final roasting, near year end, the roast yards are carefully cleaned up. Calculations of the total amount of copper that went into the roast yards compared to the total amount taken out shows a deficit of 2 pounds of copper per ton of ore; the cause of this copper loss is not certain. 1904, November TSC; Y:04/11/27; The Tennessee Supreme Court denies injunctions against the smelters of the two MQ; KD; RP mining companies, based on the greater good for Polk County. However, the court allows individuals to seek damages against the two companies for nuisance sulfurous fumes. Some individuals claim that the transition to the new method of pyritic smelting actually makes the smoke condition far worse. 1904, November D:04; W:04/9/20; The refining furnace at the smelter is no longer used because it is unprofitable relative A:04-06; to the high prices received for pig copper. Thus, the refining building extension is W:06/2/24; Ph removed, and only pig copper is now produced and sold (continuing through early 1907). However, TCC is experimenting on ways to produce high-purity copper for electrical transmission wires. The slag pile extends south of smelter almost to its current southerly extent, but much less wide and tall. The slag pile encroachment affects changes to the AK&N rail location, the adjacent road, and “Branch Creek” (East Branch). 1904–1905 A:05; E:05/6 Polk County mine is taken out of production in 1904 due to the decreased demand for ore with pyritic smelting and also to enlarge the mine’s surface plant; the mine restarts in October 1905. Production at London mine also stops in 1904 and resumes in February 1905.
12 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1905, early W:04/9/20; A:04; Experiments by TCC reveal that furnace gases are now pure and rich enough in SO2 E:05/3,4,6; E:06/4; for use in making sulfuric acid with the chamber process. Channing convinces the E:07/5; HW; TCC directors to build a huge acid plant, despite significant opposition due to serious E:21/1; E:42/11; doubts about the feasibility of producing acid from blast furnace gases, in addition to T:47/8; the size and cost of the structure. But Channing and others recognize it as a risk that Y:55/12/55; T:64/7 must be taken, and they gamble reputation and money on its success. The acid plant is in design phase by April (or possibly even February). At this time, TCC has in mind mainly the elimination of sulfurous fumes, and is skeptical about any profits to be made. But within a short time, requests to purchase the acid started arriving. 1905, February D:03-05; JT; MR; AK&N Railway is acquired by Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N), which then WB becomes the main carrier of TCC products and supplies for several decades. (Partial purchase of AK&N stock may have begun in April 1902.) 1905, July W:05/6/29; TCC starts smelting custom ore from the Union mines at Gold Hill, North Carolina. MI:05,08; C:06; TCC contracts with the Union Copper Mining Company for their entire output of ore. G:06,07 This siliceous flux continues to be imported to TCC smelter through 1907. 1905, first half A:05; E:05/6; Pyritic smelting is proving quite successful, and the only necessary furnace E:10/10 modification to date is substituting the old solid-lined crucibles with water-jacketed crucibles. Furnace settlers for slag/matte are now lined with refractory chromite bricks, and later with magnesite bricks. Flue dust is being stored in beds just south of the smelter. 1905 A:05; C:05; McPherson shaft is dewatered and reopened for exploration purposes in the W:07/5/14; EH northeastern Burra Burra ore body. A surface plant is installed and equipment completed late in the year. 1905, about BG; EH; EL; M:21; TCC begins using inactive roast yards as storage areas for surplus ore, coke, coal, D:15; T:49/10 quartz, and other supplies, particularly at the Burra Burra (McPherson) yard; this practice continues for many years.
13 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1905 D:04-06; E:04/3; To better accommodate pyritic smelting and nearly triple capacity, the smelter A:04,05; G:04,05; building is enlarged and a number of structures are built, with some construction W:05/1/10; continuing into 1906. This includes four new blast furnaces (each 22-ft long, west of E:05/4,6,7; three existing 15-ft furnaces), which will be the largest copper blast furnaces in the C:05,06,11; MI:05; country. Also includes new square furnace stacks, new flues, one new electric W:06/2/24; E:06/4; converter stand with five shells (now three converter stands with 15 shells), an E:07/2,3; BG; EH; electric crane, clay mills for mixing and charging converter linings, and new supply HW; T:51/5; and ore bins at the smelter. The power house facility is also greatly expanded T:61/10; RP; Ph eastward, with three new Nordberg blowing engines (two kept in case of breakdown), the rebuilding of the brick boiler room for the power house, with a 155-ft tall smokestack, two boilers, and two Westinghouse electric generators (several carloads of coal are burned daily to make electricity). The plate/structural shop is removed during this expansion. Construction begins on large dust chambers and a new 325-ft tall, 20-ft internal width, brick stack on the hill (west of the 150-ft stack) to provide strong draft for pyritic smelting. This is now one of the tallest smoke stacks in the world. All product is sold as pig or shot copper, with no refining. A second pumping station is built on the river, and three 125,000-gallon main water tanks for the smelter are built on the hill behind the lab. A machine shop, carpenter/pattern shop, plate working shop, blacksmith shop, and foundry are also finished early in the year. Two railcar repair shops are built (one attached to power house), plus a matte sampling building. An electric motor stable and track is located northwest of the briquetting plant. A warehouse, oil house, and stables are located near the Copperhill Plant entrance. Numerous dwelling houses are built on the full property. 1905, latter half A:05,06; D:06; The Polk County mine commissary is destroyed by fire. In lieu of this, a company T:60/11; T:64/4; commissary, named the Smelter Store, is erected near the main entrance of the RB Copperhill Plant site. 1905, October E:05/10; D:05; State of Georgia files a second suit against TCC and DSCI in U.S. Supreme Court, W:06/6/8; E:06/11; seeking an injunction against operation of furnaces due to even worse smoke damage W:06/11/6,10; than previously. The case is held in abeyance in January 1906 while TCC completes C:06; SC; E:15/6; erection of a tall smelter stack to disperse sulfurous fumes. Construction of the brick JT; T:54/3; GD:5; stack begins about September 1905, after consultation with German pollution experts. RB; MQ; RP The court’s decision is not handed down until May 1907. 1905–1906 W:06/9/18; EL; At this time the Number 20 mine in Fannin County, Georgia (southwest Ducktown RB; AB district), is worked by the owner, James T. Howe. The mine is developed by two shafts and other workings, plus drilling. Promising copper ore is identified, mined, and stockpiled, but is not smelted. 1906, January E:06/1,3,7; Directors of TCC form two exploration and finance firms: the General Development Y:06/1/7,10,24; Company, and the Lewisohn Exploration and Mining Company. The purpose of W:06/1/9; C:06,08; General Development is to examine, purchase, develop, and finance promising E:16/12; E:20/10; mining properties in North America (see Miami in November 1907). The original E:21/1; E:42/11; purpose of Lewisohn Exploration and Mining, which is short-lived, is as a securities MS; NA holding corporation in order to merge copper companies, including TCC and General Development. Channing plays a major role in General Development.
14 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1906, January A:05,06; E:06/4; To increase mining capacity, TCC adds a night shift to the mine crew schedule. TCC E:07/4; D:11; C:11 leases a quartzite deposit (Seymour quarry) at Gee Creek, near Austral, Tennessee, and then begins to equip it with a processing plant for producing silica flux, plus dwellings and commissary. The quarry is expected to furnish 500 tons of quartz per day to Copperhill. 1906, early D:05,06; TCC begins construction of the No. 1 acid plant, which will be the first ever to W:06/4/30; manufacture sulfuric acid from smelter furnace gases. TCC’s general preliminary E:06/4,10; A:06; plans for the acid plant and tanks are completed on January 25th. The acid plant is E:07/4,5; BG; FF; designed and built by Frederic J. Falding, a chemical engineer and patent holder on HW; WN:1,2; RB tall acid chambers. The entire crown of the hill where the 150-ft stack is located must be leveled to make room for the plant. Construction during the year is much delayed by late materials delivery and shortage of labor. 1906, February D:05,06; The 325-ft tall brick stack is completed, which replaces the 150-ft stack and has a W:05/12/21; SC; 209-ft long dust chamber leading to it. The stack is first put in use in April, and C:08; BG; EH; smoke/wind direction studies are immediately conducted. Prevailing winds are from HW; FL; RS:1,2; the northwest, blowing smoke into Georgia. Unfortunately, the great height of the EC; T:47/8; JT; new stack extends the spread of nuisance sulfur fumes even wider than previously. T:54/3; GD:5,7; The smoke problem has not been eliminated with either pyritic smelting or tall stacks. RB; MQ; RP The USGS describes the smelter smoke as “a menace to all the adjacent country.” The sulfurous smoke is still so thick on some days that locals cannot tell if the sun is shining. Around this time, the briquetting plant is dismantled to make room for the acid plant and large flue. 1906, Spring D:06; T:72/5; GD:8 Nitrate of soda storage house is constructed on the northeast side of the plant site. The building is used for storing sodium nitrate (saltpeter) for use in the niter plants of each Glover tower, needed in making sulfuric acid. (In 1929 this storage house will be converted into the third laboratory building.) 1906 D:05,06,08; Copperhill smelter enlargement suffers delays and is not completed until May, with W:06/4/30; subsequent mechanical difficulties and labor shortages, and the new furnaces are not E:06/4,10; blown in until September. The smelter now includes six active furnaces and one W:06/9/8,29; A:06- reserve. Two existing converter stands are reconstructed for electric operation (now 08; E:07/4; E:08/1; three total). All copper is sold as Bessemer pig (no refining). Dwellings and a E:18/7; E:21/7; permanent hospital are constructed on TCC property. Due to labor scarcity, a semi- E:22/5; RB permanent colony of foreign workers is established. The labor shortage results in almost no mine development being done in 1906 and 1907. The average number of employees at TCC is now up to 1,277, of whom 487 work in the smelter plant, 388 in the mines, 214 doing construction, 70 on the railroad, and 118 in miscellaneous work. In the latter half of 1906, Randolph Adams retires as general manager of TCC at Copperhill (to go into consulting) and is replaced by B. Britton Gottsberger, the assistant manager who has been with TCC since 1900.
15 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1906, August D:06 Three tanks behind first lab are fed by a pipeline from a pump house on the river. TCC’s River Camp (foreign camp) is located on the south side of Ocoee River across from Isabella Junction station and the mouth of DMC. The proposed changes to the course of lower Davis Mill Creek are due to planned changes of the L&N rail switchyard and addition of a spur track to the future acid storage tanks. A company store and stables are located near the Plant entrance. The “long shed” at the north end of the Plant is a 525-ft long storage structure for construction material storage. 1906, November D:06,08; LN; RB L&N reaches agreement with TCC to transfer company land near the Ocoee River. TCC deeds land to the railroad for needed space to build L&N’s switchyard, depots, and other structures south of the Copperhill Plant. Work takes place largely in 1907. 1906 C:11; RF; TS; EL; DSCI builds a small (10-ton capacity) experimental contact-process acid plant at GD:6; RB; RP Isabella, with a ferric-oxide catalyst. By 1907 the process is deemed a failure and not compatible with pyritic smelting, due to moisture and zinc-rich dust in furnace gases, dilute acid attacking iron components, and the high operational costs. DSCI thus decides to construct a lead chamber acid plant. 1907, early A:06,07; Due to changing market conditions, some of the TCC pig copper again undergoes W:07/3/1,2; electrolytic refining offsite (probably at Raritan), with recovery of minor silver and W:08/2/28; E:12/12 trace gold, which partly comes from custom ore. Following “runaway” high copper prices in 1906, a panic occurs in March 1907 and the price drops. United Metals Selling Company (which markets TCC’s copper) then holds onto copper inventory, but the price of copper eventually plummets. On March 1st, TCC’s capital stock is accepted to be listed and traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. 1907, May G:06; The U.S. Supreme Court decides against both TCC and DSCI for smelter smoke W:07/5/14,16; damage in five Georgia counties. The court decision is written by the famous Justice, E:07/5; RF; CB; Oliver Wendell Holmes, who declares that Georgia may determine whether insisting SC; C:08,11; upon an injunction “is doing more harm than good to her own citizens.” This E:15/6; LA; decision does allow time to build acid plants and reduce fumes before an injunction is RS:1,2; E:42/11; decreed. The court gives Georgia legislative authority for implementation of the GD:5; RB; MQ; RP injunction. In July, the legislature grants Georgia’s attorney general the responsibility of making a final decree in the case; he decides to wait pending results of acid plant operation. This Supreme Court decision threatens to bankrupt TCC and DSCI, and it emboldens private citizens to then bring suit against the two companies. The Copper Handbook summarizes this problem succinctly: “the Tennessee Copper Co. must eat its smoke.” Success of TCC’s acid plant is the only hope for the mining district.
16 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1907 D:06,08,10; Enlargement of smelting plant is completed, and a second converter engine installed. W:07/5/14; TCC has been experiencing difficulties with pyritic smelting (unlike DSCI), but these Y:07/7/22; A:07; difficulties are overcome. Major improvements are made to the furnace charging E:08/1; system, the furnace blast openings (known as “tuyeres”), and slag disposal system, W:08/10/20; DS; resulting in far greater efficiency. In July, TCC first reaches 1M pounds of copper EH produced per month. Heavier track rails, locomotives, and cars are installed to avoid derailment delays. A large settling pond is built to reduce sediment from the river that had been entrained in the blast furnace jackets. The original smelter ore bins are replaced. The Blue Goose boarding house is expanded to accommodate unmarried employees. New dwellings are built near the smelter, and the new hospital completed. About this date, ten residential cottages are built by TCC on the hill above Cantrell Flats (site of the future pellet plant, power plant, and substation); these cottages are removed by 1922. 1907 D:07,08,11; Ph; The Cowanee Club constructs an employee club house, known also as the Cowanee E:09/12; A:09; CC; Club, on Smelter Hill near the general office. One company map records the club T:72/5 house as the “new laboratory.” Charter of incorporation under the state and by-laws for the club are drawn up in January 1909. An adjacent tennis court is also built about this time (first of three courts). 1907 D:06,08; DS; BG; The L&N rail switchyard is constructed south of the Copperhill Plant, resulting in the LN; RB mainline track shifting south toward the Ocoee River. TCC’s baseball field must be moved to a location south across the river. Rail construction causes rerouting of the lowest reach of DMC eastward to its current north-south course. A passenger station named the “Copperhill” depot is built by L&N just west of the city limits, replacing McCays and Isabella Junction stations (although the latter station building remained until at least 1922). An L&N freight house is also built south of the Plant entrance. Railyard construction extends from about early 1907 to early 1908. 1907, July W:07/5/14,16; TCC is rushing to complete the acid plant in order to avoid any lawsuits for damage W:07/7/17; from smelter fumes. Many difficulties and delays arose in the construction of this W:08/10/26: GD:5 plant. When completed, the plant should produce about 400 tons of sulfuric acid per day, representing 1/15 of the country’s consumption. L&N is currently building tank cars to transport the acid. 1907, about D:02,08,10,22; DS; A footbridge is built across the Ocoee River south of the Copperhill Plant, just west DM; Aer; Ph of Fightingtown Creek. This bridge remains in use until at least 1944. A ferry also is operated across the river west of the bridge; it is operational from 1902 (or earlier) to perhaps after 1915. 1907 WW:1; MC; After being intermittently worked for a number of years, the Calloway (Callaway) G:07,08; EH; RB; mine is abandoned by DSCI and allowed to flood. Development work by DSCI MI:08; RU begins on the East Tennessee mine. Beginning about midyear, DSCI sends its matte to be converted at Chrome, New Jersey, instead of to TCC.
17 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1907, November A:07; D:06,07; The No. 1 acid plant is largely completed and starts operating for testing. It includes E:08/10; BG; EH; 12 “A” chambers that are 70-ft tall, known as Falding high chambers. Unlike a C:08; FF; E:10/1; typical acid plant with chambers in series, this one is designed with 10 of the FL; E:13/2; LA; chambers used as combined “front chambers,” where the complete chemical reaction VT; T:47/8; T:61/4; will take place. Also, the movement of gas is accomplished by the draft pull from the T:64/7; TC:3; RB tall smokestack and from steam jet aspirators in the flues. The acid plant is built on slabs of concrete on the ground (chambers are later raised off ground in 1916). Plant includes two Glover towers, four Gay-Lussac towers, boiler house with medium stack, and 10 acid storage tanks with a total capacity of 7,000 tons, plus a rail spur leading to these tanks. This now becomes the largest sulfuric acid plant in the world, with a maximum capacity of 120,000 tons per year, at a total cost of about $0.8M. The acid will be sold for making fertilizer, and fortunately the South is the greatest fertilizer-consuming area in the country. 1907, November E:07/12; Through the General Development Company, the Lewisohns and J.P. Channing Y:08/3/29,30; organize the Miami Copper Company to operate the large porphyry copper deposit at E:08/4,6; C:08; Miami, Arizona. The property had been under development by General Development E:09/11; E:16/12; for about 1.5 years, and this firm will remain in control of Miami’s stock. Miami E:20/10; E:21/1; Copper will remain under Lewisohn control for decades as a “cousin” firm to TCC. E:23/6; R:2; Y:42/10/14; E:42/11; LB 1907, December A:07; G:07,08; First commercial acid is produced at TCC’s No. 1 acid plant on December 1st, with a E:08/1,3; strength of 60E Baumé grade (78% H2SO4). A total of 542 tons of acid are produced W:08/2/28; C:08; in 1907, but not sold until January (within a few years, TCC will make this amount BG; FL; WN:1,2; per day). The acid plant is fully completed but only half the plant is operating; it is T:47/8; JT; put into full operation in early 1908. Many adjustments are being made to maintain T:57/11; RB; proper grade of SO2 gas. TC:12 1907–1908 D:06-08,10; Current status (see Figure 2): The smelter includes seven blast furnaces and four W:07/3/1; BG; EH; converter stands with 15 Leghorn trough shells. Furnaces connect to a 209-ft flue A:08; C:08,11 dust chamber, with two conveyor belts underneath. Storage bins and space are available for ore, coke, and flux. The power house boiler plant has conveyors for coal and ash launder. The acid plant has 10 steel acid storage tanks. A pumping station at the Ocoee River delivers water to storage tanks above the power house. A cooling tower (for furnace water-jackets) feeds a new 4M-gallon storage reservoir on East Branch, with a pumping plant. On the east side of the Plant is a blacksmith shop, machine shop, plate-working shop, carpenter shop, pattern shop with storage, and foundry. A wooden fence is installed around the east and north sides of the Copperhill Plant. TCC has a total of 4.5 miles of railroad tracks and sidings at the Plant, plus 7.5 miles on its mainline (excluding L&N’s rail yard). TCC employs an average of 1,257 employees (based on full time), and it staffs a 20-room hospital. TCC currently owns 12,330 acres of mineral and timber land, and 650 acres under lease at the Polk County mine. A DSCI flume currently carries water across DMC to the crushing mill and power house below the Mary mine. The hills in the region are devoid of timber and vegetation.
18 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1907, about E:08/10; BG; G:08; A huge 163-ft long dust chamber with baffles (early North flue) is constructed C:08,11; E:09/2; between the furnaces and Glover towers, to remove solids and maintain heat of gases FL; EL (probably 1907). 1908, January Y:11/3/14; TCC’s first sulfuric acid is shipped out in tank cars pulled by steam locomotive. TCC Y:14/4/2; T:57/11 has made a one-year contract to sell all their acid to the Germifood Company. 1908, January Y:55/12/25; RB, Directors and managers of TCC and DSCI found the First National Bank of Polk WB County, and begin printing federal currency. This Copperhill bank then becomes the depository of TCC. The Lewisohn family will remain leaders in this bank for some time. 1908, February to March W:07/5/14; Underground workings connect McPherson shaft to Burra Burra mine to the old A:07,08; E:08/1; Hiwassee shaft (dewatered early 1907). These drifts on the third level now extend for BG; EH; E:09/2 3,000 feet, opening the ore body along its entire length. During the first half of the year, a steam shovel using compressed air is attempted in loading ore underground at the Burra Burra mine. However, the shovel is found to be too large and not suitable, and is then moved to the Seymour quartz quarry. 1908, March W:08/3/30,31; The initial success of the acid plant thus leads company officials and perhaps litigants W:08/10/21 to believe that lawsuits and injunction attempts will be terminated. However, they will soon learn that this is not the case. At this same time, Lewisohn Brothers manage to get TCC stock listed on the London Stock Exchange. Europeans hold a large number of TCC stock shares. 1908, April D:07,08; DS; G:19; TCC and L&N together induce the town of McCays to change its name to Copperhill. RB; WB L&N begins by naming its passenger depot as the Copperhill station (in 1907 or early 1908). At the request of TCC, the old Copper Hill post office in the Mary mine store on Polk County Hill is abolished, and the name of the McCays post office is simultaneously changed to Copperhill. The old office at the Mary mine then becomes the Hyatt post office, and the Polk County Hill area is then known as Hyatt. 1908 W:08/8/19; Many modifications are made to improve the No. 1 acid plant and resolve problems W:08/9/3; E:08/10; with gas production. The plant must be shut down for improvements during three A:08; G:08; E:09/2; weeks in July-August. The year is spent gaining experience in operating the acid FF; NE:2; HF; LA; plant and correlating its work to that of the smelter. Numerous experiments and trials RS:1,2; J:3; GD:5 are accomplished to optimize sulfuric acid generation; this involves maximizing the SO2 content of the gas, minimizing CO2, optimizing O2 (to convert SO2 to SO3), reducing coke usage, and minimizing ore fines. Eventually a comprehensive operation plan is devised for the smelter and acid plant. Regarding this successful feat of converting smelter fumes into sulfuric acid, the renowned chemist Dr. Robert E. Swain later states : “This now stands as one of the great industrial achievements of this country.” The difficulties in operating the acid plant are investigated and recognized by the Georgia attorney general, who allows time extensions for proper functioning of removing sulfurous emissions.
19 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1908 E:08/1; A:08; Tests at the smelter successfully produce copper matte of converter grade (at least E:09/2;W:09/2/26 30% Cu) in one step instead of the usual two. This is then performed for one month on most furnaces; however, the copper losses in slag are great and the one-step process is abandoned. During 1908, TCC produces 14.5M pounds of copper from its own ores. This is the peak annual amount, excluding custom ores, that has been produced at Copperhill (until 1929 when production figures are suppressed). 1908, October Y:08/10/30; TCC forms a sibling company to itself, called the Tennessee Chemical & Fertilizer W:08/10/30; Company. This firm is incorporated on October 29th in New Jersey, with $12M in W:08/11/2; capital stock and bonds. It is rumored on Wall Street that the new firm would handle Y:08/11/22 all output from the acid plant, and that a separate mortgage will now be placed on the $1M acid plant. Speculation drives up the stock price, but nothing ever comes of the whole event, and the new firm is short-lived. 1908, November Y:08/11/22,24; A huge fertilizer conglomerate is incorporated, named the Independent Fertilizer E:08/11,12; A:08; Company, which is organized largely by American and German interests. The plan is C:08; MI:08; for TCC’s sulfuric acid to form a major component of manufacturing fertilizer in this E:09/1; I:09/1,2; new trust, with up to 70 firms. Independent Fertilizer acquires a contract option with Y:11/3/14,26; TCC following expiration of the Germifood contract. TCC then negotiates a 15-year Y:11/11/16; favorable contract with this new company to purchase the entire supply of Copperhill Y:14/4/2 sulfuric acid at about $3.50 per ton, in order to produce acid phosphate fertilizer (superphosphate). This activity has a strong impact on the TCC stock price.
At this time, the acid-fertilizer business experiences a market scare with “considerable apprehension” over the massive amounts of sulfuric acid now being produced by TCC and soon to be produced by DSCI. The fear is that the market would be flooded with low-cost acid, and that the demand for imported pyrite would plummet (pyrite is the source of sulfur for most acid manufacturers; see Jan 1910). 1908 to early 1909 E:08/1,10,11; Initial technical difficulties with the acid plant have been overcome, and acid will W:08/10/26; now become more profitable to TCC than copper. The sulfur smoke has been A:08,09; BG; transformed from a curse into a blessing. What formerly was harming vegetation is W:09/2/26; E:09/2; now helping to grow it, through fertilizers made with TCC’s acid. During this time, NE:2; HW; C:11; output of acid increases from 150 to 250 tons per day. To supply more regular gas to LA; EL; E:42/11 the acid plant, blowing engine outputs are connected to deliver air to the blast furnaces through one large common main, instead of separate pipes previously. The air is fed through enlarged tuyere openings in the lower part of the blast furnaces. The tops of the furnaces also are modified to withstand the higher heat conditions. One furnace is not operational for most of 1908 and two for part of the year.
20 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1909, January A:09; E:10/1; LA At the TCC acid plant, the single “front chamber” operation with 10 chambers in parallel is found to be unsuitable (see Nov 1907). Thus the plant is modified to operate with chambers in series and with lead fans to move gases. This modification involves very expensive changes to the flues and other connections, the nitrating arrangements, and other components. Major experimentation on the acid process is then begun at the plant to increase efficiency (continuing through 1909), which finally puts production on solid ground. EMJ writes about the successful accomplishment of this huge, high-risk acid plant: “Too much credit cannot be given to the men who had the courage of their convictions and embarked on this enterprise in the face of difficulties impossible to foresee.” 1909, February W:09/1/22,26; Channing resigns as president of TCC due to other pressing interests, mainly the Y:09/1/26; Miami Copper Company and General Development Company. This is preceded by W:09/2/26; the resignation of TCC’s treasurer, for the same reasons. Channing remains on the W:09/3/5; TCC board of directors, while the office of president is assumed by Frederick A:08,09,42; Lewisohn. Walter Lewisohn is elected as new treasurer. Upon departing, Channing E:09/1-4,7,8,11; states that the TCC property has been so well developed and equipped as to meet “his E:11/12; E:18/9; most sanguine expectations and predicts for it a long and successful future.” E:21/7; E:22/5; However, this is soon followed by resignations or new assignments for the offices of E:25/6; E:42/11; vice president, consulting engineer, general manager, superintendent of mines, and RB some directors. TCC general manager, B.B. Gottsberger, resigns to become general manager of Miami Copper Company. His replacement at Copperhill is N. Henry Emmons II, the assistant manager who has been with TCC since 1907. 1909, January to April A:08; MI:08; Plans for completing the merger into the Independent Fertilizer Company have been Y:09/4/2; halted (in January), and the contract option to purchase TCC’s acid is in question and W:09/4/6,13,14; being renegotiated (in February). TCC decides not to issue a dividend due to E:09/4; I:09/2,8; uncertainty about finding an output for its acid supply. Y:11/3/14,26; Y:11/11/16; The fertilizer trust then receives the financial backing of J.P. Morgan & Co. in New Y:14/4/2 York. In April, a second attempt at the fertilizer combination (with up to 50 manufacturers) by the same German-American syndicate is made, and the firm is now named the United States Agricultural Corporation (often still referred to as Independent Fertilizer). TCC remains closely involved and is given a lucrative contract with this new company, and all Copperhill acid output will be acquired. TCC will receive $4.5M for closing this contract, including reimbursement for improvements and additions to its acid plant. 1909 A:09-14; E:09/11; TCC begins to switch over to a “back-stoping” or overhead system of mining, which TY; E:10/7; E:11/1; is safer and more economical than underhand stoping. By about 1912, all the mines E:12/5; C:14,16; in the district are switching over to back stoping or using modified underhand E:16/5; EL; MN; stoping; this gradual change continues to 1915. DSCI uses modified underhand VK; T:58/6 stoping at the Mary and East Tennessee mines into the 1930s. TCC conducts exploratory drilling of the Culchote and Boyd mines in 1909.
21 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1909, June E:08/11; DSCI begins operating their chamber acid plant at Isabella on June 11th, which is the E:09/1,4,7,11; second largest acid plant in the world (after TCC). DSCI’s plant covers 2.75 acres W:09/6/16; E:10/1; and consists of 16 chambers aggregating 1M cubic feet, with a total of 2.75M pounds FL; WN:1,2; lead, 2M pounds steel, 1M bricks, and 6,000 cubic feet concrete. Construction had E:16/12; LA; TS; begun in July 1908, and contract for the sale of acid is made in April 1909 for a term G:09; RF; C:11; of five years. In May 1909 the DSCI smelter shuts down to allow for connection of EL; RB; TC:12; dust chambers and flues to the acid plant, and to modify the furnaces. The acid plant MQ operates by utilizing gas typically from only one blast furnace at a time. 1909, June E:09/7; I:09/8; The United States Agricultural Corporation (former Independent Fertilizer Company) W:09/9/2; has already fallen through. Due to the failure of this new combination, only $375,000 Y:09/9/2; is paid to TCC, which becomes concerned again about finding a purchaser for its W:09/10/27; sulfuric acid. As a result of this and the acid plant expansion, dividend payments A:09,10; continue to be put on hold. However, the third attempt of the German-American W:10/4/11; syndicate is finally successful in June, creating the International Agricultural W:11/1/21 Corporation (IAC), which absorbs the remains of the Independent Fertilizer Company. The new firm, financed by J.P. Morgan, starts negotiating a contract with TCC for their sulfuric acid. About September, TCC enters a contract to sell half of its acid to the IAC, which soon after accepts an option to purchase all of the output at terms favorable to TCC. 1909 A:09-14; Due to increased handling of custom ore (rich ore from outside district), copper is E:09/11,12; converted more effectively from matte to pig. Custom ore importing increases in E:10/7,10; 1909 and again in 1910, and remains a sizable source of smelter material. The W:13/5/29; EL utilization of custom ore, which is sometimes very profitable, depends on the price of copper and the need to conserve TCC ores for their now-valuable sulfur content. To deal with custom ore, a sampling works facility is constructed at the smelter in 1909. Beginning in the latter half of 1909, imported ore from El Cobre, Cuba, is smelted by TCC for copper and used as converter lining. This high-grade ore from the Cuba Copper Company continues as the major source of custom ore to 1913, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the copper produced at Copperhill during these years. Only enough TCC ore is mined to keep the acid plant at its capacity.
The furnace settlers are now lined with firebrick, instead of chromite or magnesite bricks. The green-ore matte from the settlers is poured on beds of wet flue dust in front of the smelter, and then further layered with flue dust. Thus the second smelting of the matte incorporates flue dust as well.
22 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1909, August to December E:09/4,7,9,11; Results of trials and experimentation at the TCC acid plant (first unit) have greatly I:09/8; W:09/9/2; increased efficiency, thereby placing this industry on a firm footing. Acid production Y:09/9/2; D:09,10; improves in 1909 to more than double the 1908 output. Based on lessons learned A:09; E:10/1; from mistakes in the first unit, TCC begins in August to build an additional sulfuric W:10/2/25; acid plant (second unit of No. 1 plant), which will double capacity. Construction by W:10/11/15; year-end includes a new dust flue, Glover and Gay Lussac towers, and a portion of E:11/1; FL; Ph the “B” chambers east of the original chambers (construction continues well into 1910). Additional sulfuric acid storage tanks are built to increase the number from the original 10 up to 15 tanks and raise the total capacity to 15,000 tons. The first long-term lead shop is built, on the northeast side of the acid plant near the boiler house. Construction begins on an ore-bedding plant to deliver a more regular ore charge to the furnaces and steady gas to the acid plant. Smelting had been curtailed from May to August, to avoid complaints from neighbors of sulfurous fumes during the growing season. The expanded acid plant will help avoid this problem in the future, and it assures that Copperhill will become “a very large industrial plant,” according to the annual report. 1909, November A:09,10; A major fire occurs at the London mine shaft and crusher house, with smoke E:09/11,12; NE:1; spreading through the mine. Eight men become trapped at deep levels and rescued TY; E:10/1,7; after a day and a half. The mine then goes idle until May 1910 and the surface plant M:10; G:10; is rebuilt and completed in October. Also in November 1909, surface mining begins E:11/1; C:11; EL; in the open cut at Eureka mine, and the first shaft begins to be sunk. Operations at GD:6 Eureka mine, including drilling, continue only to September 1910, and the surface plant is begun but not built. 1909, late A:09,11; E:10/7; A small sintering plant using a Dwight-Lloyd machine is installed southeast of the D:10; C:11; Ph smelter, in order to sinter flue dust for re-smelting to extract its copper. 1910, about C:08,11; D:10,11 Pipe shop and paint shop are built (since 1908). TCC owns more than 400 workers’ houses on the property; 4.5 miles of rail tracks in Copperhill Plant and 7.5 miles outside Plant. 1910, January E:09/1; I:09/1,2,8; About this time, it is realized that the scare over the sulfuric acid glut in the E:10/1; E:11/1; VT Ducktown district will not develop, and virtually no curtailment in imported pyrite demand has occurred (see Nov 1908). This is due in part to the fact that the Independent Fertilizer Company combination has not materialized, and the International Agricultural Corporation apparently is not viewed as a threat. However, with time, the fertilizer manufacturers of Tennessee will stop producing their own sulfuric acid, because such a large source is available from the two Ducktown district companies.
23 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1910, first half A:09,10; W:10/8/2; Because gases from the smelter furnaces are collected in flues and dampered (with G:10; NE:2; slight back pressure) into the acid plant to keep out ambient air, unusually high E:11/1; FL; temperatures (up to 2,000EF) are encountered in the upper parts of furnaces. The heat E:12/11; HF; LA; causes the steel framework holding the firebrick to be warped. After trial and error EM; EL (beginning in 1908), furnaces are redesigned with their tops consisting of heat- resistant, rigid cast-iron and firebrick. The furnace heights are also changed to optimize use with the new flues, and special care is taken to avoid dilution from outside air. Three furnaces are completely remodeled in 1910, and another two in 1911. TCC continues extensive amounts of original chemical research, in order to efficiently produce sulfuric acid. A portion of the new addition to the acid plant is operational by June. 1910 A:10; E:11/1 The smelter furnace settlers begin (in June) to be lined with siliceous copper ore instead of firebrick. In the power house, two new large boilers replace four original water-tube boilers, and a 400-kw generator is installed. Two of the old boilers are moved to the London mine power plant. 1910 G:93; A:09,10; Around this time, the bare denuded zone encompassing the mining district is E:10/7; E:11/1; generally believed to reach its maximum size (11 to 12 square miles) and remain HW; W:11/6/19; approximately this size until about 1942 (although erosion may expand this zone with C:11; E:12/6; EL; time). The surrounding grass zone also appears to follow this same pattern of JT; TC:10; MQ; maximum size in about 1910. The bare zone extends into Georgia, and the grass zone LM extends into North Carolina. During this time period, these deforested zones in the Copper Basin are centered approximately near where modern Highway 64 crosses North Potato Creek. This location is close to Isabella and Cartertown, where significant smelting and roasting activities have taken place since 1892. Despite this, some sources claim that grass and trees are returning to the area, and vegetation supports small herds of dairy cattle. TCC starts an experimental farm on its land to raise crops and prove that sulfur smoke problems have ended; the farm soon operates at a profit. Agricultural experiments may have begun in 1909 to prove that the acid plant has alleviated smoke problems. 1910 E:19/10; J:3; Early tests are made by TCC using coal in one of the blast furnaces, instead of the E:23/2 more expensive coke, based on the suggestion of a visiting Japanese engineer. Coal is crushed to nut size, powder is screened out, and fragments are charged mechanically through the tuyeres. Although successful, it is too costly to screen coal and charge furnaces by hand, plus the coal causes a dark color in sulfuric acid made from these furnace gases. Further testing is postponed to a later date, until the acid plant expansion and bedding plant are completed (see April 1918). 1910 EH; E:09/7,11; DSCI begins regular production at East Tennessee mine, after building a railroad to it WY; G:10,11; in 1909 and opening the mine in August 1910. DSCI also begins small-scale open- C:11,14; JH; EL cut mining at Isabella mine, mainly for experimentation purposes to produce acid. Gordon shaft of Mary mine is sunk for working the northern ore zone, and by about 1912 Mary hoisting activity largely shifts from the watershed of DMC to NPC at the Gordon shaft.
24 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1910, June to December A:09,10; E:10/7; The second unit of the No. 1 acid plant starts partial operation in late June, and W:10/9/20; additional chambers are constructed by September, but only gradually brought on line W:10/10/17; G:10; due to technical difficulties. Complete full operation begins in early December. The E:11/1,5,6; plant requires a work force of only 30 men. This is now the largest sulfuric acid plant W:11/2/24; HW; in the world, by nearly double, with an annual capacity of about 225,000 tons of acid W:11/4/3; FL; when the addition is complete. The “B” chambers and North chambers of this unit C:11; WN:1; EL; are built (75 to 80 feet high), making a total of 26 tall acid chambers with a combined EP; T:47/8; T:61/4; capacity of 4.6M cubic feet. Four large Gay-Lussac towers are built on the west side GD:5 of the acid plant (tower Nos. 5-8, with two more built 1911), in addition to two octagonal Glover towers and 72 tall cooling towers. Altogether this increases acid production by more than 50 percent, and the new and old portions of the No. 1 plant continue to operate separately. This acid plant now includes a total of 7.8M pounds lead, 7.2M pounds iron and steel, 3.8M bricks, 0.55M pounds asbestos in flues, and 50,000 square feet asphalt flooring. The new plant keeps the acid gases free of dust and eliminates the violent fluctuations of temperature and strength of gas. 1910, September D:08; LN TCC sells additional land south of the Copperhill Plant to L&N Railroad for construction of passenger and freight stations, and for additional track. 1910, October to November C:06-11; G:06-11; Blister copper was previously sent mainly to Europe (since 1903 or earlier) as pig E:10/11,12; copper, but now only about one-fourth is sent there. Most copper is now sent to W:10/10/29,31; Asarco’s Baltimore Copper Smelting & Rolling Company (Canton, Maryland) for Y:11/2/3; electrolytic refining, which also recovers minor silver and gold. The finished Y:11/3/15; electrolytic copper is then sold by Asarco, beginning November 1910, possibly with a W:11/11/29; E:12/8 10-year contract. Pig copper continues to be sold by the United Metals Selling Company, although a rift has developed between the United manager and the Lewisohns; Amalgamated soon takes over control of United Metals from the Lewisohns. Asarco is owned by the Guggenheim interests, which have purchased a sizable share of TCC’s stock. 1910, December Y:10/12/5; A:10; Two major fires strike the town of Copperhill on successive nights, leaving up to 500 D:10,22; DS; RB; homeless. TCC property is not damaged, but many company employees lose their NR; Ph homes. Within 10 days, TCC builds four large houses, with three suites each, to accommodate some of the homeless workers. These houses are located in Cantrell Flats near the location of the modern highway (houses remain until at least 1922). The remainder of the homeless workers move into vacant houses in the foreign camp. Assistance with supplies for the victims comes from TCC and the cities of Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Atlanta. 1910–1911 W:10/9/3; At this time, a large number of lawsuits are brought against the mining companies by E:10/9,10,12; SC; individuals in Georgia and Tennessee. A few hundred total cases are brought to RB; MQ; RP; IH lower courts, and apparently almost all result in awards, often in sizable amounts. Two cases against TCC are raised to the Supreme Court by three prominent landowners of Georgia and Tennessee; however, the court dismisses the lawsuit. Note that the acid plants did not eliminate sulfurous fumes, but only reduced them. Fumes would continue to be discharged at generally decreasing levels through time until smelting and acid production are terminated in the district.
25 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1911, January A:10,20; TCC enters a 10-year contract to sell and market all its acid to the International W:11/1/21; E:11/1; Agricultural Corporation at about $3 per ton (later at $4.81), although some HW; Y:11/3/9; allotments may be sold up to $5.25 per ton. The contract accepts all acid up to C:11,20; Y:15/2/5; 225,000 tons per year. IAC then ships this acid to many cities in the South. This W:15/9/23; contract will expire at the end of 1920. W:16/1/6,8 1911, February GD:5; RB; RP Georgia attorney general enters into contractual agreement with TCC to limit smelting operations to only those furnaces necessary for acid production, in order to reduce excess sulfurous emissions during the crop growing season (May 20th to September 1st). Also, the State would reevaluate the pending injunction before the Supreme Court in October 1913. This arrangement is made only with TCC, not DSCI, because a consultant for the governor of Georgia previously decided (November 1910) that TCC had more than doubled production since 1905, while DSCI had cut production to limit sulfur dioxide emissions. And with the geographic differences between the two plants, the conclusion is made that DSCI’s emissions do not affect Georgia; and hence DSCI is not brought into agreement at this time. 1911, March A:09,10,12; D:09; Large YMCA building is completed by TCC in Ducktown, mainly for its mining E:09/12; E:10/7,11; employees. Construction had begun in October 1910. The facility is later turned over M:11; C:11; RB; to YMCA for operation. (The structure eventually burns down in August 1998.) NP:98 1911, April A:09-11; E:10/7; Messiter-type ore-bedding system begins operating, to provide a more uniform ore D:10-13,15; charge to the furnaces and steady flue gas supply to the acid chambers. Ore-bedding E:11/1; FL; C:11; plant has a large elevated conveyor system (635-ft long), located on the western side MI:11; E:12/5; HF; of the Copperhill Plant at the site of the future No. 2 acid plant. The system includes E:13/10 a total of 6,000 feet of belts, which transport ore from the rail bins through a new sampling mill (on its north end) to ore beds to charge cars and finally to furnaces. Two beds are provided for ore and two beds for first matte. The bedding system is designed and largely built in 1910. Also a system is being developed to screen out fines from the ore before charging the furnaces, because high-quality gas from all furnaces is now needed to produce acid at the enlarged acid plant. The screening and bedding plant result in decreased coke usage, lower furnace temperatures, more SO2 in the flue gases, and unexpectedly high efficiency in acid production. 1911, Spring E:11/6; C:11-22 DSCI negotiates a 10-year contract for sale of its sulfuric acid. DSCI’s copper matte (50% Cu) is being marketed through New York by Beer, Sondheimer & Co. Between about 1913 and 1920, DSCI’s matte will be sold to American Metal Co. of New York, and smelted at Laurel Hill, New York, or Carteret, New Jersey.
26 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1911, June A:10-12; E:11/4,5; Two new octagonal Gay-Lussac towers (Nos. 9, 10) are completed on the west side of W:11/2/24; the acid plant and start operating, in order to recover nitrous oxide fumes. Without W:11/5/2; these towers, the acid plant can only operate at 75 percent maximum capacity. Now W:11/8/19; all available Burra Burra and London ore is needed to keep acid production up to C:11,14; MI:11; capacity, utilizing all furnaces. The Copper Handbook states that the chamber plant’s W:12/1/30; great success counters the “damning with faint praise that has been bestowed so W:12/2/24,27; liberally upon this plant.” However, several days after the two towers are completed, WN:1; E:12/5; a serious fire strikes the Glover towers and the large flue connecting them to the E:13/4; EL smelter. Acid production and smelting are completely interrupted for about six weeks while rebuilding, and all mined ore is stockpiled. The niter-charging house is also rebuilt, greatly improving the method of charging niter to the acid process. Total time after the fire to return to normal operations is about three months. 1911, September W:11/5/25; Repair of the acid plant and flue is now complete, and the plant is operating close to W:11/9/8; normal. The plant produces 500 tons per day, and this rate increases to 600 tons by W:11/10/5; November and 700 tons in the spring; this is partly a result of fewer legal restrictions W:11/11/29; A:11; on production outside the growing season. The cumulative cost for the entire acid W:12/1/1; plant is now at $1.8M. TCC increases its number of directors from 9 to 13, adding W:12/2/27; new board members with prominent banking and financial interests. A large block of W:12/4/11; shares is sold to the banking interests. W:12/9/19 1911, October W:11/11/28; Shortly after completion of acid plant construction, N.H. Emmons resigns as general E:11/11,12; A:11; manager of TCC (to enter consulting), and is replaced by the assistant manager, E:12/6; E:25/6; RB Albert H. Case. According to the company consulting engineer, the TCC organization is “well seasoned and specially experienced” and “a most efficient and enthusiastic one.” 1912 E:10/11,12; The entire production of Copperhill pig copper and refined copper (refined near Y:11/2/3; Baltimore) is now sold by Asarco. The contract with the United Metals Selling Y:11/3/14,15; Company has now expired, and this former Lewisohn-controlled firm has been fully E:11/3,6; MI:12,13; absorbed by the Amalgamated group (as of March 1911). W:14/1/27; E:14/2 1912 WF; A:12; E:13/4; Pot slag begins to be poured in a new slag dump just north of the No. 1 acid plant, in D:13,15,16; C:14; a small valley where the organic chemical plant later sits. Sometime after early 1913, E:25/9 slag pouring shifts northward to the site of the future rail shop, filling the Shea Hollow valley and eliminating a rail trestle spanning it. About this time (1912-13), DSCI begins to granulate slag by quenching it in water; granulation had been used by DSCI on a limited scale as early as 1903. Granulated slag will be commonly used within concrete in place of sand.
27 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1912, mid to late A:11,12; D:10-13; The sintering plant is completely rebuilt and enlarged, with two Dwight-Lloyd E:12/5,8; machines to transform flue dust, ore fines, and some custom ore into sinter-coke. W:12/9/19; While the sintering plant is down (until about September), a large amount of flue dust W:13/4/8; E:13/4; is stockpiled. The smelter converters are changed from acid to basic lining (with C:14; EL; Ph same 15 trough converter shells), requiring a large drying unit for siliceous material plus a new flue and hood system. The large converter flue is moved from the roof of the smelter building to the east side. Another octagonal Gay-Lussac tower (no. 11) is built on the west side of the acid plant and started up in the latter half of 1912. There are still two Glover towers, with niter plants at the base of each, and 15 acid storage tanks with a total capacity of 20,000 tons. The lead shop northeast of the acid plant is rebuilt and enlarged about 1912. At this time, the ice/refrigerating plant (still standing today) is built south of the power house, and a master mechanics office is built east of it. A low-pressure turbine system is installed to send exhaust waste steam through a Rateau turbo-blower to provide free air for use at the Copperhill Plant. During 1912, the average number of TCC employees is 1,315. 1912, latter half A:12; M:12; Polk County mine’s surface plant is demolished in July and completely rebuilt by E:13/4; C:14 December, with new equipment and railroad, and the shaft is also remodeled. The mine shuts down and stops producing from July to October. Water supply for mines is significantly improved by constructing a larger reservoir near the McPherson shaft. 1912 D:07; A:12; E:13/4; TCC takes out a 25-year lease on the School Property deposit, and drilling along the C:14; EL; HM; RB; northern portion of the ore body (Old Tennessee mine) begins in December and GC continues to 1913. This deposit sits on Fractional Township No. 16, a quarter section reserved for the school district. TCC agrees to pay royalties to the Township Commission of 31 cents per ton mined; and while not mining on this deposit, TCC will pay into the fund $12,000 each year plus interest (to be credited back during years of mining). This lease is later lost in court. 1913, February A:12-14; E:13/2-4; Lewisohn Brothers have invested in other enterprises and (within the last year) have W:13/2/15,30; sold a large number of their holdings in TCC, thereby losing control of the firm. At Y:13/2/28; the annual stockholder meeting on February 27th, James Phillips, Jr. (the vice W:13/3/1; GT; president) takes over as president, and he appoints his son-in-law as secretary and W:13/5/14; C:14; treasurer. New directors are selected by Phillips, representing Standard Oil interests, E:20/10; EL; RB while the Lewisohns and Channing are removed. A new corporate office is opened at 2 Rector Street in New York. Copperhill general manager, A.H. Case, resigns in April (to consult for Lewisohn Brothers) and is replaced by James B. Risque, who has Anaconda connections.
28 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1913, May A:12,13; E:13/4,5; It has become an annual scheduled activity to shut down the acid plant and smelter for HF; W:14/2/27; repairs and cleaning near the beginning of May. Due to the dirty smelter gases E:14/6; MI:14; involved with acid making, an unusual amount of flue cleaning and tank washing is W:15/7/20; necessary, and new blower fans are installed. International Agricultural Corporation W:15/9/23; finds its acid contract with TCC to be unprofitable and burdensome, and thus seeks a W:16/1/8; modification, to which TCC consents. The contract also enables TCC to sell excess Y:16/6/23; LA acid to other firms, but IAC has so far taken all the production. IAC has not been able to use all this acid itself, so it subcontracts to sell any excess to the Virginia- Carolina Chemical Company and some Chicago fertilizer firms. 1913 A:09,12,13; Experiments have been underway intermittently for a few years, attempting to use W:13/2/12; E:13/3; Eureka mine ore for its high iron and sulfur content, to produce non-phosphorus pig L:13/3/14; iron and sulfuric acid. An experimental treatment unit is devised, but the entire plan W:13/9/20; C:14 is now put on hold in September. 1913, October L:13/3/14; SC; The State of Georgia offers a three-year legal contract with both mining companies. E:15/6; GD:5; RB; The firms would be able to operate without fear of injunction, if they maintain their RP acid plants at maximum efficiency subject to inspection, operate furnaces only up to normal capacity for the acid plant during the growing season (April 10th to October 1st), annually pay into a compensation fund for Georgia citizens impacted by the fumes (DSCI’s share was half that of TCC), and join in an arbitration board to distribute these funds. TCC accepts the terms of this agreement, and Georgia appoints an inspector to be posted at the Plant to ensure compliance with the agreement. However, DSCI refuses to sign, arguing that their emissions do not impact Georgia, thereby opening a possible injunction against them. Acid plants of the two companies have obviously reduced but not eliminated the litigious fumes. 1913, Fall E:13/11; A:13; A decision is made by TCC to discontinue importing custom ore (from Cuba), W:14/2/27; E:14/6 because it is more profitable to smelt TCC’s own ore at increased rates, contrary to previous statements by the company (this only continues to 1916). Including custom ore, a total of 17.8M pounds of copper are produced in 1913, the record high at Copperhill (until 1929 when production figures are suppressed). Also, siliceous ore is no longer being shipped from offsite, because siliceous copper-bearing ore from onsite is sufficient as a substitute for quartz in the smelter converters. Acid production reaches 20,000 tons per month. 1914, early A:13; E:14/6 Work at the blast furnaces has improved to the point that results previously accomplished by the bedding plant are now attained without bedding. 1914, February E:14/2; W:14/3/3; DSCI has successfully developed and begins operating a small minerals separation SC; E:15/6; E:16/1; (flotation) test unit to produce sulfide concentrate. The State of Georgia and DSCI MQ; RP are unable to reach agreement on smelter fume discharge, and so Georgia asks the Supreme Court for a perpetual injunction against DSCI (decision given in May 1915).
29 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1914, about D:10,16; Ph The smelter repair shop (also called smelter locomotive repair shop) is built west of the first lab. A storage structure (later used as a steel storage bin) is built as an extension on the east side of the smelter supply house. A Service Department office (pay office) and an adjacent gate house building are constructed south of the shops and smelter supply house. 1914 W:13/10/30; Electrical power from offsite is installed at the TCC smelter to fully supply the W:14/6/5; Copperhill Plant. Power is derived from the new No. 1 (Parksville) and No. 2 W:15/10/16; EL hydropower plants on the Ocoee River, owned by the Tennessee Power Company. 1914 E:14/12; MI:14 TCC’s smelter charge floor is replaced with corrugated galvanized steel and covered with concrete to form a dust-proof surface around each furnace. This will prevent dust and ore fragments from falling through gaps in the charge floor at the furnaces, and striking those working below on the tuyeres. 1914, May T:52/8; T:70/2; Ph TCC sets up a weather station in cooperation with the U.S. Weather Bureau. Daily recording of temperature and precipitation then continues for many decades. The station is apparently located near the acid plant office, as it is in later decades. The acid plant office is built northeast of the No. 1 acid plant in about 1914. 1914, midyear A:14; E:14/6,11; London and Polk County mines are shut down, apparently due to the low price of W:15/1/28 copper. London closes from August to November; Polk County from June to at least February 1915. A steel headframe is built in 1914 at the McPherson shaft. In June, DSCI’s surface plant at the East Tennessee mine burns down. Replacement timbers for rebuilding the mine plant are not readily available, so TCC offers to donate any needed materials it has in stock. 1914 A:14; MI:14; TCC produces a record level of 210,000 tons per year of 60E sulfuric acid (first time W:15/4/20; E:15/7 exceeding 200,000 tons). A maximum daily record of 820 tons is attained. 1914–1915 A:13,14; E:14/3,6; Two matte blast furnaces are enlarged, one more furnace is connected to the acid MI:14; W:15/1/28; plant, which is also expanded, and the mining rate is increased, altogether increasing E:15/2,10; D:16; acid production. Additional smelter equipment will allow maximum production of E:16/5,11; C:16; Ph copper without also importing ore. Most of this work begins in spring 1914, and is expected to be completed later in that year. But due to poor financial conditions and the outbreak of war, a ban on general construction is placed across all facilities from August 1914 through January 1915; better business conditions then prevail. Acid plant expansion is not finished until November 1915. These changes apparently include installation of the brick chamber set (12 tank-like chambers) and tanks east of the “B” chambers, and an additional bridge flue that extends from the western side of the smelter north to the No. 1 acid plant. 1915, first part E:16/5; D:15,16; Wartime demand for fertilizer decreases (through April), and excess acid at the TC:1 Copperhill Plant requires the erection of two very large storage tanks for 60E Baumé acid (5,000-ton capacity each, one north of No. 1 acid plant and one in the tank farm). Now there are 17 large acid storage tanks overall.
30 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1915, March A:14; Y:15/2/5; James Phillips, Jr., quits as TCC president, and he is replaced by Utley Wedge, the Y:15/3/10; vice president. Wedge has actually been the operating executive for the company. W:15/3/10,18; Phillips sells his 20,000 shares of stock to the Wedge faction. Wedge is an expert W:15/4/23; chemist (formerly with Standard Oil) and is promoted to increase revenue from W:15/8/7; TCC’s acid during the war years. He is also the well-known inventor of the Wedge Y:16/6/23; C:16; multiple-hearth mechanical furnace (see 1925). Around this time, TCC’s copper is E:17/1; RB again sold by United Metals Selling Company, which is owned by Amalgamated- Anaconda (apparently continuing through 1916). 1915, May SC; E:15/5,6; In an injunction case brought by the State of Georgia in 1914, the U.S. Supreme W:16/1/6; E:16/7; Court decides against DSCI, and the amount of sulfurous fumes from the Isabella E:22/3; GD:5; RB; Plant must be restricted and monitored by an outside inspector. Following this MQ; RP monitoring period, the Supreme Court rules in April 1916 that DSCI must operate at about 5/8 of its capacity, via a number of restrictions and requirements. This is an outcome of the case first decided in 1907. The timing is unfortunate for DSCI, because in April-May 1915 prices for sulfuric acid begin to skyrocket due to the war, up to $25 per ton; and copper prices also surge to 27 cents per pound. TCC’s agreement with Georgia actually allows an increase in production. 1915, June Y:15/6/9,13; TCC enters into a profitable long-term contract with Du Pont Powder Company to W:15/6/15; provide large amounts of sulfuric acid, for the purpose of making gunpowder for the Y:15/8/27; war. The prices paid are triple those paid by IAC. At least one other contract is soon W:15/9/23; made with another explosives firm and a dyestuff firm. Standard Oil starts buying up Y:15/9/28; TCC and others stock, in an attempt to gain control of companies involved with Y:15/10/5; munitions manufacturing. W:15/12/16; Y:16/4/24 1915 D:10,15,16; Acid-concentrating facilities and plants to use acid in making other products are W:15/8/20; erected. A large acid concentrator plant is built (by April) to satisfy the great demand E:15/11; for high-strength sulfuric acid (oil of vitriol) to manufacture munitions during WWI W:16/4/24; E:16/5; and for utilization of by-products. This plant, located at the modern site of the C:16,18; E:17/1; organic chemicals plant, continues in use till the end of the war and is then EC; T:66/2; Ph; demolished. In 1915 extra tank cars are purchased and leased for handling DM concentrated acid, which is sold in large quantities. In fall 1915, the first nitric acid plant (the future lead shop) is built northeast of the No. 1 acid plant. A nitrating plant is built at the Glover towers, to introduce nitric acid into the sulfuric acid process instead of cooking sodium nitrate. Acid storage and nitre storage facilities are also constructed. A brick transformer house (still standing today) is built west of the ice plant (latter half of year). A small gas plant, for generating oxygen and hydrogen, is constructed about this time on the east side of the power plant, but apparently is not put into service until fall 1916. A storage building is erected, possibly west of the lower reservoir on East Branch.
31 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1915, August W:15/3/10; Due to extraordinary demand for sulfuric acid during the war, a new acid plant is W:15/8/7,27; being planned to produce 60E Baumé acid. TCC makes an arrangement with E:15/8,10; International Agricultural Corporation for a price increase to $4.81 per ton of acid, W:15/9/23; and so that profits from increased output of acid sold to the Allies will be shared W:15/10/4,5; mutually. By year-end, the market price for sulfuric acid rises as high as $30 per ton, W:16/1/6,8; and IAC has been making huge profits, while TCC is locked into the low selling Y:16/6/13,23; price. This situation has caused bitter conflict between the two firms. Consequently, C:16; E:20/4 IAC agrees to allow part of the Copperhill output to be repurchased by TCC at $7 per ton and then resold at much higher prices or used for other purposes. IAC has been selling off excess acid at a large profit to other firms, and DSCI has been the main purchaser (presumably to resell). 1915, September D:15; TCC enters into agreement on September 30th with the Artillery Department of the W:15/9/17,29; Imperial Russian government to manufacture 4.8M pounds of TNT for delivery W:15/10/5; between December 1915 and November 1916. Russia advances $1.14M to cover 25 E:15/11,12; percent of the contract price. Construction of the TNT plant and an adjacent E:16/3,5,9; laboratory, located near the former Buena Vista roast, yard begins about October. W:16/4/24,26,28; The TNT plant is apparently built and/or operated by Carbolite Chemical Company of W:16/5/12; I:16/5; New York, but is owned by TCC. TNT would be produced, in part, using TCC’s W:16/8/3; A:16; sulfuric acid (which must be repurchased back from IAC). MI:16; C:16; E:17/1; Also in 1915 to 1916, TCC builds a phenol plant in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, to W:17/3/10,23; produce phenol (carbolic acid) in order to make picric acid (trinitrophenol). Picric W:39/1/5; RB; DM acid is used for war purposes as a high explosive. This plant becomes intermittently operational by early 1916, and is apparently scrapped following the war, sometime after 1919. Russia’s contract with TNT may also include orders for phenol and sulfuric acid. 1915, December Y:15/12/23; Britain places a large order of copper for the war effort through contracts with TCC, W:16/1/8 Anaconda, and Asarco. In addition, DSCI signs a contract with International Agricultural Corporation for the entire output of Ducktown’s sulfuric acid. 1915–1916 D:15; MI:16,20; Chattanooga Copper Company is drilling to develop copper ore on its property east of C:16,18; E:17/3; the East Tennessee mine. The Chattanooga company had incorporated in June 1914, E:19/1; WN:2; EL; and then is reorganized in early 1915 to become the Ocoee Copper Company. The RB; KR firm begins sinking a deep shaft in 1918.
32 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1916, January to May TC:1; A:16; Several additional sulfuric acid concentrating plants are put into operation at the north D:07;10,15-17; DS; end of the Copperhill Plant site. These include the following plants: reverberatory W:16/4/28; EC; concentrator (produces 66E Baumé acid, or 93% H2SO4) located east of the modern T:52:2; DM organics plant; temporary grade “B” plant (TGB), which is later followed by a permanent grade “B” plant (PGB) (both make 97.5% acid), located near the modern rail shop; Nos. 4 & 5 O.V. plant (oil of vitriol, 66E Baumé), located near the modern rail office; and Cottrell precipitator plant with electrical building, erected north of the reverberatory plant. Some of these plants do not operate satisfactorily, and are soon removed from operation. An acid plant laboratory is also constructed around this time, east of the O.V. plant; but like most of these buildings, the lab existed for no more than a few years. The TGB, PGB, and O.V. plants are built on the site of a former valley, and pot slag has thus already filled this Shea Hollow area by 1916. Some TCC cottages previously existing in the “Shay Hollow” valley are removed by this time. By April 1916, TCC is concentrating about 40 percent of its acid output. 1916 D:10,15,16,20; The No. 1 acid plant has major problems and accidents in January 1916, due to being W:16/1/8,29; pushed beyond capacity. Thus, large parts of the plant are shut down for major Y:16/1/18; reconstruction and cleaning, and acid shipments are curtailed from early February E:16/1,4,5; until mid-April. Acid plant overhauling includes raising the chambers off the ground W:16/3/14; surface, and cleaning flues, chambers, and chimneys (continuing to mid-1917). W:16/4/20,25,26; During this interval, some sulfuric acid is produced by burning imported brimstone Y:16/6/23; A:16; sulfur, to partially sustain contractual requirements during very high wartime C:16-20; G:16 demands. The No. 2 chamber acid plant is built to increase output during the war, W:17/3/8; which has stimulated heavy production of sulfuric acid. The bedding plant is Y:17/3/11; removed to make room for this new acid plant. Besides the concentrated sulfuric acid W:17/4/28; T:47/8; plants, two more nitric acid plants (Nos. 2 and 3) are also built in the first half of the Ph; DM year near the future location of the copper sulfate plant. A 12-ft long Great Falls basic-lined converter is installed at the smelter to replace all the smaller Leghorn trough converters. A copper-casting machine is added to serve the new converter. One furnace is entirely rebuilt, and flues and dust chambers are rebuilt. Furnaces now connect to a new brick manifold, then over the ore bins and rail tracks via a new bridge flue, and connect to the North flue. The rail car shop is expanded, 1.75 miles of new side tracks are installed, and 1.5 miles of mainline tracks are added to feed the new plants. 1916 E:14/6; A:14,16; A new compressor house, crusher house, and power house are built at McPherson M:16; W:17/3/8; shaft, and electric hoisting equipment is installed (early 1916). Electric power from E:17/12; C:18; an Ocoee River power house is connected for hoisting instead of steam. The wooden LW:1; T:58/6; headframe at Burra Burra mine is demolished in summer 1916, and McPherson shaft T:66/9; Ph is used for ore hoisting in the interim. Then in summer 1917, a steel headframe and ore bins are constructed at the Burra shaft. Significant caving problems begin at this mine in 1916, which prevents operation at part of the mine (see 1925 for major collapse). 1916 G:16; C:18 DSCI builds a small electrolytic zinc plant, which recovers zinc from acid plant sludge. TCC also experiments with zinc recovery.
33 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1916 EJ; GD:1 Suits are brought against the two Ducktown mining companies by the Tennessee Power Company for acidic corrosion to Ocoee River hydroplant turbines. An agreement is made around this time to limit discharge in Davis Mill Creek to 1,000 ppm acidity. As a result, TCC builds the first neutralization plant at Copperhill, to neutralize acidic waste waters, probably using lime or limestone (no early records are available for this plant). 1916, first half D:16; Y:40/9/19; Construction of an expensive residential building for a corporate vice president, RB Benjamin G. Slaughter, is erected near the general office at the Copperhill Plant, but not completed until after WWI (by which time Slaughter is gone). Excessive building and spending during this war era results in the TCC payroll exceeding 3,000 employees. 1916, March W:16/3/22; TCC’s TNT plant is completely destroyed by fire on March 21st (soon after E:16/3,10,11; midnight). Fire hose and dynamite brought from Burra Burra are used to fight the M:16; W:16/4/28; blaze, and an explosion causes one fatality to the assistant mine superintendent. W:16/5/12; I:16/5; Reports are contradictory as to whether the facility had been completed and operating W:16/6/16,24,26; at the time, but no TNT had been shipped yet. The loss to the company is about Y:16/6/16,23; $0.5M, largely covered by insurance. TCC considers rebuilding the plant, but Y:16/7/16,17; eventually it is decided against. A large amount of purchased raw materials (benzene, W:16/10/11; A:16; nitric and sulfuric acids) for producing the TNT are held in storage, and later sold at a MI:16; C:16,18; loss. The Russian government subsequently threatens litigation for the funds Y:17/4/15; RB advanced for plant construction. TCC negotiates to continue with the contract, and then tenders $200,000 worth of TNT from another firm’s plant, but Russia refuses to accept both offers. 1916, July D:15,16; The No. 2 chamber acid plant is completed and put in operation in the latter half of W:16/4/28; E:16/5; July, to produce 60E Baumé sulfuric acid, with a capacity of 100,000 tons per year. W:16/7/22; A:16; Construction has been seriously delayed due to labor and material shortages, but the E:17/4; JH; EM; complex task of plant startup requires only 48 hours (due to a method of chamber E:18/7; C:18; EP; control patented by TCC’s chemist). TCC’s combined facility remains the largest RS:2; RB sulfuric acid plant in the world, with a total chamber volume of 6M cubic feet and a capacity of 325,000 tons per year. TCC and DSCI are still the only two companies in the world making sulfuric acid from copper blast-furnace gases. This will later (1949) be referred to as “the largest lead chamber installation of all time.” 1916, August W:16/7/22; Due to TCC’s serious financial problems, J.B. Risque is replaced by N.H. Emmons, W:16/9/4; C:16; for his second tenure as Copperhill general manager. Further technical problems with E:18/9; RB the acid plants and flues cause serious decreases in acid output during the summer. Company directors are disturbed at the inefficient managers, and major changes are pending.
34 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1916, September to October E:15/6; E:16/7; SC; This marks the end of a three-year contractual agreement between the State of C:18; GD:5 Georgia and TCC. Georgia is satisfied with TCC’s measures to reduce smelter smoke, and the contract is renewed (September) and filed with the Supreme Court (October). DSCI continues to operate under partial production requirements. Nonetheless, DSCI stock continues to set the world record as the most profitable copper mining investment ever. By year’s end, the stock has a 97,300% return on investment for founders’ shares! 1916, October to November W:16/7/22; TCC is approaching disintegration due to the TNT disaster, unnecessary building, Y:16/8/24; ludicrous spending, lawsuits, low funds, and unstable management. Construction W:16/8/30; costs since the beginning of 1915, excluding the TNT plant, have totaled more than W:16/9/1,7,13,22; $2.5M. The Russians have filed a claim for recovery of funds on the TNT failure, but W:16/10/4,11,18,2 TCC disputes it. Fifteen fire insurance companies also file suit in New York Supreme 5; Y:16/10/15; Court to avoid paying $0.75M claims by TCC for the TNT plant. IAC has a claim for E:16/10-12; more than $0.4M against TCC for non-delivery of acid. A growing number of other W:16/11/28; suits for breach of contract are also pending, and TCC owes banks $1.5M, with total Y:16/12/1; A:16; indebtedness of about $3M. A rift in the directorate has existed for many months, and MI:16; C:16-20; a receivership is feared. Wall Street Journal states in July that “the operating end of Y:17/3/11; Tennessee Copper is sadly demoralized,” and further that “what Tennessee Copper is E:20/10; E:23/11; crying for is a new management.” T:63/3,7; GD:3; RB; NA In the first half of October, TCC’s directors and a select committee negotiate plans to restructure and refinance the company, with negotiations to have a new firm take over TCC. This firm, incorporated in New York on October 14th, is named the Tennessee Copper & Chemical Corporation. It will be financed through a stock transfer with newly issued stock underwritten by Adolph Lewisohn & Sons and J.S. Bache & Company. On November 28th, reorganization is completed and control passes to TC&CC, which then becomes a holding company for its subsidiary TCC. Adolph Lewisohn succeeds Utley Wedge as president; his son, Sam A. Lewisohn, is made vice president, secretary is Frank M. Loper, and treasurer is Emory H. Westlake. Channing, Jules Bache, and others are added to the board of directors, while most of the previous directors resign. A new corporate office is located at 61 Broadway in New York.6 At this time, the total book value for the Copperhill Plant property is $5.6M, including smelter, acid plants, shops and equipment. The major construction phase at the Plant is now largely completed, but continues to mid-1917. 1916, December C:16; A:16; T:56/1; Adolph Lewisohn sends A.H. Case to Copperhill with an edict to make any changes T:58/6; T:66/12; necessary to bring the organization back under solid management. Consequently, RB Emmons is removed as TCC general manager, and his assistant, Arthur L. Tuttle, becomes the acting manager. Then in March 1917, Tuttle is designated general manager, and the former mine superintendent, Milton A. Caine, is promoted to assistant manager. 1916, December TC:1; A:16; The reverberatory acid concentrator plant is shut down at the end of the year, due to D:10,16,22; T:52/2 unsatisfactory results. This plant consists of two units, one built early in 1916, the second unit in the latter half of the year. Although closed, this building remains in place for several years, to about 1921. The other acid concentrator buildings at the north end of the Copperhill Plant are removed prior to 1921.
35 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1916–1919 A:16; G:16,19; JH; Ore from the Number 20 mine in Georgia (southwest Ducktown district), is hauled by E:22/6; EL; narrow-gauge railroad to storage bins located near the current ballpark in Copperhill, T:51/12; JRR; RB; south of the Ocoee River. From there, the ore is hauled by mule and sold to TCC for AB; RU smelting. This ore is mined by the Number 20 Copper Mining Company from early 1916 to December 1918, and smelting of it continues to 1919. After this date, TCC purchases a 25 percent interest in this property from J.T. Howe. In addition, minor amounts of siliceous ore from the Durgy mine in the Virgilina district of North Carolina is converted at Copperhill (at least during 1916). 1917, first half A:16; C:16,18; Cooling chambers of the No. 1 acid plant are rebuilt, as part of a major reconstruction E:17/5; T:61/4 of the No. 1 acid plant from 1916 to July 1917, after much down time in 1916. 1917, February A:16; MI:16; The Russian government files suit in Federal District Court in New York against Y:17/2/2; E:17/2,3; TC&CC and a co-defendant, National Surety Company. The suit is for recovery of W:17/3/10,23,29; the $1.14M advanced to TCC for the TNT manufacturing contract, plus $228,000 for Y:17/3/11; liquidated damages for non-fulfillment of the agreement. TC&CC argues that the Y:17/4/15; funds were used in constructing the TNT plant to carry out the contract, and the fire W:17/12/10; and explosion did not result from neglect. Nonetheless, TCC sets funds aside for E:18/1; C:18 payment, if needed. 1917, February Y:15/2/5; Contract option with IAC is renewed for 3 more years, at the choice of IAC. TCC W:15/3/10; will deliver its entire output up to 225,000 tons per year at $4.81 per ton, and IAC has W:15/9/23; the option of taking any amount beyond that. W:16/1/6; W:16/4/11; W:17/1/24 1917, March W:16/11/25; A claim is settled out of court against TCC by International Agricultural Corporation, W:16/12/2,5,23; reportedly for more than $0.4M due to acid delivery falling below contractual levels, A:16; E:17/1,3; resulting from problems with the No. 1 acid plant in 1916. In addition, suits brought W:17/3/10; against TCC for more than $1M by two other companies (William H. Stiner & Son Y:17/3/11; and By-Products Chemical Company), for failure to deliver acid and phenol, are W:17/4/28; C:18 compromised and settled. Seven suits are now pending against TCC, most in State Supreme Court. 1917 A:16; E: 17/10; A second Great Falls converter is installed at the smelter and begins operating in the W:18/7/13; EM; spring. Three furnaces are also equipped with new tops and are connected to the E:24/5 expanded brick manifold flue, which is used as a temporary dust chamber while the large dust chamber is rebuilt. The Glover towers at the acid plants also act as dust catchers for flue gases. The blast furnace charge is kept as coarse as possible (to minimize fines), with ore and quartz crushed through 8-inch openings. The round furnace settlers are replaced with narrow, oblong ones and are lined with chromite bricks. A large amount of stockpiled ore is cleaned up and smelted. TCC ores now average about 22 pounds of copper per ton, compared to 36 pounds in the early days of its operation.
36 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1917 D:17; C:20 A large sampling mill plant (No. 3) for the smelter is built east of the No. 1 acid plant. This may replace the former sampling mill located at the north end of the former bedding plant. 1918 EM; C:18,20; A smelter laboratory is built, which is the second main lab building on the Copperhill T:47/6; Ph Plant site, located on the slag bank above the main entrance. Considerable improvements are made to the No. 1 acid plant. Only five of the seven blast furnaces are active at this time, in addition to the two Great Falls converters. A large two-story change house is built around this time, where the old blacksmith shop (later the tool room) was located, just north of the smelter supply house. TCC has 7.5 miles of mainline rail track and 8 miles of sidings and spurs. 1918, April D:16; EM; TCC pioneers the first successful test using pulverized coal as fuel in a blast furnace, E:19/8,10; MW; instead of coke (and a patent is obtained). A pulverizing plant is then built northwest E:20/1; C:20; J:3; of the smelter building, and powdered bituminous coal is blown through the furnace E:23/2 tuyeres. However, some coal particles travel through the flues to the Glover towers and into the acid chambers. This produces a black sulfuric acid, which does not affect the acid quality, but fertilizer customers object to the dark color. Coal testing continues but is abandoned before year-end. Nonetheless, this successful coal test (and that in 1910) leads former manager, Emmons, to state that “another important advance in the art of metallurgy owes at least part of its beginning to the boys at Copperhill.” 1918, about D:10,16,17; TCC builds a leaching plant along a rail spur at Shea Hollow, for recovery of fine G:18,19; A:19; copper by leaching flue dust (which is piled south of the smelter). This plant remains W:19/4/25; C:20 active to at least 1920, and apparently is built also to experiment with Eureka ore treatment. In addition, copper is recovered at this time from scrap material. 1918, about G:16; EM; WL After years of complex experimentation, DSCI successfully produces sulfur directly from furnace gases that are not utilized in the acid plant. The process involves cleaning the gases of zinc fumes and other impurities, followed by condensation as pure sulfur flowers, which can also be remelted into brimstone. Apparently, this sulfur is commercially produced by DSCI. An effort to recover electrolytic zinc by this process is apparently unsuccessful. 1918 D:10,18,22,34; TCC installs an electrolytic zinc plant in the nitric acid plant No. 3 building (location G:16 of the future copper sulfate plant). This is likely only an experimental zinc plant, and by 1922 this building is being used instead for soda cake storage. Nitric acid plant No. 2 building is removed before 1918. 1918, May Y:18/3/29; TC&CC pays its first dividend ($1 per share) since the corporation was formed in W:18/6/13 1916. Apparently, the new Russian government, with its unstable condition, has stalled in attempting to press the TCC breach of contract claim through the courts, although TC&CC has sufficient assets to cover the potential fees.
37 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1918, Spring SL; GD:5; RB; RP Sulfuric acid is designated by the War Ordnance Department to be “the most important article now being manufactured on the war program.” After entering WWI (in 1917), the U.S. War Industries Board had asked all producers of sulfuric acid and copper to attain maximum capacity. In particular, DSCI could not comply due to the 1915-16 injunction requiring limited production. In February 1918, the Secretary of the Navy asks Georgia to allow both DSCI and TCC to operate at maximum capacity. In May 1918, DSCI seeks relief, and the U.S. Solicitor General files a motion with Georgia to modify the injunction. 1918, August W:18/4/9; Prior to this date, TCC has been producing and selling acid to IAC at a rate of up to W:18/6/13; 1,000 tons per day, while DSCI has been selling to IAC at only 100 to 150 tons per Y:18/12/10; day. Both mining companies have been lobbying the Georgia General Assembly for W:22/3/14; JT; relief from the emission restrictions placed upon them. In August, Georgia passes a GD:5; RB; RP legislative resolution in favor of the two companies, and new contracts are immediately signed by both firms, which now will operate under somewhat similar requirements. TCC’s emissions are limited to 88 tons of sulfur per day during the growing season, and DSCI may emit 40 tons per day. DSCI also has to pay into the compensation fund for victims. Both contracts continue after the war and are renewed in 1922 and 1927, and continue until 1938 (the emissions rate for the Isabella Plant continues to apply after DSCI is purchased). 1918, midyear SL During this time of war, TCC is focused on production for the war effort. According to TC&CC vice president, the federal government presently considers TCC, in essence, as an unofficial branch of the government. TCC now employs a workforce of about 1,500, which forms “a peculiarly isolated community which is clannish in its habits and resents any newcomers from outside.” 1918, last quarter W:18/1/24; The influenza epidemic causes a serious decrease in productivity at TCC. Influenza W:18/2/26; attacks 95 percent of TCC’s workforce, and the war draft also causes labor shortages. W:18/8/24; An arrangement made with IAC in January 1918 allows for higher acid price to be W:18/11/22; paid to TCC ($9 to $10 per ton) for deliveries in excess of 175,000 tons per year, but W:19/3/21; only for this year. The epidemic thus reduces tonnage and decreases profits, but an W:19/4/25; E:19/5; average of $6.49 per ton of acid is paid this year. A:19 1919, first half A:19; E:20/1; RB A major labor strike affects DSCI, and all operations cease for nine weeks. At the Copperhill Plant, there is only “general labor unrest.”
38 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1919 A:19; G:19; M:20; TCC installs a slag granulator in February on the south side of the smelter. The slag D:22; C:22; E:24/5; overflows from the furnace settlers through covered skimming launders, and then into E:25/9; Ph the granulator basin that has water flowing through it. Converter slag is also added to the settlers, and thus gets granulated as well. This granulation process significantly decreases the cost of slag disposal. The Epperson trestle begins to be filled with granulated slag, and two concrete culverts are installed through it; this is done to reduce upkeep on this longest trestle, located near the Belltown-DMC confluence. Granulated slag soon begins to be used in concrete and on some roads in the district. (Some pot slag continues to be poured until about 1950.) No. 7 Gay-Lussac tower at the No. 1 acid plant is demolished and replaced by a more modern one. One blower is added for the smelter furnaces and another for the converters. 1919 A:19; G:19; C:22; TCC abandons their Gee Creek quarry at Austral, Tennessee, and finds other sources FJ of higher quality quartz for furnace silica flux, including a new quarry being opened at Cherry Log, Georgia. This higher quality quartz, together with using a higher column in the furnaces, has a very marked effect on the metallurgy and now allows only two furnaces necessary for operation. 1919, May W:19/3/21; Copperhill Plant is shut down most of May for major repairs to the smelter and acid Y:19/5/14; plants. The No. 2 acid plant is not operational again until late June. Adolph W:19/6/11,27; Lewisohn & Sons announce that TC&CC is preparing to manufacture fertilizers on a W:19/7/11; A:19; large scale. The corporation has plans to construct large acid-phosphate plants C:20; E:23/11; throughout the South, and has contract on a large phosphate deposit in Florida, with W:25/6/8 options on other prospects. These fertilizer operations will become full scale when TCC’s sulfuric acid contract with IAC terminates at the end of 1920. The net result will be a diversification of products sold by TC&CC. 1919 WC; C:20; E:37/10 TCC designs and produces a copper-casting system using dual rail tracks in the smelter to transfer molten copper from converter to ladles to copper molds. After cooling, the 210-pound copper pigs are then removed by hand and trimmed. 1919, July A:19; E:24/10; John N. Houser becomes general manager of TCC, replacing A.L. Tuttle. Houser T:49/11; A:49; begins to institute major changes and product diversification, which continue during T:56/1; RB his long 30-year tenure. Houser is the only general manager of TCC to reside and work offsite (Knoxville), leaving local affairs to the resident assistant manager, M.A. Caine. 1919, July W:19/7/11; Atlanta Sales Office opens with two employees in a one-room office in downtown W:19/8/27; Atlanta. This office is affiliated with SACC (see below) and is created to handle sales A:20,29; T:53/12; and marketing of TCC sulfuric acid and (later) copper sulfate from Copperhill, as LK well as fertilizer and other materials produced at the new East Point (Atlanta) plant, built by TC&CC in 1920. The office will eventually expand to cover a wide range of products sold by the various subsidiaries.
39 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1919, August W:19/8/14,27; Southern Agricultural Chemical Corporation is incorporated in Virginia as a Y:19/9/3; I:19/10; subsidiary of Tennessee Copper & Chemical Corporation, to enable TC&CC to enter A:19,45; the fertilizer business in a major way. SACC’s principal office will be at New York, W:20/1/21; E:20/4; with southern headquarters in Atlanta. SACC will handle the output of TCC sulfuric C:20,22; E:23/11; acid to manufacture acid phosphate fertilizer, and to market both products. T:53/5; RB Construction starts within a few months on the first unit of the fertilizer production plant near Atlanta. A large phosphate rock property near Bartow, Florida, is ready for mining development by SACC. (This subsidiary will last until December 1945, when it is dissolved.) 1919, August A:19-21 The Service Department opens a head office at Copperhill and a branch at Ducktown. This department handles human resources, employment services, safety, education, and house rentals and repairs. TCC managers also meet with a large committee of employees once per month to discuss issues. 1919, latter half E:20/1; A:19; EP; TCC begins one-stage smelting of ore and direct converting of the first matte from the T:47/8 furnaces. This process allows the acid plants to now accept gases continuously from the converters, to supplement furnace gas. Prior to this, gases from the converter have been discharged unused. These changes result in greater efficiency at the Copperhill Plant than previously attained. 1919, late A:19,21,22; G:19 A winze begins to be sunk at the London mine to make connection to a deeper drift extended from the McPherson shaft. The winze is continued until February 1922, but it is uncertain if the connection between the Burra Burra and London mines is ever completed. 1919–1928 A:19,22-25; One of TCC’s steam locomotives is equipped with a superheater in 1919, and a T:47/3; T:52/9 second one is begun early in 1920. Between 1922 and 1928, the 55-ton saturated steam-type locomotives are replaced by 65- to 68-ton superheated steam-type locomotives. 1920, first quarter W:19/8/2; A:19,20; Contractual acid-production levels with International Agricultural Corporation are W:20/4/2; E:20/4; eased so that TCC may sell a significant portion of its acid to other fertilizer W:21/4/29 companies, which it does at much higher prices. Lucrative contracts with several large fertilizer companies (including IAC) are also set in place now, effective in 1921. 1920, about FR; D:25,29 Disposal of granulated slag begins on Polk County Hill (Carroll Hill). Some granulated slag is disposed under the Polk County trestle across DMC. 1920 E:20/1; A:21,22; J.N. Houser convinces the corporate leaders to initiate the “All-Milling Program” MI:21; E:22/5; FJ; with a goal of eliminating the blast furnaces. The objective is to allow a more flexible EL; EC; A:40; operation and produce more copper from low-grade ores. A series of milling tests are T:49/11; GD:7; RB taking place to deal with the sulfide fines, and siliceous and refractory ore. The ore fines begin to be screened and stockpiled, awaiting future construction of a flotation mill at the London mine. But due to the post-war slump, the depression and the second world war, the full-scale program will not be completed until 1940.
40 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1920 E:19/9; E:20/10; TCC pig copper continues to be sent to Asarco’s Baltimore Copper Smelting & E:21/5; G:21; Rolling Company for electrolytic refining. The finished electrolytic copper begins to MI:21; C:20,22; be sold through Adolph Lewisohn & Sons, Inc., instead of Asarco, continuing as such NA; WB for many decades (apparently later becoming the Adolph Lewisohn Selling Corporation). 1920 A:19,20; E:20/9; Copperhill Plant is now virtually completely switched from steam power to electric. W:21/2/3; E:21/7; Steam is now used only as a backup power supply and a few other uses. High- W:22/2/6 pressure air is used for pumping sulfuric acid, and the increased demand for acid results in installing a new air compressor. TCC produces a record level of 334,000 tons per year of 60E sulfuric acid (first time extending 300,000 tons). Due to recent operational improvements, the acid plant now has a capacity of 400,000 tons. This acid is sold to fertilizer makers and to by-product coke oven plants. In case the demand arises for additional acid, the Eureka mine is prepared for production of its high-sulfur ore. This mine begins to be opened, but the work apparently is terminated by early 1921. Due to labor shortages, two mechanical ore-loading shovels are installed in Burra Burra mine during the latter half of 1920. 1920, August JH; E:20/1,8-10; In order to supplement their ore and maintain uniform acid production, TCC A:20,21; M:20,21; temporarily leases the School Property and begins mining and smelting this high- G:20,21; C:20,22; sulfur ore (Westervelt mine or “A” shaft). The sublease is secured from the Copper MI:21; EL; HM; Pyrites Corporation, which is managed by William Y. Westervelt, who also is MS; T:51/11; RB; consulting engineer for DSCI. Copper Pyrites had incorporated in March 1919, but RU has had a lease on the School Property since June 1916. Copper Pyrites has been drilling the property since 1917, mining since 1918, and shipping lump pyrites for making acid by roasting. Beginning in August 1920, TCC uses Copper Pyrites’ equipment and rail line to mine and transport ore, which is shipped via McHarg to the Copperhill Plant. Mining by TCC continues at the Westervelt mine only until February 1921. 1920, August A:20,38; Southern Agricultural Tank Line is formed in Atlanta as a subsidiary of TC&CC, W:21/4/29; with a 20-year charter. The purpose is to provide and operate rail tank cars for C:22,25; E:23/11 delivery of TCC sulfuric acid, and box cars for transportation of phosphate rock and acid phosphate fertilizer. Tank cars are purchased, rented, and later leased. (The subsidiary will last until December 1938, when it is dissolved and activities shifted to the corporation.) 1920, Fall G:19,20,23; DSCI completes construction of a flotation plant at Mary mine, the first in the district, E:20/1,9; C:20,25; after much experimentation. This method had been proved by DSCI in 1919, based E:21/5; MI:21; on the flotation practice for similar ores at Pike Hill, Vermont. The 300-ton capacity E:24/4,5; DI; EL; Mary mill will use grinding and differential flotation to segregate and concentrate fine EC; GD:6; RB; sulfide minerals prior to smelting. Copper concentrates will be produced, and it is TC:12; RU hoped to also produce iron concentrates in the future. The plant is then enlarged in 1923. DSCI also installs a Great Falls converter at Isabella smelter and first produces blister copper in 1920. This copper is refined and sold by Nichols Copper Company in New York. DSCI shuts down Isabella mine at this time, but it reopens in 1926.
41 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1920, November A:19-21; E:20/4; The acid phosphate plant at East Point (Atlanta) is completed by TC&CC, and SACC W:20/9/14; begins manufacturing acid phosphate and other fertilizers using TCC sulfuric acid. C:25,26; This is one of the largest phosphate fertilizer plants in the industry. A significant W:26/2/22; T:53/5 amount of this acid will now be used internally for fertilizer manufacturing instead of being sold to competitors. Around this time, TC&CC negotiates long-term contracts at low rates to purchase phosphate rock at prices probably cheaper than it can mine its own rock; thus the Florida phosphate beds are never mined by TC&CC (as of 1926). 1920, December M:20; A:21; G:21; Mining activity ceases at Polk County mine, but later restarts in 1929. C:25 1921, January A:10,19,20; The 10-year to sell sulfuric acid to International Agricultural Corporation expires at W:20/4/2; E:20/4; the end of 1920, and is renegotiated at much higher prices, effective January 1st for W:20/9/14; three years. TCC also sets up similar three-year contracts with several other large C:20,22; fertilizer companies (including American Agricultural Chemical Co and Virginia- W:21/4/29; Carolina Chemical Co). TCC will produce enough 60E acid to sell to these W:21/10/19; companies and for their own fertilizer business. W:22/3/16; E:23/11 1921, January D:20-22; A:20,21 The new rail car repair shop is completed at the north end of the Copperhill Plant (also called railway shop, still standing today). It was constructed in the latter half of 1920 and put into service at the beginning of January, to service the growing fleet of acid tank cars and other railroad equipment. Additional structures are soon added to the facility: initial rail office/change house, paint shed, tool house, scales, tank car washing station, and lumber and coal storage. The rail spur to Shea Hollow east of the new shop is also used for coal storage. The old roundhouse on the east side of the Plant, below the general office, is demolished at this time. 1921, February D:21; A:21; WB A hydrogen gas drum explosion at the No. 4 furnace in the smelter kills four workers and severely injures four others, on February 28th. This is believed to be the worst accident in the long history of the Copperhill Plant. The explosion takes place during use of a cutting torch in the process of expanding the furnace length, in order to increase its capacity to meet the needs of the acid plant. The expansion is completed in March and the modification is quite beneficial to the acid plant. 1921 VT; MQ TCC pays $50,000 damages for a lawsuit brought by the Tennessee Power Company. This company claims that silt erosion from the Ducktown district is adversely affecting their facilities on the Ocoee River, including sediment accumulation in Parksville Reservoir. 1921, September A:21; T:61/9 A new North flue is constructed by completely rebuilding the 1907 flue, with insulated walls and hopper bottoms for removing dust. This 200-ft long and 17-ft high brick flue carries gases from the smelter to the Glover towers.
42 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1921, November A:21-25; D:21,22; A commercial slag plant is completed and begins operation of crushing and loading E:25/9; EP; slag onto rail cars. Crushed/sized pot slag and minor granulated slag is used or sold T:49/11 mostly for railroad ballast, but also concrete filler, road dressing, and roofing. The slag plant is located just south of the Copperhill Plant, between the highway and the pot slag bluff. 1921–1922 W:20/12/10; During the post-war depression, a huge copper surplus exists and eventually the price Y:21/10/23; plummets. Between the beginning of 1921 and middle of 1922, a large number of E:21/1,11,12; copper mines in the country are shut down. During this economic depression, the A:21-23; E:22/1-7; demand for fertilizer and sulfuric acid also decreases. The operations at TCC remain Y:22/4/23; viable, but only because drastic measures in efficiency are taken, including laying off Y:22/5/8; half the employees (down to 550 men). TCC and DSCI are forced to implement 10 Y:22/6/11; percent wage reductions. During this interval, TCC is running at levels from below W:24/12/16: DI 50 to 70 percent capacity. For much of this time, only one furnace and one converter are operating, the No. 2 acid plant is shut down, and only part of No. 1 plant is utilized. DSCI fares better and operates their smelter at or near capacity, also with only one furnace. 1922, February A:21,22; W:22/2/6; A new acid concentrator plant is completed and started up east of the No. 1 acid plant, Y:22/3/8; near the location of the former brick chambers (construction had begun near the end W:22/5/1; of 1921). This tower-type facility produces 66E sulfuric acid from 60E acid, W:23/3/6; concentrating with a heat process using fuel oil. From this process is developed W:23/4/27; several grades of commercial and textile acids, which are shipped to oil refineries, W:25/6/8; used for storage batteries, and in other industries. By the end of the year, TCC begins W:25/7/22; C:25; producing a 22E distillate acid for use in storage batteries. EP; EC; T:47/8; T:49/11; RB 1922, February A:21; W:22/2/6; TCC signs a contract with Standard Oil of New Jersey to provide a large amount of W:22/3/16; concentrated 66E sulfuric acid to be used in the process of refining oil. Other oil W:22/7/11 companies are also contracted. 1922, February to April E:22/5; W:22/5/22; London mine is shut down in February in preparation for construction of the London A:22; FJ; RB mill and flotation plant at this location. The mill is expected to increase copper production by 50 percent and to decrease costs. Beginning in April, the entire surface plant of the London mine, including headframe and ore bins, is rebuilt in conjunction with mill construction. During the year, a large brick shops building is constructed at Burra Burra mine. 1922, Summer E:22/9 The new “gunite” technology is applied to the 120-ft long smelter converter flue, which carries hot gases from the copper converter. A 3-inch thick layer of the cement-sand mixture is shot onto the flue to prolong its life and prevent heat loss. This may have been done in anticipation of the new converter to be installed (see Nov 1922).
43 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1922 A:22 The No. 2 acid plant is not operated during the year and part of the No. 1 plant is down some of the year. A new all-masonry Glover tower is constructed at the No. 1 acid plant, and placed in operation in October. Several chamber bottoms are replaced on the acid plants, and an unusual amount of repair work is done on the 60E acid storage tanks. 1922, November E:22/5,11; London mill is completed and placed into use on November 1st, when London mine W:22/7/11; reopens. Copper concentrates are produced using differential flotation with alkaline W:22/10/16; reagents, after much experimentation by TCC. The mill is capable of handling 500 A:22,23; G:22; tons of ore per day, and producing 40 to 50 tons of concentrates per day (initially W:23/1/6; about 12% Cu), and it will remain the largest flotation plant in the district. Mill W:23/4/27; includes jaw crusher, disc crusher, and rod mill; flotation is accomplished with a 16- E:23/11; FJ; cell unit. The fine mill concentrates cannot be treated in a blast furnace because of W:25/6/8; C:25; dust losses, and are mechanically difficult to feed into the Great Falls converters. EL; E:37/10; EC; Sintering and nodulizing of concentrates are investigated but found to be infeasible. JT; T:59/8; Consequently, a large Peirce-Smith basic converter is installed at the smelter, with T:62/12; RB; capacity to handle all copper concentrates directly. Converter construction had begun TC:12 in September, but its completion is delayed until early 1923. The new facilities and structures will allow TCC more flexibility in operation, and allow the stockpiled fines to be treated. 1922, November A:22,23; Copper sulfate or “bluestone” is first produced in a new copper sulfate plant. This W:23/1/23; small plant consists of six crystallizer tanks and a little mill located east of the large W:23/3/6; storage tank near the modern organics plant, where the first acid concentrator was W:23/4/27; G:23; previously located. Copper sulfate is produced by dissolving granulated copper in hot C:25; D:16,20,22; sulfuric acid. (Granulated or shot copper is made by pouring molten metal into EC; T:47/8; water.) TCC already has a contract to sell all of its copper sulfate output until 1924. T:62/11; T:79/10; Due to growing demand, a second unit to the plant is apparently built in March 1923. RB; TC:12 The Cottrell plant and electrical building remain located just north of the copper sulfate plant. 1923, early A:23 A building at the Copperhill Plant entrance is converted into an assembly hall so that TCC employees can meet there, as part of the Service Department activities.
44 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1923, February E:22/5; J:3; E:23/2; Installation of the 25-ft-long Peirce-Smith converter is completed, and on February 1st A:22,23; G:22,23; it begins operation to handle concentrates from the London mill and matte from the W:23/2/19; furnaces. This basic-lined converter uses magnesite brick and magnetite lining, with W:23/3/6; a Garr gun to spray dried concentrates and converter flux evenly into the matte bath. E:24/1,4,5,10; FJ; This is the first known case of directly utilizing a converter, without a prior step W:25/6/8; C:25; through a furnace. Flue dust is also handled in the converter. The blast furnaces EC; T:47/6; remain as before to handle unmilled ore and to provide high-SO2 gas for acid T:68/10 production; two Nordberg blowing engines are used for blast. Converter gas is combined with furnace gas to feed the acid plant. As a result of installation delays, the full benefits from the new flotation plant and converter are not realized until late February. Subsequently, some of the copper output passes through the mill directly to the new converter, which is highly effective at processing the concentrates. The flotation plant and converter can now run independent of the acid plant needs. This converter remains in use at Copperhill until 1987, although repaired and modified many times. 1923, February A:22,24; W:23/3/6; An acidulating plant is completed and placed in operation by TC&CC in Lockland, W:23/4/27; Ohio, near Cincinnati, following construction that had begun in August 1922. This is E:23/11; one of the largest phosphate fertilizer plants in the industry. TC&CC begins W:25/7/17,22; manufacturing acid phosphate fertilizer and various grades of mixed fertilizer at this C:25; W:26/2/22 plant, using TCC sulfuric acid. The entire output is already contracted for sale to Midwest businesses. 1923 W:23/2/19; Due to strong demand for sulfuric acid, the No. 2 acid plant is restarted in February W:23/3/6; A:23-26 after 1½ years down. Approximately 11 percent of all acid is now concentrated to 66E acid and sold to oil refineries and chemical works. During this year, TCC occasionally uses only one blast furnace, in part due to flotation, with the concentrates going straight to the converter. This trend of using only one furnace will increase through at least 1926. 1923, April E:23/2,11; TC&CC resumes payment of dividends for the first time since May 1918, due to the W:23/3/6; A:23 post-war decline in demand for acid and copper. The acid demand had begun to increase in October 1922. Since the incorporation of TC&CC, the stock price has had a high level of $21 in 1918 and a low of $6¼ in 1920. 1923, May A:23; G:23; A second rod mill (for fine ore grinding) is installed at London mill, and mechanical E:24/2,4; C:25; EC difficulties at the mill are overcome, so that operations become more steady. Portland cement in combination with pine oil and blast-furnace creosote are found to work well as flotation reagents to float copper sulfide (chalcopyrite) and keep iron sulfide (pyrrhotite) and other constituents down. During this year, 26 percent of mined ore is passed through the mill.
45 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1923, May A:23,24; E:24/1,4; After several years of study on iron recovery by TCC, a 12-cell flotation unit is added W:25/4/10; C:25; to the London mill to make full-scale tests on separating iron concentrates from EC copper tailings (after removal of copper sulfides). This is done by adding sulfuric acid or a neutralizer to the pulp, and adding more pine oil. By about November, tests prove successful and 100 tons of iron concentrates are produced and stored for later experiments. DSCI also experiments with iron sulfide flotation during this same time, probably reaching success prior to TCC. 1923 E:23/11 Current status: TCC owns more than 12,000 acres of mineral and timber lands in the Copper Basin, and several hundred acres under lease. The smelter has an annual capacity of 20M pounds of copper, and the sulfuric acid plant has a capacity of 350,000 tons. The railroad altogether comprises 15.5 miles of track. 1923 G:21-27,34-39; TCC pig copper begins to be shipped for electrolytic refining to Nichols Copper C:22,24; E:23/4; Company at Laurel Hill, New York, instead of to Asarco at Baltimore. Adolph E:25/2 Lewisohn & Sons, Inc., continues selling all copper from TCC and Miami Copper Company, much of which is sent to English dealers at this time. General Development Company begins to carry a stock interest in TC&CC. 1923, October A:23,24; C:25 A new all-masonry Gay-Lussac tower is completed at the No. 1 acid plant. During the year, much work is done in preparing to market large volumes of one or more strengths of sulfuric acid for storage batteries. 1923, November A:19,23; RB TCC together with Copperhill residents complete construction and open a YMCA building in Copperhill. TCC had cooperated with the town to identify and purchase a lot and to construct the building. 1924, early A:23,24; E:24/1,4 Small-scale experimental work is begun by TCC on stored iron concentrates to determine if they can be roasted and sintered. Results show that iron sinter can be successfully produced for use in iron blast furnaces for steel-making. DSCI also reaches initial success around this same time, perhaps prior to TCC. 1924, March A:23,24; Due to high demand for 66E acid, a second unit of the tower-type acid concentrator is W:24/4/26; EP; completed and begins operation (construction had begun in 1923). This nearly T:65/12; Ph doubles the output for 1924 compared to 1923. During 1924, all the strengths of battery acid that the trade desires are being produced by TCC. Within a year or two, the number of 66E acid storage tanks below the tower concentrator increases from two to five. 1924 EJ; GD:8 TCC and Tennessee Power Company meet and agree to limit the acidity of Davis Mill Creek to 500 ppm instead of the previous 1,000 ppm acidity. The main problem is neutralization of strong acid sediment, particularly with the introduction of iron roasting prior to dust collection, as well as chamber acid waste. These processes produce significant “acid mud” wastes, which are often placed directly into the creek.
46 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1924 E:24/10; DM First known aerial photographs are taken in Ducktown district, of DSCI’s Mary mine and mill, and the Ocoee mine and mill of the Ocoee Copper Company. 1924, September E:24/10; A:24,25; Construction begins at London mill on systems for iron sulfide flotation, to recover W:25/4/10; M:25; iron concentrates from the copper flotation tailings. In addition, facilities are begun at EC; RB Copperhill Plant for iron roasting and sintering of these concentrates. The end result will be a low-phosphorus iron sinter suitable for steel plants. During the year, 31 percent of mined ore is passed through the mill for copper flotation, including all of London mine ore and the finer fraction (-¾ inch) from Burra Burra, which is in storage at Eureka. 1925, early A:24,25; D:24,30 Installation is complete for equipment to produce pulverized granulated slag at the commercial slag plant (installation had begun in December 1924). Small amounts of pulverized and granulated slag are now shipped and sold for various uses (granulated slag had first been sold in 1924). 1925, March A:25,54,55; T:56/1 M.A. Caine is promoted to a corporate officer and moves to New York. His position of TCC assistant manager is filled by Fred J. Longworth, who then directs the local business. Longworth will retain the second-in-command position at TCC (under Houser) until 1954, while Caine will remain a key corporate officer until 1955. 1925 T:47/8; T:64/7; RU The No. 1 acid plant begins operating as a single continuous unit, instead of two sets of chamber units. Previously, the “A” chambers (built 1907) had been operated separately from the “B” and North chambers (built 1909-10). 1925 WN:2; M:25; G:25- Ocoee Copper Company begins operating the Ocoee mine and Ocoee mill, but mining 26; C:26; CR; RB; activity is limited to 1925 and 1926 (development and shaft sinking were previously RU; SP done). Copper concentrates from the Ocoee mill are sold to DSCI and smelted at Isabella. (Alternatively, USGS and The Mines Handbook state that concentrates are smelted by TCC and the Norfolk Smelting Company.) Beginning in 1924, Ocoee Copper leases the adjacent East Tennessee mine from DSCI for 10 years and then dewaters it; most of the Ocoee company ore actually comes from the latter mine. The East Tennessee mine is then closed down in 1926, after a lifetime total production of about 225,000 tons of ore. In addition, approximately 130,000 tons of ore are produced by the Ocoee Copper Company. 1925, June A:24,25; M:25; London mill iron circuit is completed and begins production of iron concentrate. The W:25/7/17,22; iron-separation process utilizes the copper tailings in the 12-cell flotation unit G:25; W:26/4/8; installed two years ago, with auxiliary equipment. The Eureka mine headframe is C:26; T:57/6; completed and mining begins on a small scale. T:59/8; T:62/12; GD:3,6; RB
47 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1925, September M:24,25; MN; The major collapse event occurs at Burra Burra mine on September 19th, as a T:58/6; KR culmination of ongoing rock creep and less significant collapses beginning in July 1924. Unrelated to this, in 1925 the sublevel stoping method is introduced into the mining process, which TCC and successors continue until cessation of mining in the district. 1925, September to October A:24,25; TCC’s new iron roasters begin operating in September, using iron concentrates to W:25/7/17,22; make iron calcine to supply the new sinter plant, and to provide sulfur dioxide gas W:25/12/19; VT; from the roasters to the acid plants (initially only to No. 2 acid plant). These gases W:26/4/8; E:26/5; pass through the North flue en route to the Glover towers. Four mechanical iron C:26; W:27/1/15; roasters consist of Wedge furnaces with seven hearths each. The new sinter plant EP; EC; T:47/6,8; begins operating in October, using a Greenawalt sintering machine to produce iron JT; T:62/9; sinter from calcine. Sinter (iron oxide with about 64% Fe) is sold to iron furnaces in T:63/10; SM; the Birmingham area and in East Tennessee. This iron sinter plant is distinct from the TC:12 older small sintering plants located in this same area, which handled flue dust and ore fines; the older sinter plant is removed around this time. This marks the first commercial use of iron from the Ducktown ores since 1908, when gossan mining terminated in the district. 1925, October WN:2; Ducktown Sulphur, Copper & Iron Company has been experiencing serious financial W:24/12/16; difficulties for more than a year. The firm owes $0.4M to Nichols Copper Company Y:25/11/6; (which refines their copper) and $0.3M to others. Ducktown Chemical & Iron E:25/11,12; Company (DCI), a firm consisting of New York and Chattanooga bankers, is formed Y:25/12/4; G:25; and takes over DSCI from receivership. The total property consists of 7,000 acres of C:26,31; T:66/9; land and is purchased for more than $5M. An immediate goal is to install iron RB; TC:12 roasters at Isabella to produce iron sinter for the Chattanooga iron furnaces. The new firm is then reorganized in 1927. 1925, December M:25; A:25; C:26 Additions and alterations are made to the copper flotation equipment at London mill, including a new 12-cell separation cleaner machine. Reagents used in flotation this year (for copper, iron, and zinc experiments) include pine oil, creosote, blast furnace oil, cement, lime, sodium sulfide, copper sulfate, and sulfuric acid. During this year, 34 percent of mined ore is passed through the mill; most of the ore comes from London mine. 1926, February A:25,26,37; E:26/2; TC&CC acquires the Calumet Fertilizer Company plant in New Albany, Indiana, W:26/2/22; from Wilson & Company. TC&CC then forms the Calumet Fertilizer Corporation as W:26/4/8; C:26; a subsidiary. The plant uses TCC sulfuric acid to manufacture 20% acid phosphate W:27/1/15; FA fertilizer. With the purchase of this large plant, TC&CC becomes one of the leading manufacturers of acid phosphate in the country. (This subsidiary will continue until July 1937, when it is dissolved and its assets distributed to the corporation.) 1926 T:52/12; T:58/4; The Smelter Store is moved from near the Copperhill Plant entrance to the town of T:60/11; RB Copperhill, into an existing building purchased by TCC in 1925.
48 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1926 A:26; W:27/4/14; TC&CC forms a new subsidiary, the Capital Fertilizer Company, with a plant in C:31; RB Montgomery, Alabama. Capital will use TCC sulfuric acid to produce fertilizers. 1926 A:25,26; Two more storage tanks for 60E acid are built at Copperhill (2,500 tons each). A W:27/1/15; Ph third rod mill is installed at London mill, and a pump station is built on the Ocoee River to furnish additional water to the mill. During this year, 36 percent of mined ore is passed through the mill. Sometime after this, the three water tanks above the first lab building are removed. Due to decreased demand, the copper sulfate plant is not operated during 1926, after being in use for only a short time in 1925. Other operations at the Copperhill Plant continue at about the same rate or higher than previously. Both acid plants operate throughout the year, producing 355,000 tons of sulfuric acid, the highest in company history, thanks to a good market and the roasting of iron concentrates to generate high-SO2 gases. TCC is not only the largest producer of sulfuric acid in the world, but probably now the cheapest producer. 1926, October A:26; G:26; MN; London mine closes permanently, after producing a total of 1.7M tons of ore during C:31; GD:6; RU; its lifetime. This leaves the current TCC mining output only from Burra Burra, with a SP small but growing amount from Eureka. 1927, March W:27/3/25; TC&CC acquires a controlling interest in U.S. Phosphoric Products Corporation, with A:27,29,40; a new phosphate fertilizer plant at East Tampa, Florida. This plant produces triple W:28/4/4; E:28/5; superphosphate, which is then shipped to company plants in Lockland, New Albany, W:30/4/10; C:31; East Point (Atlanta), and Montgomery. TC&CC then attains complete ownership in T:66/11; RB early 1930, from United States Export Chemical Company. (U.S. Phosphoric eventually merges with Tennessee Corporation, becoming a division in July 1940.) 1927, April W:27/4/26; E:27/4; Copper Pyrites Corporation is reorganized to become a holding company for a new W:27/5/9; C:31; firm, Ducktown Pyrites Corporation, which in turn has acquired a large controlling W:36/7/25; MS; interest in Ducktown Chemical & Iron Company. W.Y. Westervelt is president of all RB three firms. Copper Pyrites transfers its rights on the School Property lease to Ducktown Pyrites. DCI also owns a subsidiary known as the Ducktown Tank Line Company. The Woolworth interests of New York formerly owned Copper Pyrites and now retain a significant share of the Ducktown company. Copper Pyrites is controlled by Fremkir Corporation (named after Fred M. Kirby, owner of F.W. Woolworth stores). The operating firm at Isabella will continue under the name of DCI. 1927 A:27; C:31; EP; An ammonia oxidation unit (Du Pont Parsons type), using a platinum catalyst, is built EC; T:47/8; T:51/2; and begins operation at the No. 2 acid plant. This anhydrous ammonia process GD:8 replaces saltpeter pots as a more efficient and safer means to produce nitrogen oxide gases for the acid plants, thus increasing acid production. The single Glover tower at the No. 2 acid plant is rebuilt. The west Glover tower at the No. 1 acid plant is also rebuilt, but not the old east tower. 1927 A:27 The copper sulfate plant becomes operational again, and produces throughout 1927. During this year, 46 percent of mined ore is passed through the London mill.
49 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1927, June M:25; A:27; G:30; At London mill, zinc rougher and cleaning machines are built. The mill begins EC; JT; T:57/6; floating zinc concentrates from the iron concentrates, because the resultant iron sinter T:58/7; T:59/8; had too much zinc for steel mill furnaces (Ducktown ores carry nearly as much zinc T:62/12; SM; RB; as copper). Experimentation on zinc flotation had begun in 1925. Zinc concentrates TC:12 are not sold commercially until 1929. 1927, July A:26,27; DM; Two additional mechanical iron roasters are installed at Copperhill, now numbering W:28/4/4 six. One sinter pan is also added to the sinter plant. 1927, latter half WN:2; E:25/11; Isabella mill is built by DCI, largely using equipment purchased from the abandoned Y:25/12/4; E:26/4; Ocoee mill. The mill will float copper sulfides followed by iron. Following TCC’s E:27/10; E:28/1; success, iron roasters and a sinter plant are erected at Isabella to produce iron sinter, JT; T:66/10; RB; and the gases used to make sulfuric acid. Construction extends from August to about TC:12; RU December. 1928, about A:27; E:37/10 TCC operations at the Cherry Log quartz quarry in Georgia are terminated and the property is apparently sold. Smelter flux now consists of well-weathered float quartz collected by farmers in the region and sold to TCC, which works better than freshly quarried quartz. 1928, February A:27; W:28/4/4 Work is under way to enlarge the flotation plant, iron roaster system, and ammonia oxidation system for No. 1 acid plant. Also, studies and experiments are in progress to determine ways to reduce maintenance costs of the acid plants. 1928 A:28,29; A Research Department at Copperhill is initiated for lab concerns, and the number of W:29/4/10,27; research personnel is expanded while the necessary equipment is greatly improved. T:52/12 This department intensively searches and evaluates new methods for the various chemical processes in order to improve quality, reduce costs, and develop new products and market possibilities. Early research efforts will result in eventual production of copper fungicides and liquid sulfur dioxide. 1928 A:28; T:66/12; The highest TCC position at Copperhill, occupied by F.J. Longworth, is now termed T:68/3 “manager.” The position of assistant manager is given to Thomas A. Mitchell, former chief clerk. Both officers report under the offsite general manager, J.N. Houser. 1928 A:27,28; D:28; Two additional mechanical iron roasters are installed and begin operating in July, W:28/5/9; making a total of eight roasters. Gases from the roasters are now cleaned by Sirocco W:29/4/10,27; centrifugal cleaners before reaching the acid plant. The ammonia oxidation unit is E:29/5; MN; C:31; also applied to the No. 1 acid plant, instead of only the No. 2 plant. The London mill EP; T:62/9; RB is expanded and now reaches a capacity of 900 tons per day. During this year, about 40 percent of mined ore is passed through the mill. Pulverized and granulated slag are selling well for use as road building material.
50 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1929, about CR; KR; SP A small mine collapse takes place just north of the London mill. In order to stabilize the ground near the mill, London mine is used as a disposal location for mill tailings. This continues to the mid-1930s, until the mine openings are largely backfilled. 1929 D:28-30; A:28,29; The former nitrate of soda storage house (nitre storage building) is no longer needed, W:30/4/10; due to the new ammonia oxidation unit. This concrete building is remodeled and E:37/10; T:47/8; converted into a chemical laboratory, making it the third main lab building, which RB; T:79/11; GD:8 will house the Research Department. Use of the second laboratory near the Copperhill Plant entrance is discontinued, and this building is subsequently used for storage. In addition, two new iron roasters are installed, now totaling ten. A third sulfuric acid concentrator unit is built. The old Gay-Lussac towers at the No. 1 acid plant are rebuilt to be round, without lead casing, and packed differently to aid gas flow (this process continues after 1929). Repairs are made to smelter building due to bending of metal support columns and failure of the concrete flue. Only one blast furnace is needed now, and during the latter half of 1929 it reaches a maximum capacity of 1,000 tons per day. 1929 G:30,31; JT; T:57/6 First carload of London mill zinc concentrates are shipped to the refinery customer. Zinc concentrates are not (and will never be) smelted by TCC, because the produced quantities are not sufficient to warrant building a zinc smelting facility. With the sale of zinc concentrates, TCC now utilizes the four main components of its ore: copper, zinc, iron, and sulfur. 1929 MN; A:29; McPherson shaft begins to be used for ore hoisting, sharing duty with Burra Burra W:30/4/10; M:58; shaft. Previously, McPherson shaft has been used mainly for supplies and KR development waste only. Crushing plant and ore bins are constructed at McPherson. A tunnel connection is made between the McPherson shaft of the Burra Burra mine and the Eureka mine, on the 800-foot level. Eureka ore is later hauled to the Burra mine for hoisting. 1929 EP; EC; JT; DCI builds a successful contact acid plant at Isabella, the first in the Ducktown T:66/10; GD:3,4,6; district, but which starts up late in 1930. This small plant uses three heat exchanger RB; NR; RP; SP converters that each contain a large contact mass of vanadium pentoxide. To make this plant successful, DCI becomes the first in the world to develop metallurgical wet- gas cleaning, using a Peabody scrubber. Rated capacity of the plant is 120 tons per day of 100% sulfuric acid. DCI’s chamber plant has a capacity of 350 tons per day of 60E acid (values as of 1931). DCI’s acid plants will now produce a wide range of strengths of sulfuric acids, including oleum (supersaturated fuming acid used in explosives). Also in 1929, DCI hires a forest ecologist to conduct test tree plantings a few miles from the smelters. 1929 A:29; W:30/4/10 During this year, TC&CC mines the most tons of ore in its history (to date) and produces the most copper, sulfuric acid, iron sinter, and fertilizer. Profits also exceed any previous year.
51 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1929–1930 Y:29/8/18; Copper ore from Cullowhee mine, near Sylva in North Carolina, is smelted at G:30,31; C:31,37 Copperhill. TC&CC forms a short-lived subsidiary, North Carolina Flux Company, which takes a working option on this mine from June 1929 to 1930. Machinery is moved into the mine beginning in July 1929. 1929–1931 M:28,29; A:29-33; Polk County mine is reopened, dewatered, and developed, after being idle since late G:29,30; 1920. Development gives promising results in 1929, and some minor ore extraction W:30/4/10; C:31; begins in May 1929 and extends to 1931 or later. Initial work before opening the WE:3; GD:6; RU mine is in 1928, and exploration drilling takes place in 1929. TCC has renewed the lease on the Polk County property from the Keith heirs and continues to pay royalties for mined ore (initial lease expired in 1928). 1930 WE:1,2,3; MM; TCC geologists find the large Boyd ore deposit by drilling, following geophysical AB work. TCC also performs exploratory drilling and trenching at the following mines and prospects in the southwest Ducktown district of Fannin County, Georgia: Mobile, Number 20, Sally Jane, Jeptha Patterson, Kellogg, and Bryant (Bryant drilling extends from 1929-30). Considerable copper ore zones are identified in this southwest area, but less than anticipated. The Meek prospect, north of the rail shop, is also drilled in 1929 (and again deeper in 1945), but with no ore found. 1930 KS; T:75/6; Tennessee Extension Forester, TCC, US Forest Service, and USDA Bureau of Plant TV:2,3; SCS; CEC; Industry implement a reforestation project of 36 square miles of heavily eroded lands TC:10; LM; WB in the Copper Basin. This begins with a stand of pines and locust south of the Burra Burra Mine. However, from 1930 to 1939, only a few acres near the margins of the Basin are actually revegetated. But by 1949, more than 2.8M trees and shrubs have been planted in the Basin. 1930 RB; RU DCI’s Mary mill is decommissioned and the equipment moved to refurbish and expand their Isabella mill. 1930 FK; GD:3 A stream gauge (San Dimas type weir) is installed on Potato Creek by TCC for chemical loading calculations. Beginning sometime between 1936 and 1940, it is regularly maintained, serviced, and checked by the USGS (later also on DMC). 1930, latter half D:29-31,40; A:30; Large mechanical shop building (repair shop) is constructed (still standing today). Ph This requires demolition of the former machine shop, blacksmith/forge shop, and structural/plate shop. The two-story change house remains along the south side of the new building. The new large mechanics building includes a machine shop, plate shop, forge shop, pipe shop, welding shop, and two large craneways – all under one roof. 1930, Fall D:29,30,38,42 Additions and alterations are made to all floors of the general office. Further additions to the office are made in 1938 and 1942.
52 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1930, December W:30/11/8; Tennessee Corporation (TC) is the successor of Tennessee Copper & Chemical Y:30/12/3,4,16; Corporation, which amounts only to a name change, effective December 3rd. The A:30; W:31/4/9; name change merely reflects the diversity of products and activities of the C:31,37; T:63/3; corporation. General Development Company now carries an interest in TC stock, and GD:3; RB; NA the corporation is affiliated with Miami Copper Company (Arizona). Adolph Lewisohn continues as president of TC. The corporation includes at least six subsidiaries at this time. At Copperhill, the “All-Milling Program” expansion has been planned for this year, but the depression halts that activity. 1930–1936 A:30 Due to aging and excessive repairs of TC’s tank cars, and new regulations by the American Railway Association, the tank car trucks are retired or replaced with newer. larger models. 1931, January Y:29/8/17; Tennessee Corporation purchases Fontana mine in Swain County, North Carolina, G:26,31-44; which was previously leased by DCI (ore was milled and smelted by DCI since 1926, Y:30/8/8; accounting for half of the copper produced). TCC begins smelting this copper ore at C:31,40,42; Copperhill, continuing until 1944. In August 1930, the corporation forms a A:36,44; RB; subsidiary to operate the mine, North Carolina Exploration Company, and also forms TC:12; WB a short-lived subsidiary, Mining Exploration Company (incorporated in 1929, inactive by 1936). The Fontana mine is one of the leading producers of gold and silver in North Carolina, recovered during refining of copper. 1931, January D:31; KR A plan is drafted by TCC to construct a very large mill in the area northeast of the Copperhill Plant, north of Smelter Hill and Newtown. This proposed mill (2400 tons per day) would perform grinding, flotation, and reclaiming. This planned mill may anticipate a large volume of copper ore from the Fontana mine, but the mill is never built. 1931, February M:31,32; RU; SP Polk County mine is shut down by TCC. Total lifetime production from the Polk County deposit amounts to 1.3M tons of ore (excluding Polk ore later taken through Mary mine). 1931, April G:31-36; CR; JT; Mary mine of DCI is abandoned and allowed to flood. The local post office of Hyatt GD:6; RB; RU; shuts down. DCI terminates smelting, iron sintering, and acid production at Isabella WB during the year, and only operates the smelter again for one month in 1933 to process accumulated concentrates. Now only the Isabella mine and mill are operated, producing a high-grade copper concentrate that is sold to Nichols Copper Company for smelting (continuing to 1936).
53 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1931 EP Current status: The total production of copper is now about 2M pounds per month, in addition to shot copper for making copper sulfate. The combined acid output (or capacity) is 1400 tons per day. No. 1 acid plant includes two Glover towers, 10 Gay- Lussac towers, six cooling chambers, and 26 acid chambers with total volume of 4M cubic feet, and a capacity of 930 tons per day. No. 2 chamber acid plant includes one Glover tower, three Gay-Lussac towers, and four horizontal chambers with a total volume of more than 2M cubic feet, and a capacity of 470 tons per day. Acid storage tanks have a total capacity of 30,000 tons. Two large tower acid concentrators and one drum concentrator are heated by fuel oil, with a total capacity of 180 tons per day. Four acid types are marketed: 60E chamber (for fertilizers), 66E commercial concentrated (for oil refineries and other chemical industries), 66E textile clear, and various grades of battery acid. 1931 T:47/8; RB; RE The No. 2 chamber acid plant is permanently shut down because it is no longer needed, but the building is not dismantled. The No. 1 acid plant currently provides all the acid supply necessary. Early 1930s A:31-33; Y:32/4/30 Due to the great depression, TCC drastically curtails operations, reduces personnel, and increases efficiency measures. The Copperhill Plant is kept up in top condition during this time, and research continues to improve operating practices and investigate new products. The low price of copper and fertilizers, and the decreased purchasing power of customers and farmers, have greatly cut back on the shipment of TCC’s products. These products now include copper, various grades of sulfuric acid, iron sinter, copper sulfate, slag, and zinc concentrates. TC lobbies for an import duty on foreign copper to save the domestic copper industry, and Congress passes this tax in June 1932 at 4 cents per pound of copper. 1930s to about 1950 EP; E:37/10; EC; The slag plant next to the highway (built in 1921) continues in operation to process T:47/3; G:45,46,49; pot slag for commercial use. Slag is poured hot from pots onto the edge of the slag T:49/10,11; dump south of the Plant, with water sometimes sprayed onto the face, causing slag to T:50/4,7; GD:8; break up into large pieces, which are then handled at the adjacent slag plant. Aer Otherwise, the slag is poured without water and then blasted. In either case, the plant then crushes and screens the slag fragments, which are sold for railroad ballast or road material. Granulated slag is also sold by TCC. Pouring of pot slag continues until about 1950. The slag plant remains at this location until the mid-1970s. 1932 EC; T:62/11 Equipment is installed at the copper sulfate plant to make mono-hydrated and powdered copper sulfate, by heating or grinding crystals. Mono-hydrate is used in fungicide dust mixtures. The plant previously made only penta-hydrate crystals. Copper sulfate is used to control fungus diseases on fruit and vegetables, and as a soil supplement. 1933 T:57/6 Major changes are made in London mill concentration methods, with introduction of the bulk process. This significantly improves the separation of iron and zinc concentrates.
54 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1933 A:33; WB Employees of TCC and DCI organize into a labor union known as the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, which is affiliated with the AFL but later becomes affiliated with the CIO. The first half of 1933 marked the lowest point in the depression for Tennessee Corporation, in terms of low sales and prices. 1934 EC; T:47/8; T:52/7; Construction begins on rebuilding “A” chambers of the No. 1 acid plant. Vertical T:54/1; RU; Ph girts for hanging lead sheets are now used instead of horizontal, which aids in cooling the chambers with water. The “B” chambers are rebuilt later. The No. 1 acid plant has a total of 32 chambers with a volume of about 4.5M cubic feet. 1934 G:34-45; E:37/10 TCC zinc concentrates (about 49% Zn) are being shipped to the American Steel & Wire Company in Donora, Pennsylvania, which continues until at least 1945. Copper bullion continues to be shipped to the Nichols Copper Company for refining, through 1939. 1934 TV:2; GC Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, established 1933) founds the first Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in the Copper Basin to plant trees (pine, poplar), build dams, and apply ground cover. The Forest Service also sets up experimental wetlands in different portions of the Basin. 1934, August E:37/10; EC; The sinter plant is reconstructed with an oil-fired Dwight-Lloyd sintering installation, T:47/6; RB; GD:8 replacing the Greenawalt machine, producing harder sinter with less fines, and greatly reducing dust. The charge to the sinter plant includes iron calcine, return fine sinter, coke, and enough fresh iron concentrates to bring the feed up to 11 percent sulfur as fuel to sustain the burn. The incoming calcine is 6.5 to 7 percent sulfur and output is 0.05 percent sulfur. 1935 EJ Tennessee Power Company is actively studying the poor chemical condition of the Ocoee River. TCC works with the utility company to resolve this complex problem. It is learned in 1936, when TCC purchases DCI, that the Ducktown company had not been neutralizing their wastes. (Tennessee Power Company and its river infrastructure are purchased by TVA in 1939.) 1935 A:35; T:55/6; Ph Calcine that was stockpiled during the latter half of the depression is now being hauled. About this time (mid-1930s), the back room of the lab building near the Copperhill Plant entrance is removed. The technical and economic research program is expanded, to aid in further diversification of company activities. 1935 D:34,40; T:47/8 Copper sulfate production has expanded, and the copper sulfate milling division is moved up to the old nitric acid plant No. 3 building. This is the eventual location of the modern copper sulfate plant complex.
55 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1935 A:35,39; C:37,40; Tennessee Corporation acquires a majority interest in The New Haven Copper Co. T:66/5; RB (Seymour, Connecticut), a producer of rolled copper sheets and metal alloys since 1845. Complete interest is acquired in early 1939. Eventually, most copper for this plant will originate in Copperhill or in Miami, Arizona, and continue as such for decades. 1935–1942 G:35-42 Small amounts of copper ore and siliceous gold ore are shipped to Copperhill for smelting from several mines in North and South Carolina (aside from Fontana mine). Gold ore derives from a property near Charlotte, from the General Mines property near Belmont, North Carolina, and from the Dorothy mine and other properties near Hickory Grove, South Carolina. 1936, August Y:36/7/19,25; Tennessee Corporation purchases Ducktown Chemical & Iron Company on August W:36/7/25; 26th and takes possession of the properties on September 1st. Negotiations for Y:36/8/18,27; purchase have continued intermittently since 1923. TC actually purchases the assets W:36/9/2,22; A:36; of Copper Pyrites Corporation, which controls Ducktown Pyrites Corporation and in G:36; HM; turn DCI (all three of which are dissolved). The price paid to Copper Pyrites is $1M C:37,40; EC; KS; in bonds, $0.62M cash, plus cash equal to inventory valuation. Virtually all the DCI T:47/8; T:49/11; employees become TCC employees, and the operation will be considered a unit of T:52/10; T:56/9; TCC. DCI former operations at Isabella will continue, with milling and production of T:66/10; TC:3,12; iron sinter (100,000 tons per year), sulfuric acid (150,000 tons, including 98% and T:72/5; RB; RU 66E acid), copper concentrate (1.5M pounds of copper), and zinc concentrate. This acquisition will increase TCC’s acid output by 50 percent, and sinter production will double. Facilities include the old chamber acid plant and the small contact plant, which produces a higher strength acid than TCC produces. Mining properties include the Isabella, Mary, Calloway, East Tennessee, Cherokee, and the School Property lease. Eureka and Isabella mines will now begin to be worked as a single mine. TCC also reacquires the mining lease to the School Property in this transaction; this lease as extended in 1923, expires in 1948 with a renewal option to June 1973. TCC now owns about 21,000 acres of land in the Basin. 1936, latter half A:36 During the latter half of 1936, the depressed economic conditions start to improve for TC. The first depression-era dividend is paid in December. The corporation now reaches a high of nine subsidiaries: Calumet Fertilizer Corporation, Capital Fertilizer Company, North Carolina Exploration Company, Southern Agricultural Chemical Corporation, Southern Agricultural Tank Line, Tennessee Copper Company, The New Haven Copper Co., U.S. Phosphoric Products Corporation, and (inactive) Mining Exploration Company. 1936, about November A:36; W:37/4/8; Tennessee Corporation acquires a small dry-mixing fertilizer plant in Tuscaloosa, C:37 Alabama. Superphosphate needed for this plant will be furnished by corporation subsidiaries. 1936–1938 HM; A:38; WE:2,3 TCC conducts exploratory drilling on their property, giving indications of the presence of additional ore bodies. However, development of these ore bodies will not happen at this time (see Boyd deposit in 1940, Mary/Polk County in 1944).
56 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1937 A:37; EC; T:47/8; Fungicide manufacturing begins at the copper sulfate plant (location of the former JT; T:62/11; nitric acid plant No. 3). Copper sulfate is used to produce “Tri-Basic” (copper sulfate T:64/11; GD:8; Aer with ammonia compound) and “Copper Carbonate” (also contains hydroxide). These so-called insoluble copper fungicides and insecticides are very fine dusts that are applied by spraying. Copper sulfate manufacturing capacity is now about 1M pounds per month. 1937, about D:69; TC:5; GD:8; A settling pond is installed west of the copper sulfate plant. Eventually, two larger Aer ponds will exist between the copper sulfate plant and the future hydrosulfite plant to the west. Pond overflow drains to Davis Mill Creek. These ponds will be used for fungicide process water effluent, sludge from the acid plants, dust from the iron roasters, and other wastes. Some of this material is also disposed directly to Davis Mill Creek. 1937, about Aer; Ph The old wooden gate house building near the wooden service office and smelter supply house is removed; it had been built about 1913. At about this same time, a tall flagpole is erected between the service office and the cooling pond. 1937 E:37/10; EC Current status: About 80 percent of mined ore now passes through the London or Isabella mills to become concentrates. The other 20 percent is hand-sorted and then smelted in the furnace. London mill handles 1,250 tons of ore per day, operating six days per week. Daily tonnage handled at the Copperhill smelter includes 550 tons of ore and 80 tons of concentrates, yielding 1.5M pounds of copper monthly. Of this, 1.2M pounds is poured into 350-pound pigs (99.4% Cu) and shipped to the Nichols refinery, where gold and silver are also recovered; the remainder is made into shot copper for use in producing copper sulfate. Only one blast furnace remains operating, still maintaining a high capacity of 1,000 tons per day. Of the blast furnace charge, about 500 tons per day consists of Burra Burra and Eureka ore, 50 tons per day from Fontana mine, plus coke and quartz flux. The Peirce-Smith converter operates similar to startup in 1923, still using a basic lining of magnesite brick and magnetite. The converter is used continuously for 50 weeks per year; during re-lining for the other two weeks, an old Great Falls converter acts as a backup. The converter charge consists of concentrate, matte, flue dust, scrap copper, and quartz flux. For slag disposal, on two daily shifts the slag is washed and granulated; it is mostly placed in the slag dump, but some is sold for roofing and cement. On the third daily shift, the slag is poured hot from pots and handled by the slag plant.
Iron concentrates are roasted in the Wedge roasters, with seven hearths plus a drying hearth. Roasters are not currently running at full capacity due to excess dust in the gas, which creates problems in the acid plant. Only three roasters have Sirocco dust collectors (dust goes with calcine to sintering plant) and the others use a settling chamber in the North flue. Of the gas delivered to the acid plants, about 60 percent is from the iron roasters, 25 percent from the blast furnace, and 15 percent from the converter. Chamber acid is concentrated to 66E strength in three Chemico oil-fired concentrators, and then sold for rayon manufacturing.
57 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1937, midyear T:63/6; T:66/8 TCC begins asphalt paving of its roads, at least in the Copperhill Plant. This practice is then carried out every summer. 1937, October E:37/10; T:47/6; A concrete calcine pit is built at the Copperhill Plant. Calcine from the iron roasters TC:3; T:62/9; is washed and flumed to a large concrete settling tank at the north end of this pit, T:63/12; GD:8 where calcine is dewatered by decantation. Settled solids are picked up with a clamshell by electric crane and placed to dry in the south pit. The damp calcine is then loaded by clamshell onto conveyors leading to the sinter plant. Previously, hot calcine was hoppered under the roasters to hopper cars hauled by electric locomotive, where it was cooled by sprayed water and then elevated into the sinter plant bin, producing large amounts of dust. 1938, January SC; Y:38/1/11; The State of Georgia terminates all orders and decrees restricting TCC (and former W:38/1/11; DSCI/DCI) smelting operations. The U.S. Supreme Court, which decided the case in Y:38/5/17; 1907, dismisses Georgia’s original complaint based on the joint motion of TCC and Y:38/10/18; GD:5; Georgia’s attorney general. TCC is required to pay all costs incurred in this case RP since 1916. (TCC tried to get DCI’s former parent corporation, Fremkir, to pay court costs, but to no avail.) TCC also must provide a bond of $5,000 per year to be available for damage to crops and timber, and for arbitration proceedings. The case is finally closed in October 1938. 1938, early A:38 TC completes sales of its tank cars, and begins leasing cars from an outside source. In December, the subsidiary Southern Agricultural Tank Lines is dissolved, and TC assumes the tank car leases formerly handled by this subsidiary. 1938 E:38/5,7,8; EJ; FK; TCC begins research on stream pollution abatement, and has a consultant to study GD:1,3 neutralization. This early neutralization used dolomitic limestone. This research likely takes place because Congress almost unanimously passes its first legislation on stream pollution this year, although F.D. Roosevelt vetoes it in June. A federal stream pollution law does not pass until 1948. 1938, August Y:38/8/18-20; Adolph Lewisohn dies; he was the founder of TCC, TC&CC, and Tennessee E:38/9; A:38; Corporation. E.H. Westlake follows as the second president of TC, in New York. W:40/5/10; T:63/7; Adolph’s son, Sam, becomes TC chairman of the board and president of Adolph Y:67/1/26; RB; NA Lewisohn & Sons, Inc., the selling agent for TCC copper. Westlake has been a TCC corporate officer almost continuously since 1910, assisting the Lewisohns in sales agency work. 1939, about March A:38; EC; T:55/1; The No. 2 chamber acid plant is partly dismantled, after several years of inactivity. Ph; Aer This includes removal of the Glover tower and some other adjacent components, and probably the interior equipment; but the large lead chamber structure is not removed until 1941. By 1939, a plan exists to replace it with a contact acid plant. The No. 2 plant is no longer needed because the No. 1 and Isabella acid plants produce sufficient low-strength acid.
58 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1939 EC; A:38,39 TCC shipped products now include: pig copper, iron sinter, zinc concentrate, granulated slag or crushed pot slag, three grades of sulfuric acid and one of oleum, various forms of copper sulfate, copper bordeaux, Tri-Basic copper sulfate, Copper Carbonate, two grades of copper fungicide, and custom fungicides. A considerable portion of the copper output is being sold as copper chemicals. 1939 A:38,39; EC; Ferri-Floc is first produced by Tennessee Corporation at East Point, Georgia, and at T:53/5; T:59/5; Lockland, Ohio, both operated by SACC. This process uses both ferric oxide (flue T:60/4; GD:3 dust) and sulfuric acid from Copperhill to produce ferric sulfate. Manganese sulfate and zinc sulfate are also manufactured at East Point. 1939 MR; GC; TV:2,3; The first extensive tree planting is begun by cooperative efforts of TVA and TCC. SCS; CEC; LM; Seedlings (mainly Virginia and Loblolly pines) are hand-planted, starting on the TC:12 margins of the deforested portions of the Copper Basin. 1939, July to August E:38/8; A:39; A labor strike by TCC workers lasts over six weeks, causing complete suspension of Y:39/8/29; RB, all operations. The strike involving 1400 workers originated from infighting between WB the AFL and CIO (International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers), resulting in a “struggle for supremacy,” with TCC caught in the middle. 1939–1940 EC; D:40,69; A:40; A 200-ft tall reverberatory smelter stack is built (summer 1939); the south side of the E:41/6; T:47/6; smelter building is completely rebuilt (spring 1940); and an innovative smelter T:50/1; T:61/12; crushing facility, with very low dust generation, is erected northeast of the smelter T:73/10; Ph (spring 1940). A reverberatory furnace is constructed in the south part of the smelter building (before September 1940). This work entails restructuring the slag granulator from an above-ground bin to a subgrade pit south of the smelter. The reverberatory construction program lasts from 1938 to mid-1940. 1940, January T:47/6,8; EC; A gas recovery system for the sinter plant is put into operation, which captures sulfur T:59/1; T:62/9; dioxide gas and routes it to the acid plant. This same process had been started T:70/2; GD:4 experimentally at Isabella in October 1938. In 1940, a calcine pit is also placed in operation at Isabella. According to the Copperhill Plant weather station data, January 1940 is the coldest and snowiest month on record at the Plant site (through 1970). 1940, April Y:41/1/30; Another labor strike breaks out at the TCC facilities, and TVA power lines leading to Y:43/3/2 the property are dynamited three times, forcing suspension of operations. Eight CIO members in 1941 are convicted in Federal Court of conspiracy to dynamite TVA power lines, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the decision in 1943. 1940 D:40; GD:1,3,8 TCC conducts its first general stream pollution survey. A weir is built on DMC by bolting timbers to the top of an existing dam near the old highway bridge abutments. About a year later, a study is made of neutralization reagents for acidic waters; crushed limestone is now being used on acidic discharges to DMC from various processes at the Copperhill Plant (and probably Isabella).
59 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1940 WE:1,2; A:40; TCC performs a considerable amount of prospecting on the company property, with E:41/6 promising results. Underground development begins on the Boyd ore body. During this year, the largest tonnage of ore is mined in TCC’s history. 1940, Summer D:38-40; Ph; Aer The personnel service office (brick building, still standing today) is constructed south of the shop area, replacing the wooden service office or “pay office” built about 1913. This necessitates filling in the adjacent portion of the East Branch channel, which is placed into culvert. In about September, a small new gate house is built south of the service office, to replace that taken down about 1937. Soon after this, a small gasoline filling station with shed is removed from beside the tracks near the supply storeroom; it had been built in the 1920s. 1940, September EC; A:40; G:40-46; The first reverberatory furnace is started, which brings to completion the “All-Milling E:41/6; T:47/6; Program” begun in 1920. This furnace handles copper concentrates directly. The MR; SM; TC:12 current process of milling, roasting, and smelting is more economical in treating the high-sulfur, high-iron, low-copper ores that now predominate. Three blast furnaces continue as stand-by equipment for selected smelter-grade ore, in order to increase sulfur dioxide for acid generation, but only until 1946. 1940, late A:40; W:41/10/8; TCC enters into contract with the War Department to furnish oleum used for W:41/12/15 manufacturing TNT during WWII. A large contact acid plant, known as the East Tennessee Ordnance Works, will be built at the Copperhill Plant to furnish a required tonnage of this high-grade acid. The defense contract involves managing construction of ETOW for the government, and operating the leased plant to produce oleum. The total cost of the plant is estimated at $3.3M. Site preparation may have begun in spring 1941, including removal of the No. 2 chamber acid plant. 1940–1941 EC; WS; EJ; FK; During design of the Isabella contact acid plant (started 1941) and the Copperhill GD:0,1,3,4,6,8; oleum plant (1942), a program of research on control of acid waste is implemented. T:59/1; Ph Gases going from roasting and smelting to the contact plants are scrubbed with water to remove dust and lower temperature. As a result, TCC develops a gas cleaner system (open scrubbing tower) that strips and recovers SO2 absorbed into this water. Both of these contact acid plants are equipped with these wet-gas cooling and cleaning devices, greatly reducing pollution to the creeks. The increasing production throughout TCC due to the war also generates larger quantities of waste. 1940–1947 T:47/3 TCC 30-ton all-wood ore railcars are replaced with 50-ton all-steel ore cars. The new tank cars are 7,700-gallon all-welded type. 1941, February WE:1; M:40,41,58; Boyd mine begins production, and the tunnel to Burra Burra mine is completed. All A:40; E:41/6; G:41; Boyd ore is hauled underground to Burra (until use of Central shaft in 1953). Boyd WE:3; T:53/11; development had begun in May 1940, with the beginning of shaft sinking, including MM; GD:6; RB; ventilation, and the surface completion. KR
60 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1941 D:40; T:47/8; A new copper sulfate plant is built at the same location as the old plant. This plant T:62/11; Aer includes an aerial tramway. However, production of copper sulfate remains intermittent until 1943. 1941, first half A:41,42; EJ; A second contact acid plant is built at Isabella to meet the war demands for high- T:47/8; T:51/2; strength acid. As a result, the Isabella chamber acid plant is shut down. In early T:63/10; TC:3; RB 1942, this chamber plant unit is dismantled and moved to East Tampa, Florida, and reassembled for operation at TCC’s acid phosphate plant in 1942. During WWII, production at the original Isabella contact plant is increased by the addition of extra heat exchangers and a larger modern converter. 1941, latter half D:40; Ph The tall tower on the Copperhill sinter plant is removed. 1941, latter half A:38; EC; RB; The main structure of the Copperhill No. 2 chamber acid plant is demolished (post- T:65/12; T:76/8; May), after the plant had been idle since 1931 and partially dismantled in early 1939. RE; Aer; Ph Demolition is completed by December 1941, in order to begin construction of the ETOW plant on the same site. 1941, December A:40,41; TCC begins construction on East Tennessee Ordnance Works (also called the “oleum W:41/12/3,15; plant”). The new facility is a government-owned contact acid plant, being financed D:40,43,46; T:46/5; by the Defense Plant Corp., and it will be leased to TCC under a fixed fee plan. The T:47/8; JT; T:53/7; ETOW plant, like the Isabella contact plant, is built and equipped by Leonard T:63/10; RB; Construction Company, of Chicago. The entire oleum output of ETOW will be taken T:76/8 by the Volunteer Ordnance Works, near Chattanooga, also now under construction. Due to the war and the need for metals and acid, TCC has stepped up all activities in the last few months. The 1941 corporate annual report, following government censorship guidelines, contains little detailed information. 1941–1943 KS; GC; TV:2,3; TVA establishes the second CCC camp in the Copper Basin, to aid in treating soil, JT; SCS; CEC; tree and shrub planting, and building check dams and other soil-stabilizing measures. LM; TC:10,12; NR Only 750 acres are planted during the CCC tenure, from 1941 to 1942 or 1943. In 1942, TVA maps the bare denuded zone as covering about 11 square miles, the grassland zone around it as 17 square miles, and a surrounding brushland zone as 22 square miles. TCC owns about 33 square miles (21,000 acres) of Basin land, and J.N. Houser agrees to contribute liberally to revegetation and controlling erosion. From 1941 to 1946, TVA also performs experiments on 13 tree species and 22 grasses and legumes, to determine the best species of plants to grow in the Basin. Results show that vegetation is still damaged by smelter fumes. 1942 D:40; G:42,44 Now only two blast furnaces remain at Copperhill and are used as stand-by to increase acid production. 1942, about JT; FM:1; T:55/12; A new pumping station is built along the Ocoee River. A 16-inch water pipeline is FR extended through the Copperhill Plant for cooling water, which warms the water and then it is piped up DMC watershed to Isabella and London mill for warm water usage.
61 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1942, about G:40-43; WS; Major changes are made to the iron roaster system to supply gas to the new contact T:59/1; T:62/9; acid/oleum plant and to roast more concentrates. Cleaned sinter gas now passes T:63/12; TC:3; through the iron roaster for temperature control (cooling) before feeding the acid GD:8 plant. There are now ten roaster units with four hearths each (instead of seven). The iron sinter is shipped to iron and steel producers mostly in the Birmingham district. 1942, July A:40,44; East Tennessee Ordnance Works begins producing 40% oleum to make TNT for the Y:43/7/22; T:46/5; U.S. and Allies during the war. TCC operates this contact acid plant (with two units) T:47/8; TC:3; for the government Ordnance Department. TCC meets or exceeds the required output T:68/6; T:76/8; RB; throughout the war, and oleum is shipped to nearly every TNT plant in the country TC:12; WB and as far as Canada. TCC learns that by returning spent acid from Volunteer Ordnance Works into the Copperhill oleum system, this would increase production by 50 percent. ETOW is designed to produce 440 tons per day of oleum, but it averages 570 tons and reaches nearly 900 tons when needed. TCC is also authorized to provide blister copper and iron sinter to the government for the war effort. 1942 LW:2 In an effort to increase productivity due to war-time demands, and because procurement of certain materials (such as steel and rubber) is becoming difficult, TCC implements a maintenance and salvage program. This wide-reaching program addresses how supplies and equipment are issued, reconditioned or salvaged, and reused. To help move passengers, mail, samples, and light freight, a “Rubber Saver” train is put in scheduled service, connecting all parts of the property. In order to follow the directive to stock up coal for winter, larger bins are built next to the shops and change houses where coal is needed, and filled with a year’s supply. 1942 A:42 Plants and mines at TCC are working at capacity levels, in order to maximize production of urgently needed war materials, largely due to specific requests from the various government branches. According to the annual report, “All the products of the Corporation are entering directly or indirectly into essential activities in connection with the war effort.” The raw mined materials are being extracted at rates that are higher than desirable under normal conditions, resulting in wasted assets. The 1942 output is the greatest in the history of the corporation. 1942 JC; JT; FK; LM; TVA lodges complaint to TCC on water pollution in the Ocoee River. This is in GD:1,3,8 response to acidic conditions originating from TCC operations and Ocoee sediments that result in serious damage to turbine runners at TVA’s downstream hydroplants. Due to corrosion, these turbines have needed inspection and repair every 3 to 6 months. TCC conducts a survey, and an agreement is made with TVA that limits TCC discharge to a pH of 4.0. TVA then follows by conducting a survey of Ocoee River water quality in 1943 and again in 1946. By the end of this decade, TCC makes significant progress in reducing acidity of process discharges.
62 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1942, latter half D:42,43; Ph The ice plant building is modified so that the west half remains a refrigerating plant and the east half becomes a gas plant, with a large rib on the roof between the two. About this time, the ash conveyor line from the power plant boiler room extending eastward over the ice plant building is removed; it had been in place since the early 1920s. 1942, October Y:42/10/14,17; J. Parke Channing dies on October 11th. He had remained as a director of the board E:42/11; MS; A:42 for Tennessee Corporation until his death. 1943, January M:43; RB The most serious accident in Copper Basin history occurs in the mine drift connecting the Burra Burra and Boyd mines. On January 5th, a sulfide dust explosion following a routine blasting operation kills 9 men and injures 18 others. 1943, early D:43; Aer; Ph A large portion of East Branch channel south of the cooling pond is filled in, and the creek is extended within a buried culvert. This provide a broad parking area for workers at the shops and service office. 1943, about Spring D:40,43; T:53/7 The engineering field office is built at the north end of the shops. 1943, August G:43; M:42,43; Calloway “A” mine begins production. Development had begun in October 1942. WE:3; GD:6; RU The old Calloway mine had been opened for work between 1940 and 1943. 1943 A:43,44; The production levels continue at the highest capacity possible, to further the war Y:43/7/22; T:46/5 effort. Mining and treatment of ore in 1943 attain the greatest rate in company history. TCC receives two Army-Navy Production Awards for successfully turning out materials needed for the war, one award is for operating ETOW and one for TCC overall. This prestigious award is renewed each year to 1945. The War Food Program results in extreme demand for fertilizer and thus sulfuric acid, as well as insecticides and fungicides (for crop protection) from the copper sulfate plant. 1943–1944 (mid-1943 through 1944) D:40,42,43; Ph; The large flue dust pile (located near the future No. 6 acid plant) is removed and the Aer area is then modified with multiple rail spurs that serve the smelter and sinter operations. The original rail spur along the south sides of the smelter and power house is abandoned. The power house complex is modified with addition of the two- story east end, forming a new supply house. This requires demolition of the old storeroom/warehouse built about 1904, the field office (former master mechanics office) first built about 1912, and the oxygen-hydrogen gas plant built in 1915. The power house boiler room built in 1900, with its large 155-ft stack built in 1905, is also removed in 1944. The smelter supply house (with attached storage bin structure) built in 1904 is also removed. The tall 325-ft tall stack is also shortened in the mid- 1940s.
63 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1944, January A:44; G:44; TC:12; TC terminates the mining and smelting of ore from the Fontana mine, operated by the GD:8; WB subsidiary North Carolina Exploration Company. This decision took place due to flooding by rising reservoir levels behind the new Fontana Dam, which would submerge the railway leading to the mine and bring water levels close to the mine shaft. A settlement is made with TVA for damage to the property. From 1926 to 1944, ore from this mine is smelted at Copperhill or Isabella and produces 38M pounds of copper. 1944, February M:43,44; G:44; The Gordon shaft of Mary mine begins to be dewatered to allow access to Mary/Polk T:46/6; T:59/7 County mines. Initial work on headframe and shaft had begun in September 1943, and mining development work begins in August 1944. 1944 A:44; WS TCC’s high rate of production for wartime materials is causing deferment of essential maintenance, mine development, and construction work. About 20 percent (562 individuals) of total TC employees have entered the armed forces during the war. Shipped products from TCC operations now include: blister copper, iron sinter, three grades of acid and two of oleum, various copper sulfates, Tri-Basic copper sulfate, Copper Carbonate, two grades of copper fungicide, custom fungicides, zinc concentrates, and slag. 1944, July A:44,50 TC acquires a small dry-mixing fertilizer plant at Cedartown, Georgia. 1945 TV:1,3; GC; TH; TVA submits to TCC a comprehensive restoration plan for the denuded Copper Basin SCS; TC:12; LM lands, based on earlier work and research. This plan came about after TVA calculated (in 1944) significant erosion amounts in the Copper Basin, which result in sediment filling up their reservoirs. Soil in the denuded Copper Basin is estimated to be eroding about 90 times greater than in other portions of the Ocoee watershed. In 1951, TVA recalculates this ratio to be closer to 160 times greater. This 1945 plan apparently is not implemented. After the early 1950s, TVA withdraws from revegetation efforts, leaving replanting to TCC and successor firms (until 1984). 1945, July PPH; WS; JC; CM; London No. 2 tailings dam, the large earthen dam, formally begins operation to NUS; DM; SP collect tailings from London and Isabella mills. Isabella tailings are disposed via a tunnel to the new tailings pond, driven in 1944. The dam had been under construction since 1944. The original No. 1 tailings dam, made of wood, receives the overflow and discharges to Burra Burra Creek. 1945 T:47/3; SP; Aer The TCC railroad tunnel between Calloway mine and the Buena Vista roast yard (south of the TNT plant) is abandoned. The rail line is rerouted and straightened through a narrow cut east of the tunnel, avoiding safety hazards and upkeep. 1945, Summer D:45,69; T:47/6; A modern bucking room is built in the former oil house structure just north of the Aer sampling mill. This room replaces the use of the old sampling mill (No. 3), and has interior booths with fans to exhaust dust to the outside. Similarly, during this year the roasters, sinter machines, and crushers are enclosed and hooded to reduce dust exposure.
64 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1945, August A:45; T:45/8; East Tennessee Ordnance Works discontinues oleum production at the end of the war. T:46/5; TC:3; Beginning with VJ Day, TCC operates the facility under short-term leases from the T:68/6; Ph; Aer War Assets Administration. The plant is then transformed into the Copperhill No. 2 contact acid plant. The 40% oleum system is bypassed, and the modified plant is used to produce high-grade sulfuric acid and lower strengths of oleum. Tower acid concentrators are dismantled soon after this (in 1946). VJ Day results in sudden termination of some contracts and the need for facilities to produce additional peacetime materials. 1945 T:45/8; GD:2; Aer Plans are developed to build new structures: a new research lab (built 1947), new general office (built 1949-50), new Blue Goose Hotel (built before April 1951, still standing today), offices for the Acid and Mining Departments (two acid plant offices built before April 1951), and carpenter shop (built between April 1951 and January 1954). The construction storage shed (previously the long shed) west of the third lab is removed (between October 1944 and April 1951). 1945, October D:40,45,46; EJ; The installation of weirs is proposed to monitor the creek flow and chemical loadings FK; GD:3 on NPC, East Branch, and DMC at the L&N mainline bridge. Probably in 1946, a concrete dam with San Dimas weir is built (or refurbished) on DMC near the acid- neutralizing plant at the old highway bridge abutments (see previous dam in 1940). In 1945, the Tennessee Stream Pollution Control Board is created and regulations enacted. 1945, latter half G:45-51; JT TCC zinc concentrates begin to be shipped to various custom smelters or oxide plants, including the New Jersey Zinc Company (Palmerton, Pennsylvania), American Zinc Company (East St. Louis, Illinois), and Athletic Mining & Smelting Company (Fort Smith, Arkansas), where minor lead is also recovered. In about 1947, all TCC copper that is not used in making copper sulfate begins to be shipped to the electrolytic refinery of the Phelps Dodge Copper Corp (Laurel Hill, New York). 1945, about December D:45 The basement of the Cowanee Club is altered for general office space, including for engineering, accounting, shipping clerk, drafting, and general superintendent staff. Mid-1940s GD:8; Aer Leaching tests are conducted on granulated slag piled at the south end of Cantrell Flats. These tests use waste chamber acid that had nitric acid in it, discoloring the slag to a white-gray color. Slag storage in this area immediately west of the highway began sometime between 1941 and 1944. 1946, early A:45; T:66/12; T.A. Mitchell becomes Copperhill manager of TCC, while F.J. Longworth transfers T:68/3 to senior position of TCC consulting engineer. Both officers still report under J.N. Houser, the general manager. 1946, about May A:45,46; TCC purchases the East Tennessee Ordnance Works (No. 2 contact acid plant) from W:46/11/6; T:47/8; the War Assets Administration. The acid concentrator unit for making oleum is JT; T:76/8 apparently sold off by the WAA late in the year.
65 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1946, late G:46,47; JC; The remaining blast furnaces at Copperhill are retired, and reverberatory furnaces are T:61/12; TC:12 now only used. This process had been planned but is delayed by WWII. All ore now is milled, whereas previously a fraction of ore was not milled. The reverberatory gases exit out the stack, being too dilute in sulfur dioxide for use in acid production, although converter gas is still used. The blast furnaces are discarded in 1947. 1946–1948 T:47/3; T:50/1; TCC’s 65-ton steam locomotives are replaced by 99-ton diesel-electric locomotives. T:52/9; TC:12 The first one is bought in 1946. 1946, about WS; T:47/2; JC Iron roasting ovens (modified Wedge roasters) are remodeled to decrease production of sulfur trioxide, thereby reducing acid wastewater. This includes installation of booster fans and Buell collectors at Copperhill. There are 17 roasters total at Copperhill and Isabella. 1947, June A:47-49; T:55/1; Tennessee Corporation leases from the government an acid plant near Childersburg T:57/1; T:58/1; (at the Alabama Army Ammunition Plant). This facility is leased in order to TC:3; WB manufacture sulfuric acid and apparently later also organic compounds. The acid is generated by burning imported sulfur, and production is intended to supplement the Copperhill output of acid to meet the very great demand for fertilizer. The plant begins operation in September. The lease extends from 1947 to 1966, although after 1954 acid is manufactured only during periods of peak demand. 1947, July T:46/6; M:47,58; Mary mine begins ore production, and a crosscut is driven connecting Mary and G:47; GD:6; RU; Calloway and Boyd mines. The old Calloway shaft is being dewatered for use as a KR ventilation shaft (completed by September). Mary mining would include some Polk County mine ore (from 1948 to 1951). 1947, August T:47/8 By this date, the only early components remaining from the 1910-era No. 1 acid plant are the Glover towers and North chambers. All other parts of the plant have been rebuilt or replaced. 1947, August A:44-48,52,53; Tennessee Corporation moves the Copperhill Research Department from the old T:45/8; MR; (second) lab building to College Park, Georgia (near Atlanta), forming the Tennessee T:52/7,12; GD:2 Corporation research laboratories. This involves transferring all but three of Copperhill’s engineers. The laboratory facility had been planned and approved in 1944, and the property purchased late in 1946, followed by remodeling and equipping of the facility. A modern laboratory is maintained at this facility, with a pilot plant constructed at nearby East Point (built 1948 and rebuilt 1952-53), to explore ways of using raw materials for various new products. It generally takes about seven years of TC research work to bring a new idea to the production stage. Reorganization also results in the new Chemical Engineering Department at Copperhill, which includes only the three engineers (this number remains at seven or fewer until 1968). 1947–1948 D:47-49; Aer Major modifications and additions to shops, including new welding and forge shops built at the north end of the large mechanics shop. Also includes new machine shop tool room, shop offices, and changes to the structural shop.
66 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1948 T:45/8; JC; Demolition begins on TCC’s old general office for construction of a new office. T:49/11; T:57/4 During the 2-year construction period, office personnel carry on their work in the Blue Goose Hotel. TCC employees working at the Copperhill Plant now number about 1,900. 1948, latter half D:40,48; T:49/11; The large construction/engineering change house (still standing today) is built for T:58/9; Ph workers of the construction and mechanical shops, located west of the cooling pond (later firewater pond). This necessitated filling part of the pond and removing some small shops. 1948 JT During this year, TCC mines a total of 1.1M tons of ore, while producing 13.3M pounds of copper, 876,000 tons of 60E sulfuric acid, 418,000 tons of iron sinter, 5,740 tons of zinc concentrates, 17,900 tons of copper sulfate, and 3,350 tons of copper fungicides. 1949, March T:49/3,12; KR; Sinking of the Central shaft begins. Design of the headframe and shaft had started in NR; P:92/4/22; SP 1948 (it is the only headframe designed by TCC). Diversion of Potato Creek at Isabella is also started, to move the creek away from the Eureka open cut to prevent flooding of the mine. Diversion is completed later in 1949. 1949, latter half A:49; T:49/11; JT; Liquid sulfur dioxide plant is built this year and becomes operational in the latter half EF; T:59/5,6; of the year (still standing today). Sulfurous gases from the smelter and roasters are T:60/2,12; SM; purified and compressed to produce liquid SO2. The process uses anhydrous TC:4,12 dimethylaniline (DMA) as an absorbent reagent. This plant is a duplicate of one built by Asarco in California, and is licensed by this firm to TCC. 1949, November Y:49/11/8; J.N. Houser dies after leading TCC as general manager for 30 years. His position is T:49/11; A:49; replaced by T.A. Mitchell, the previous manager. This ends an unusually long period MR; T:66/12; with the same top two officers at TCC (Houser and Longworth) since 1925. During T:68/3; RB his tenure, Houser was responsible for a number of improvements and diversification, and the output of products more than tripled. Facilities for which he is responsible include acid concentrators, London flotation plant (for copper, iron, and zinc concentrates), Peirce-Smith converter, roasting and sinter plants, reverberatory furnace, copper sulfate and fungicide plants, slag plant, contact acid plants, and liquid sulfur dioxide plant.
TCC’s shipped products now include: copper, iron sinter, sulfuric acids, liquid sulfur dioxide, copper sulfate, fungicides, zinc concentrates, and slag. London mill utilizes solutions/reagents including creosote, lime, copper sulfate, pine oil, and sulfuric acid. 1949–1950 D:48-51; Ph Further major modifications are made to the shops and yards, including changes to the tool room, forge shop, concrete mixing plant (two large new tanks), lumber storage area, as well as the smelter change house.
67 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1950, January WT; T:59/6 First shipment of liquid sulfur dioxide is sent from Copperhill to the first customer, Electromanganese Corporation. During 1950, TC ships 1,455 tons of SO2 to 21 customers. In 1951 the number jumps to 7,941 tons. 1950 T:52/6; D:69 The new forge shop becomes operational, east of the modern (third) lead shop. 1950 A:50 Property is purchased by TC and a small dry-mixing fertilizer plant is built at Gainesville, Georgia. This fertilizer plant and that at Cedartown are under the same management and both associated with the large acidulating plant at East Point. 1950, about GD:8, JR Pouring of “hot pot slag” is terminated, and all slag is now granulated. However, some minor pot slag pouring may have continued after this date. 1950, first half T:57/4; RB The Copperhill general office is completed and occupied (still standing today). 1950, latter half Ph Old two-story change house (built about 1918) is renovated, with removal of the upper story and a flat roof installed. This building is located south of the large mechanics shop, and is still standing today. 1950 to 1951 A:50-51 The Korean War and heavy civilian uses has created a scarcity of sulfur, at the same time that an unprecedented demand for sulfuric acid exists. Copperhill acid plants work at capacity, and the leased Alabama Ordnance Works at Childersburg continues operating to produce sulfuric acid, although sulfur for the latter is in limited supply. Together these plants cannot meet heavy demands for acid. 1951, February T:51/2; T:55/7; The old East and West Glover towers are replaced by a single new Glover tower. T:61/9 This contains highly efficient brick packing material, developed at Copperhill, and does the same work as two previous towers. 1951, March A:50,51,55; Sam Lewisohn, the TC chairman of board, dies; he is the last of the Lewisohn family Y:51/3/15,16; members to run the corporation. E.H. Westlake becomes the combined chairman of Y:55/12/27; board and president, with M.A. Caine as executive vice president (continuing until his T:56/1; T:66/12; death in 1955). A.H. Case also retires from company management at this time. Y:67/1/26; NA 1951, about Aer The industrial water reservoir is built in the hill southeast of the rail shops. 1951 T:51/3,12; FK; SP; Potato Creek is rerouted through excavated bedrock near the Triangle area, and the Aer railroad to the Central shaft is installed. A 300-yard long pond is created in the interim, with very acidic water draining into the creek. Cutting off the pond and routing the creek through the new cut reduces the acidity. 1951 T:47/6; T:51/11; The smelter sampling mill structure is removed (sampling mill No. 3 built in 1917). D:51; Ph These milling activities continue in the adjacent bucking room. The Supply Department salvage warehouse is erected; this is later altered for use a truck garage in 1954. Two large water tanks east of the No. 1 acid plant are removed.
68 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1951 RB; Aer Passenger trains stop running to Copperhill, and the L&N passenger depot at the southeast end of the Plant property is then demolished in 1952 or 1953. 1951 EJ; FK; GD:0,1 TCC is spending more than $300,000 per year in waste treatment for pollution abatement. This involves acid neutralization with limestone or marble in tanks and in the calcine pond overflow. A new highly efficient neutralization plant is being designed, with an upflow expanded limestone bed (which does not work as well as expected). Treated wastes include mine water, iron roaster and gas cleaning, sinter plant waste, acid plant gases and sediment, and mill waste. Besides sulfuric acid, the acid-producing components include sulfur dioxide, and ferrous and ferric sulfates. Treatment is improving the water quality of the Ocoee River, and fish that have been stocked in Ocoee Lake for several years are surviving well (although stunted by lack of food). TVA and TCC continue to monitor Ocoee water quality. 1952 GD:0; T:52/5; Second and third set of Cottrell dust precipitators are added to the Copperhill No. 1 T:60/6; T:61/9 chamber acid plant to reduce “acid mud” sediment. Dust Cottrells are also used at the iron roasters, and Cottrell mist precipitators are used at the No. 2 contact acid plant. A more efficient stripper tower (packed cooler) is completed at the No. 2 contact plant. 1952, about June A:51; T:52/7; NR; Central shaft headframe is completed and begins operation and hoisting of a portion P:92/4/22 of the district ore. 1952, September T:52/9 TCC operations process-flow information; shipped products now include: blister copper, iron sinter, liquid sulfur dioxide, three grades of acid and two of oleum, detergent (later in year), various forms of copper sulfate, Tri-Basic copper sulfate, Copper Carbonate, two grades of copper fungicide, custom fungicides, zinc concentrates, roaster flue dust, and slag. 1952 D:52; GD:8 TCC begins thorough monitoring creek water in DMC and NPC. In DMC, this includes installation of a San Dimas brick-lined flume and self-cleaning weir on the existing dam (see 1940 and October 1945). 1952, October D:52; T:52/11 Brick railroad office is completed at the northern part of the Plant site. At about this time, the old ice/refrigerating plant is transformed into the motor storage room, immediately adjacent to the gas plant.
69 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1952, December A:51,52; D:52; Organic chemicals plant, also called the “detergent plant” (still standing today), T:52/12; T:53/5,12; begins producing sulfonates and sulfonic acids. The plant is constructed during this T:55/1,12; T:57/1; year, as well as an organic chemicals laboratory in the existing lab building. The FC; T:59/6; SM; plant is designed to be adaptable for production of a variety of organic chemicals. TC:12 Liquid sulfur dioxide is used in production of these sulfur-bearing organic chemicals. The research laboratory staff had developed the process for producing detergents and now train the Copperhill personnel in plant operations. The first detergent or wetting agent produced is Sul-fon-ate AA-9, followed by AA-10, OA-5, Sulfonic Acid AA, and Toluene Sulfonic Acid-Anhydrous. The market for these products is slow for the first few years, and the plant operates only part time. 1953 D:52-53; Ph Small gate house building and truck scales are constructed at Copperhill Plant entrance (near location of modern gate house), relocated from near the service building. 1953 D:53 TC purchases a small dry-mixing fertilizer plant at Attalla, Alabama. This plant will use superphosphate from East Point, and will be managed under East Point. 1953, April T:53/4; T:62/11; Vacuum crystallizer tower begins operation at the copper sulfate plant to make snow, T:65/2; T:79/10 industrial, and granular sizes of copper sulfate, which are smaller than crystals. Construction may have begun in 1952. 1953, May M:53; T:53/11; Central shaft and headframe begins full operational. By June, the ore from Boyd, NR; P:92/4/22 Calloway, and Mary mines is being hauled through the Central shaft. The headframe is completed and painted by September. The Central shaft could haul 450 tons of ore per hour from 1400-ft depth. 1953, June T:53/7,12; FM:1; Expansion begins of milling facilities at Isabella, as well as metal production, sinter, T:54/1; TC:12 and acid facilities at Copperhill. This will increase output of iron sinter, copper, and high-strength contact acids. Recent surplus calcine from Copperhill has been hauled by rail to Isabella for sintering. Currently, Isabella mill is used for only Isabella/Eureka mine ore, and London mill handles ore from the other four mines. Reagents used at the mills include sulfuric acid, sodium ethyl xanthate, hardwood and coal tar creosote, methyl isobutylcarbinol, sodium silicate, sodium cyanide, copper sulfate, lime, and pine oil. A single man operates the entire London mill, and he must remove a large amount of wood in the ore. 1953, July T:53/7 The old brick flue leading to the tall stack on the hill is being removed for the building of the No. 3 acid plant. 1953, July T:53/11; M:58; KR Ore hoisting terminates at McPherson shaft, and mining stops on the deeper levels. McPherson begins to flood, beginning on the deepest (24th) mine level, but only up to the 1680-ft level in the Burra Burra mine. The McPherson ore hoist is moved to Eureka mine.
70 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1953, about September T:53/7,11,12; A:53; Construction begins on the new No. 2 sinter plant and the No. 3 contact acid plant. T:54/1,3,7; Additional sintering will produce more SO2 gases to be utilized in the new acid plant. T:63/10; T:76/8 The contact plant is built and equipped by Leonard Construction Company. 1953, December T:54/1 Some chambers of the No. 1 acid plant are rebuilt, with new lead, steel framework, wooden floor base, and repair of concrete sub-floor. Rebuilding is required about every 10 years. 1954, February T:52/10; T:53/7; The old brick smelter stack on the hill is demolished to make way for the No. 3 acid T:54/3; Ph; DM plant. Demolition had begun in December 1953. The 200-ft stack was previously 325-ft tall; the other 125 feet had been removed in two phases some years earlier (once in the mid-1940s). The same contractor who originally built the stack in 1905 to 1906 (H.R. Heinicke Company of Indianapolis) also now takes it down. 1954, July A:54,55; T:62/1; Robert R. Burns becomes the new TCC manager, after being assistant manager. F.J. T:63/7 Longworth retires as TCC senior consulting engineer but continues in the corporation’s Research Division. 1954 TV:3; SCS; CEC; TCC hires a professional agriculturist and establishes a formal revegetation program LM in the Copper Basin. TCC continues planting trees but also receives outside expertise and assistance. Between 1950 and 1969, the company plants about 4.5M trees in the Basin. 1954, October A:53,54; The No. 3 acid plant and No. 2 sinter plant are put into production, bringing to T:54/10,12; T:55/1; completion the expansion program begun in 1953. With the increased acid output, T:56/2; T:57/1; the Tennessee Corporation curtails its production at the leased acid plant near T:58/1; TC:3,12; Childersburg, Alabama, which has not been so profitable (lease continues until 1966). T:73/9 1955, April T:55/4; T:56/1; Sinter is stockpiled in long rows near the sinter plant during a two-month L&N rail T:57/1 workers strike. This and the Florida phosphate workers’ strike in midyear cause production of acid and other chemicals to be reduced. 1955 T:55/11; T:57/11; Some of the acid storage tanks are painted with light gray (almost white) protective T:59/2 coating. The tanks were previously black, and most of them are not painted until 1957. Much of the plant is repainted around this time with lighter, more resistant paints. 1955, November A:55,56; Construction begins on the sodium hydrosulfite plant. The equipment for this plant is Y:55/12/13; moved, redesigned, and re-erected from a Rhode Island firm, Esmond Chemical T:55/12; T:56/1; Company, whose facilities are purchased by TCC. This new plant will produce T:57/4; T:59/6; sodium hydrosulfite (for textile, paper, and clay industries) and zinc oxide (for rayon T:66/8; TC:4 and rubber industries). In addition, a new product made at the organic chemicals plant is toluene sulfonic acid, following six months of equipment installation and building alteration. Toluene is imported from Alabama as a raw material in this process.
71 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1955, December T:55/12 Extensive improvements are completed on the Ocoee River pumping station. 1955–1956 T:56/2 Crushed granite is used for ground cover near the No. 3 acid plant, around the acid storage tanks, and along the rail north of the third lab. 1955–1957 M:55-57; Calloway “B” shaft (former winze) is extended to the surface, beginning in T:56/3,12; September 1955. Surface facilities are constructed at Calloway “B” beginning in T:57/1,6,7,8 1956, but first used for production in 1958. 1956, about April T:56/4 Construction of the railroad paint shop is completed. 1956, about June T:56/7 Construction is completed on significant expansion of the machine shop. 1956, September T:55/12; A:55,56; Sodium hydrosulfite plant (still standing today) is completed and begins production of T:56/1,11; sodium hydrosulfite under the brand name, T-C Hydro. Liquid sulfur dioxide from T:57/1,4; T:58/1; Copperhill will be used in production, along with imported zinc dust, sodium T:59/6; WK; carbonate, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, ethyl alcohol, and mineral spirits. T:66/8; SM; Zinc oxide will also be sold as a low-grade by-product. The hydrosulfite plant is TC:4,12; GD:8 operated by the Acid Department, and will remain only part time for a few years. 1956, December A:56; CM Tennessee Copper Company becomes a division of Tennessee Corporation, and the former TCC subsidiary is dissolved effective December 31st. The purpose is to simplify corporate structure. The new name is “Tennessee Copper Company Division Tennessee Corporation.” TC now has only two remaining subsidiaries, Capital Fertilizer and New Haven Copper. During this year, Capital purchases or builds a fertilizer plant in Decatur, Alabama, which receives superphosphate from Montgomery and produces complete fertilizers. 1956–1957 D:56,57 Plans are proposed for a major facility known as the sodium bichromate plant, to be located in southern Cantrell Flats, with a sizable tailings disposal pond at the north end. The plant would include milling, roasting and leaching components, plus aluminum extraction. Chrome ore from offsite would be a raw material for this process, but the proposed plant is never built. At this time, a large pile of granulated slag resides at the south end of Cantrell Flats. 1957, April T:57/4; GD:4 A gas recovery tower is built for sulfur dioxide recovery at the No. 2 contact acid plant, and its operation is to begin soon. It uses cool water to absorb SO2 and return it for use in acid production. 1957, September T:57/1,7,9; A:57; Expansion of the liquid sulfur dioxide plant is virtually complete, which will increase T:58/1; WT production capacity by 50 percent. By the following year, TC has 110 customers of SO2 from Canada to Mexico to the West coast. During 1957, 65% oleum begins to be produced at one of the contact acid plants.
72 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1957, late T:57/6 After testing in a pilot plant, a new method of zinc-iron flotation is added to the London mill. Currently, zinc minerals are floated from the iron, producing an initial 30% zinc concentrate. Now, a second reverse step is added, with the iron minerals further floated from the 30% zinc. 1957–1958 A:57; T:58/1 TCC initiates a program designed to increase efficiency through many parts of the operation. This is expected to reduce costs of hoisting, handling, and treating certain ores. This includes London-Isabella mill consolidation. 1958, March T:58/4; A:58; The Smelter Store in Copperhill is completely destroyed in a fire, while the copper T:59/1; JM; sulfate (fungicide) plant also burns and is seriously damaged. These two fires both T:62/11; CA:96 occur on the morning of March 22nd but are unrelated. The merchandise warehouse near the Copperhill Plant entrance is temporarily used for Smelter Store sales, along with the Ducktown Store, Isabella Store, and a temporary Copperhill office. Employees push for a similar new store (for food and variety items) to be built. Production of copper sulfate and fungicides restarts within 1 to 3 weeks. The copper sulfate plant now has 20 crystallizer tanks plus a continuous crystallizer unit. Copper sulfate is produced by TCC’s patented method of submerging copper with acid and pumping air into the base of a tower. 1958, April FM:1; T:57/1,7; Isabella and London flotation plants are consolidated at London, due in part to the T:58/1,5; A:58; reduction in Eureka ore production, which is thought to be nearly mined out. Isabella G:58; T:59/1; mill ceases operations on April 29th, and most structures are soon demolished. T:62/12; T:72/5; Consolidation construction and installation of equipment had begun about late 1956. T:75/11; TC:12 After this time, the enlarged London mill is the largest producer of sulfide concentrates in the country (largely iron sulfides). 1958, June T:58/1,6,7; M:58; Burra Burra mine ceases production and the last ore is hoisted on June 13th. Total A:58; G:58; TC:2; lifetime production from the entire Burra deposit amounts to about 15.9M tons of ore. T:59/1; T:79/11; Equipment is removed from unflooded portions of the mine in July, and then the mine T:81/2; RU; SP is allowed to flood. The No. 1 acid plant shuts down for four months to decrease the amount of acid in the storage tanks due to poor acid sales, particularly chamber grades. This results in decreased mining and production of copper, iron, and zinc. 1958 A:58,59 TC initiates a third subsidiary, Tencor Trading Corporation, in order to operate warehouses for triple superphosphate. Facilities for this purpose are leased in Peoria, Illinois, and St. Paul and Winona, Minnesota. 1958, September M:58,59; T:58/1; Calloway “B” shaft begins ore operation and hauling, and the headframe is T:59/1,7 completed. The Calloway “A” shaft is retooled for ventilation. 1958, December T:58/4,9,10,12; The new Smelter Store on the highway west of Cantrell Flats is opened for business. A:58; T:59/1; Construction had begun in August, after the fire. This company store would soon T:60/11; T:64/4; replace existing stores in Copperhill and Isabella. CA:96
73 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1958, December T:59/1 A new fiberglass open scrubbing tower replaces the old steel-lead-brick tower (built about 1940), used for cleaning gas from the sinter plant to the roasters. 1950s, latter half DN; CM; NUS; Shea Hollow Landfill becomes operational, possibly in 1959. Aer; Ph 1959, April M:59; T:59/1,4; Calloway “B” shaft begins ore production, but large-scale production apparently does T:60/1 not begin until July. 1959 JM; T/59/6 TC sulfuric acid reaches as far as Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, the Gulf coast (as far as Miami), and west to the Mississippi River. From Copperhill are shipped 14,660 tank cars and 4,050 trucks of acid (based on 1958 data), to 200 customers plus TC’s own plants. Copper sulfate from Copperhill accounts for 38 percent of U.S. production, shipped to 260 customers. Copper sulfate together with fungicides (mostly Tri-Basic) ship from Copperhill to as far as Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Brazil, Canada, Hawaii, Philippines, and South Africa. 1959, June FM:1; T:59/1,8; Sodium ethyl xanthate begins to be produced in a plant at London mill. Xanthate is T:63/8; SM not sold, but is used as a flotation reagent for sulfides. 1959, June M:58,60; G:58,59; Sinking of a shaft begins on the School Property, at the Cherokee shaft. This new T:58/5; T:59/7,12; mine is expected to offset lost production from the closing of Burra Burra mine. The T:60/1,9; T:61/6,9; Cherokee headframe is moved from McPherson, where it was built in 1915. The SM; T:82/10; 10th-level drift from Central (Boyd) shaft to Cherokee had begun in April 1958 and is TC:12 completed in 1960. 1959 JRR TC purchases the remaining 75 percent interest in the Number 20 mine in Fannin County, Georgia, from the James Howe heirs. 1959, August T:59/1,5; JM; Ferri-Floc plant is completed at Copperhill and begins production of hydrated ferric A:59; T:60/1,4; sulfate; construction had begun in December or January. Fine iron-oxide roaster flue TC:3,4,12; SM dust is treated with Copperhill sulfuric acid to produce Ferri-Floc. These two ingredients had been previously shipped to the corporation’s East Point and Lockland plants for manufacturing Ferri-Floc. 1960, March JM; T:60/3 TCC operation process-flow information; shipped products now include: blister copper, copper sulfate, two grades of copper fungicide, zinc concentrate, iron sinter, sulfur dioxide, Ferri-Floc, three grades of acid (60E, 66E, 95-98%) plus oleum (20%, 25%, 65%), copper sulfate, Tri-Basic copper sulfate, Copper Carbonate, sulfonated hydrocarbons, sodium hydrosulfite, zinc oxide, and slag. 1960, April T:60/5; T:81/4,8 New building west of guard house at entrance is used as combination truck scale house, pay station, and waiting room. 1960, May M:58; KR The connection between the Burra Burra and Boyd mines is plugged with 20-ft thick concrete at the Burra end. Later the Boyd side is also plugged.
74 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1960, June A:59,60; Y:60/3/1; Miami Copper Company (Miami, Arizona) is purchased by Tennessee Corporation on W:60/5/27; June 10th and becomes a division of TC. The property includes three operating W:60/6/8,10; copper mines and a number of plants, which will now be operated by TC. The Y:60/8/23; acquisition also includes the Chester Cable Corporation in Chester, New York, which T:61/12; C:63; is added as a subsidiary to TC. Furthermore, the Adolph Lewisohn Selling T:66/7; GD:3; LB; Corporation (61 Broadway, New York) is also added as a TC subsidiary; this firm NA; TC:12 will sell the electrolytic copper originating at Copperhill and Miami, as well as other metals. TC sets record sales and earnings for the first half of 1960. 1960, September A:59; Y:60/3/4; Liquid sulfur dioxide plant is destroyed in a fire. Demolition and reconstruction T:60/9,10,11; begin this same month. The fire happened during a project that is designed to double T:61/1; GD:3; capacity to produce liquid sulfur dioxide. The down time also interrupted production T:79/8 at the sodium hydrosulfite plant, which uses sulfur dioxide. 1960, December T:60/11,12; A:60; After the fire, the rebuilt liquid sulfur dioxide plant (“A” unit) begins operation. A T:61/1; GD:3 large “Hortonsphere” storage tank is installed near the No. 2 acid plant to be used for increased storage capacity of liquid SO2. The sulfur dioxide plant and the sodium hydrosulfite plant are returned to normal operation by the beginning of 1961. 1961, January T:59/12; M:61; Regular ore production begins in Cherokee/School Property mine. The Cherokee G:61,62; T:62/1; shaft is completed, and will serve as a manshaft; all production will be through the KR Central shaft. The Boyd mine collapse first begins in January due to a pillar failure, but it takes some time to reach the surface. 1961, April T:60/2; T:61/4; Lead in all 32 chambers of No. 1 acid plant is being replaced, along with any GD:8 necessary steel. Replacement of the lead is typically required about every 10 years. The chambers are totally lead-lined, including the bottoms, with 1/4-inch thick sheeting. Approximately 60 lead burners are employed by TCC. 1961, June T:61/2,5,6,8,12; Fluo-solids copper roaster (Dorr-Oliver type) is completed and begins operation. A:61; G:61; T:62/1 Copper concentrates now go to this roaster to produce copper calcine, which is then JB; E:64/10; melted in the reverberatory furnace with a pulverized coal flame. This markedly GD:3,4; TC:3,12 increases smelting tonnage and additional recovery of high-grade gas for the acid plants (previous reverberatory gas was wasted through stack). Prior to this, excess copper concentrate and matte had been accumulating. 1961, July T:61/8,12; A:61 Smelter is shut down for major repairs and rebuilding in preparation for copper roasting. The reverberatory furnace is completely rebuilt to handle copper calcine. This three-week shutdown marks the longest in the history of the furnace. 1961, September T:61/6,9; G:61; KR The old Westervelt “A” shaft (240-ft deep) and drifts are restored as a ventilation shaft for Cherokee mine and access to the ore body.
75 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1961, September T:61/9; GD:8 The old North flue is rebuilt from brick into steel (82-ft long and 10-ft diameter). The flue carries gases from the Cottrell dust precipitators (initially from the iron roasters) to the No. 1 acid plant Glover tower. The North flue also serves as a dust settling chamber. Every morning this flue (and others) are blown down, and a large cloud of red dust spews into the air. The area is first cleared of people by a loud signal, in order to “blow the flues.” 1961, October T:61/12; T:65/7; TCC begins producing and shipping much larger bars of pig copper. The weight of TC:4 bars is now 2,500 pounds instead of the previous 350-pound pigs. These bars average 99.1% copper, with about 7.7 ounces per ton of silver and 0.02 ounce per ton of gold. Early 1960s Aer A storage building west of the third lab is built (between October 1958 and October 1964). 1961–1965 T:62/1; A:62; Due to depressed market conditions in the iron and steel industry, much iron sinter is T:63/1; T:64/1; stockpiled in 1961 and 1962, and the surplus is finally sold in 1964 and 1965. T:65/1; WK; Research and experimental work is begun about 1962 by TCC to improve iron sinter T:66/1,3,4 quality by making it harder, in order to meet industry needs. Sinter that is too friable is blown out of the iron blast furnaces at steel plants. 1962, January A:61,62; T:62/1; TCC manager R.R. Burns is promoted to a corporate officer in New York. His T:66/12; 68/10 replacement as TCC manager is Hugh F. Kendall, the former mine superintendent and geologist. Kendall reports under T.A. Mitchell, the TCC general manager and president. 1962, August T:60/12; T:61/10; The “B” unit of the liquid sulfur dioxide plant begins operation, doubling production T:62/1,10; G:62; of SO2. Construction had begun in October 1961. GD:3,6; T:79/8 1962, November Y:62/11/21; The Tennessee Corporation board of directors approve an agreement to pool interests W:62/11/23; between TC and Cities Service Company. Discussions between the two firms had T:62/12; A:62; begun earlier in the year. The merger is subject to approval by the stockholders of T:63/1,2; SM; RB: both companies. Tennessee Corporation has about 5,260 employees. The desire to GY sell TC is reportedly due to increased production costs and decreasing copper prices. 1962, November T:62/12; A:62; The agricultural fungicide, TC-90, is first produced at the organic chemicals plant, for T:63/2,5; T:64/7; test marketing. TC-90 is produced for wider sales in January 1963. This is a liquid TC:4 copper-bearing fungicide, but the copper hydrate for its production is purchased from offsite. About November 1962, Zirate is first produced at the Ferri-Floc plant. This zinc-iron-sulfate material is a granular plant nutrient, made from TCC sulfuric acid, flue dust, and zinc oxide. The product name is changed to Zinirate in 1964. 1962 A:62 TC builds a bulk blend fertilizer plant at Florence, South Carolina (completed early in 1963). Also, Tencor Trading Corporation, a TC subsidiary, leases another warehousing facility, this one in Houston.
76 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1962 A:62; T:63/1 TCC produces more copper, sulfuric acid, and zinc concentrate than in any other year in company history – the last full year of TC’s existence. Copper and zinc output benefitted mainly from use of a large proportion of Calloway ore. 1962, about Aer Iron calcine or granulated slag (dark material) is disposed in Cartertown roast yard area (between April 1959 and April 1964). This material is largely removed in the early 1970s (between March 1971 and May 1974). 1963, January KR; SP Isabella/Eureka mine collapse occurs in the western portion of the former open cut. The Isabella shaft is irreparably damaged, resulting in sinking of Isabella slope shaft as a replacement. The collapse had been anticipated since June 1962, and infrastructure was moved out of harm’s way. 1963, March T:62/12; A:62; Tennessee Corporation and Cities Service Company stockholders separately vote and T:63/1,2,3; approve a merger of the two firms on March 19th. More than 83 percent of TC W:63/2/19,29; outstanding stockholders (entitled to vote) approve the plan, for a closing date of W:63/3/20; April 2nd. The merger date is delayed two months by threat of an antitrust suit in W:63/5/1; February. The Justice Department is concerned about fertilizer manufacturing, but it Y:63/5/30; SM is resolved in May by Cities Service entering a consent decree to swap other assets. 1963, May T:63/6; WK; TC:4; Stabilized liquid sulfur trioxide is first produced, at the organic chemicals plant. The RB process uses 30% oleum to manufacture SO3, which includes about 8% SO2. At this time, TCC is shipping a daily average total of 80 rail carloads of its various products from Copperhill. 1963, June T:62/11,12; A:62; Tennessee Corporation joins Cities Service Company as a wholly-owned subsidiary. T:63/1,3,6,7; The merger finally takes place on June 14th, but TC and TCC names remain until W:63/6/14,19,21; 1970. Closing of the merger has been delayed three times due to antitrust questions A:63,64; T:64/1; related to fertilizer manufacturing. During dissolving of Tennessee Corporation, a T:66/11; temporary firm named “Miten Corporation” is chartered in New York and used in the Y:67/1/26; T:75/6; interim. R.R. Burns replaces the retiring E.H. Westlake as the third president of SM; RB; NA; Tennessee Corporation, in New York (Westlake has been a corporate officer for 53 T:82/10; TC:12; years and continues until 1966 as TC chairman of board and on the directorate of CEC Cities Service). About this time, TC consists of three operating divisions, still managed from an office at 61 Broadway in New York: Tennessee Copper, U.S. Phosphoric Products (near Tampa, Florida), and Miami Copper Company (Miami, Arizona). U.S. Phosphoric is the largest producer of phosphate fertilizer in the world, and has four sulfuric acid plants at Tampa, with the newest one (built in 1961) being the largest contact plant in existence. TC also has five subsidiary firms, various fertilizer and chemical plants, and other departments. An announcement is made to replace the Copperhill No. 1 chamber acid plant with a contact unit, after several years of planning. Cities Service Company soon accelerates the Copper Basin revegetation program.
77 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1963, August T:63/8,9; JB Two new water tanks are under construction on the hill above the third lab, to replace the old drinking water tanks where the new No. 4 acid plant will be built. Two diesel fuel oil tanks are also being built on the hill near the lab. The rail trestle leading to the smelter bins (concentrate, limestone, sand) is rebuilt. High-silica sand for the Copperhill furnace, for converter flux and the fluo-solids roaster, is now coming from Isabella Creek sand instead of from the South Carolina coast. 1963, October T:63/10; KR Polk County mine shaft is being reopened to the second level to provide access to Mary mine for mining ore from the boundary pillar and floor between levels in Polk mine. Most production will come from the Mary north zone and ore is hauled through the Central shaft. This Polk manway shaft was last closed in 1932. 1963, October T:63/6,11,12; Construction begins on the No. 4 contact acid plant, at a cost of $5M. Like TCC’s Y:63/8/18; T:64/1- previous contact plants, it is designed and built by Leonard Construction Company 5,12 (Leonard-Monsanto). 1964, April T:64/4; T:71/9; TCC’s Ducktown Store is closed down; it was originally built about 1900. The NP:87 building is later occupied in 1975 by the Ducktown Banking Company, and in April 2001 became the office of Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc. 1964, July T:64/7,8,12; The No. 1 acid plant shuts down, and the No. 4 acid plant begins production. Market T:65/1; TC:3,12; trend toward purer high-strength acid necessitated replacing the chamber plant. The SM; T:72/4; T:76/8 contact plants now will together produce more than 1M tons of acid per year and form the largest plant in the world converting metallurgical gases into sulfuric acid (however, no longer the largest sulfuric acid producer in the world). The No. 2 contact acid cutting plant is also built to cut some acid to lower strengths, because lower-strength chamber acid is no longer made. 1964, July T:64/8,9,11,12; The No. 1 acid plant chambers and other components including Glover towers start to T:65/1-4 be dismantled, and the salvaged lead is sold to plants in Atlanta and St Louis. About half of the lead chambers are removed by November, when some of the seven Gay- Lussac towers are also being demolished. An extra road is built in order to remove the gas cleaning structures near the roasters. 1964, Summer WK Ferri-Floc customers complain that the product has become too fine and dusty. An extensive study is begun to improve the quality, which is partially successful. The product takes several days to manufacture, and resultant quality is variable. 1964, October T:64/10,12 Cities Service operations process-flow information; shipped products now include: blister copper, zinc concentrate, iron sinter, liquid sulfur dioxide, Ferri-Floc, three grades of acid plus oleum, two grades of copper fungicide, copper sulfate, Tri-Basic copper sulfate, Copper Carbonate, Zinirate, AA-10 (flakes), OA-5 (liquid), TC-90 (liquid), sodium hydrosulfite, zinc oxide, and granulated slag.
78 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1964 GD:7 During this year, TCC treats a total of 1.4M tons of mined ore, while producing 28M pounds of copper, 859,000 tons of 100% sulfuric acid, 674,000 tons of iron sinter, 21,000 tons of zinc concentrates, 19,000 tons of copper sulfate, 3,000 tons of copper fungicides, 31,000 tons of Ferri-Floc, 12,000 tons of liquid sulfur dioxide, and 3,000 tons of organic sulfonates. 1965, early T:65/7; TC:4 A new tub container system for safely making “shot copper” is developed and installed at the smelter. Shot copper is also a saleable product, with a size of 0.12 to 0.50 inch diameter. 1965, April T:65/4; T:66/1 Demolition of the No. 1 acid plant is complete, including about 2,500 tons of steel. The plant had covered 4.5 acres, compared to less than 1 acre for the new No. 4 acid plant. Nearly all the lead has been shipped to a buyer, totaling 5.7M pounds recovered. The final salvage and cleanup effort takes place early in 1966. 1965 WK; T:66/1 This year marked high records for TCC in mining and treatment of ore, and the greatest production levels for sulfuric acid, copper, iron sinter, and zinc concentrates. This is due in part to operation of the new No. 4 acid plant. About 5,000 tons of ore are brought to the surface daily. At London mill, new magnetic separators are installed for iron recovery and an efficient computer system has been analyzing process data for some time and now is controlling operations. 1966 SM; TC:3,4 Current status: Reverberatory furnace uses pulverized coal, and Peirce-Smith converter is still in use at the smelter to produce blister copper and shot copper. Granulated slag (from current production, Carroll Hill dump, or Isabella dump) is sold for use in cement. Iron sinter is made in two sinter plants; while Ferri-Floc and Zinirate are made from roaster iron oxide dust and sulfuric acid at the Ferri-Floc plant. Acid is produced ranging from 60E to 66E and 98% H2SO4, and 20% to 65% oleum. One of the largest consumers of TCC acid is Tennessee Corporation for acidulation of phosphate rock in making fertilizers. Liquid sulfur dioxide is made from roaster gas (and other sources of SO2). Copper sulfate (industrial, crystals, monohydrated, powdered, snow), Copper Carbonate (dense and light), and copper fungicides (54% Tri-Basic, Microgel, 26% Copper Fungicide) are made from shot copper and sulfuric acid. Organic chemicals plant uses liquid SO2 and SO3 from Copperhill, plus imported raw materials to produce a variety of sulfonic acids, sulfonated hydrocarbons, other sulfur-bearing organic chemicals, TC-90, and SO3- SO2 mixes. Sodium hydrosulfite, zinc hydrosulfite (Zysol), and zinc oxide are produced from liquid SO2 and imported raw materials including zinc dust. Zinc concentrates from local ores are sold following flotation separation. 1966, February T:66/1,4,6; T:67/1; TCC begins to manufacture 40% oleum by modifying the No. 2 contact acid plant and T:68/6; GD:4 rehabilitating the oleum facilities. The oleum is shipped to the government’s Volunteer Ordnance Works at Tyner, Tennessee, which manufactures explosives for the Vietnam war effort. Then the spent acid is returned to TCC for use in making regular acid. This is the second time this plant has made oleum (also during WWII), and it also continues to manufacture some sulfuric acid.
79 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1966, April T:66/1,3,4; T:68/1; Sinter plant equipment receives major renovations, and an attempt is begun to make T:69/1 iron pellets and cakes after a two-year study. 1966, September T:66/9,10; T:79/11 Burra Burra headframe, built in 1917, is demolished. 1966, November T:66/11 Tennessee Corporation now consists of four operating divisions: Tennessee Copper, U.S. Phosphoric Products (East Tampa), Miami Copper Company (Miami, Arizona), and Agricultural Chemicals Division (Atlanta). 1966, about Aer The large L&N freight building south of the Copperhill Plant entrance is removed. 1967, January T:66/12; T:68/3,10; T.A. Mitchell retires as general manager and president of TCC. The general manager T:69/1 position is given to H.F. Kendall. Mitchell had been employed at TCC since 1913, and he worked with J.N. Houser and others to stimulate development and diversification of products at TCC. 1967, about Aer The rail switch yard is significantly expanded westward to DMC (between October 1964 and September 1969). About this time, some medium-dark material, either iron sinter or granulated slag, is deposited between the two L&N mainline tracks just west of DMC. The DMC delta begins emerging and building out into the Ocoee River around this time. 1967, June JRR, AB; KR Tennessee Corporation begins drilling at the Number 20 mine in Fannin County, Georgia (southwest Ducktown district), to determine feasibility of mining there. Drilling continues to December 1970, and CSC eventually decides against mining at this property. Exploratory drilling of other mines and prospects (Mobile, Payne, Jeptha Patterson) in the southwest Ducktown district also takes place from 1969 to 1971. 1967, August T:67/8 The machine shop is expanded with an additional working space building. An addition to the organic chemicals plant warehouse is also made. 1967, latter half FM:2; T:68/6 Due to overproduction in the iron market, almost half of TCC’s iron sinter product has to be stockpiled. TCC has hired consultants to help evaluate the future treatment of iron sulfides and how to produce a more salable iron product for Alabama furnaces. In February 1968, the conclusions are to quickly replace iron sintering operations with pelletizing. One option is to eliminate Isabella operations so that all roasting and acid making is done at Copperhill. 1967–1968 TC:3,4; T:66/4,12; Tennessee Corporation completes a contact acid plant in Augusta, Georgia, which T:67/1,7; T:68/1,3; begins operation in May 1967. The relatively small plant produces sulfuric acid and T:78/12; T:82/10; oleum by burning imported sulfur. A liquid alum plant also begins production there T:83/1 in February 1968, using sulfuric acid from the adjacent acid plant to make aluminum sulfate.
80 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1968, April T:68/2,4,6,8; Construction begins on a new laboratory building (fourth lab). In the interim, T:69/1,2; GD:2 chemical engineers use makeshift offices in the Blue Goose Hotel. The first conceptual design for the lab was made in November 1966. 1968, June T:68/6; T:69/1 Extra facilities are added to the No. 4 acid plant to manufacture 40% oleum for the war effort. Some sulfuric acid production also continues at this plant. 1968, July TC:4; T:68/7,8,10; Tennessee Corporation is split into three operating groups. The division that includes T:69/1; T:70/1 Copperhill operations is the Industrial Chemicals Group, headed by TCC general manager, H.F. Kendall. Tennessee Corporation also opens a West Coast distribution center in Pittsburg, California, known as Mountain Chemicals. This office will largely sell products originating from Copperhill, but also from East Point. 1968 GD:1 TCC now spends about $330,000 per year on neutralization of wastes to the streams. Tributary streams are tested for pollutants only once every five years, but now automatic sampling stations are being planned. Work on expanded marble beds for automatic neutralization is restarted. Proposed major process changes at the Plant should reduce pollutant discharge. 1968, September T:66/12; T:68/6,10; TCC general manager, H.F. Kendall, dies; he is replaced by Walter F. Keffer, the T:69/1; T:70/3 assistant general manager. 1968, September T:68/10 During smelter maintenance, the huge outer shell of the 1923 Peirce-Smith converter is replaced for the first time. The basic brick lining and other components have been repaired many times. 1968, December T:69/1; GD:2; The old laboratory building (third lab) is severely damaged by fire, shortly before the T:71/10; T:81/9 new lab is completed and a day before the new offices are occupied. This is at least the sixth fire occurring in this building. Most lab work continues to be done in the old damaged lab. 1968, about D:69; FR; Aer High-sulfur (off-spec) iron calcine is first disposed in the Cartertown area of the DMC watershed, southeast of the rail grade. Disposal continues to beyond 1974, possibly to 1979. This calcine intended for sintering is placed on top of headwater springs, adversely impacting the water quality of DMC. 1969, March T:69/2,12; T:70/3; A huge expansion and modernization program known as “Project Copperhill” enters T:76/5 the planning phase at this time. A new manager is transferred from Cities Service Company, M. Frank Finfrock, to lead the planning for this major project. 1969, March T:69/3 The Ferri-Floc plant is expanded southward.
81 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1969, May T:69/2,6,12; GD:2; The new chemical engineering lab is completed (still standing today). This becomes T:70/1 the fourth main lab building at the Plant site. The north half of the facility is a pilot plant, and the east end is a sample mill. The building houses the Analytical Division and the Engineering Division. 1969, first half T:69/7,12 The old storage building or merchandise warehouse is removed from near the Copperhill Plant entrance, and a large new TCC sign is installed there. A large block of ore is placed as decor in front of the general office. 1969 T:70/1; T:78/12 TCC acquires two alum plants, one in southwestern Georgia (Cedar Springs) and one in northern Florida. The Cedar Springs plant uses 98% sulfuric acid shipped from Copperhill. 1969, September DM; GD:1; T:69/9; The Calloway mine fill project is to begin soon. London tailings will be slurried and FR; SP piped to fill Calloway “B” stopes via the Calloway “A” shaft. The piping, a large concrete pond, the sand plant at Calloway “A”, and other structures are now mostly built (plant construction begun by September 1968). The mine fill project had been studied since 1963, and the actual backfilling continues until 1975. 1969, November W:69/11/7; “Project Copperhill” is now planned, approved for construction, and announced. This T:69/11,12; G:69- program becomes necessary because much of the Plant equipment is nearing the end 72; T:70/1,2; of its useful life, sinter is losing its market to pellets, and pollution abatement laws are GD:3,4,7 enacted. This includes major work at Cantrell Flats complex (pelletizing plant, new electric furnace, fluidized iron roasters), the No. 5 acid plant, Tennessee shaft of the Cherokee mine, new ore crushing plant, London mill expansion, and others. This $70M project should increase output of products by 25 to 40 percent, and meet new regulations for air and water quality. 1970, January T:70/1; GD:3,4; Tennessee Corporation is merged into Cities Service Company on January 1st, and T:75/6; T:78/5; designated as the Chemicals and Metals group, managed by R.R. Burns. TCC’s name TC:10; TV:3; SCS; is changed to Copperhill Operations of CSC. CSC accelerates Copper Basin GY; CM; CEC; revegetation program, up to 0.5M seedlings per year, and recent efforts include LM subsoiling and slow-release fertilizer tablets. From 1970 through 1986, about 6.85M trees and shrubs are planted in the Basin. 1970, January L:69/12/11; The Smelter Store, on the highway west of Cantrell Flats, is closed down. The main T:70/1,2 contractor for Project Copperhill, Parsons-Jurden Corporation of New York, sets up office and storage space and shops in the former store. Site grading begins at the Tennessee mine site. 1970, February T:70/2,4; T:82/10 Project Copperhill begins construction phase with sinking of the Tennessee shaft and new site grading at London mill.
82 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1970, March T:70/1,3,4; T:72/4; Construction begins on the No. 5 acid plant, with Leonard Construction Company GD:8 (Monsanto) performing the work. By this date, grading and soil removal are nearly done. The old soil under the former No. 1 acid plant is very acidic and “rotten” and unable to support concrete; so the soil is removed and replaced with fresh soil. 1970, April T:69/2,12; T:70/3; The general manager of Copperhill Operations, W.F. Keffer, is promoted to vice T:73/7; T:76/5 president of Industrial Chemicals Division in Atlanta (announced December 1969). M.F. Finfrock is assigned as new general manager in Copperhill; he had been promoted to Copperhill assistant general manager in December 1969. Finfrock is later promoted to vice president of the Industrial Chemicals Division, Copperhill Operations, in April 1976. 1970 Aer Granulated slag is first piled (for certain) at the Apache Blast area southwest of the Copperhill Plant, north of the L&N rail lines. Slag likely originated from the large piles at the southern end of Cantrell Flats, which needs to be moved for grading and construction to begin. By 1974, a larger pile of slag has been placed at Apache Blast site between the rail lines and the Ocoee River. 1970, May T:70/5 The new rail car sandblasting building begins operation near the rail shop. 1970, August to December T:708,12; Grading and foundations for many plants at Cantrell Flats are in progress. First to be T:71/7,12; FR; Aer; worked on are the iron roasters and gas cleaning units. Huge storage bins for Ph concentrates are being built by the rail shops (beginning before December). Temporary painting facilities (long warehouse) are built in December, and construction begins on power plant at Cantrell Flats. The No. 5 acid plant is under construction. The weir spanning Ocoee River begins to be constructed on its south side (about November) to provide additional plant water, and the existing island in the river is removed. A new 18-inch warm water pipeline is being built to the Copperhill Plant (possibly extending to Isabella and London mill). Tennessee headframe and ore bin are under construction, along with the railroad bridge leading to it over Highway 68. London mill expansion is under construction. Early 1970s GD:8,4 A packed tower is added to the No. 2 acid plant. Conversion is improved on all acid plants, so their stack losses are greatly reduced. A study is also underway for means to scrub these stack gases. 1971, January to February FE; FR; Aer; Ph While the Cantrell Flats iron roasters are being built, major accumulation begins of iron calcine in huge piles on the west side of DMC. The calcine is transported by truck and disposed, and this accumulation continues even during pellet production, finally ending in 1987. The West Drainage Channel is transformed from an open ditch to a triple culvert in January. South half of Ocoee weir is completed by late January, and access road to new pump station is being built at this time. The 200-ft tall tapered stack of No. 4 acid plant is completed by late January, and the No. 5 acid plant stack is completed about February. The No. 3 acid plant stack is scaffolded, and sinter piles are located south of the sinter plants around this time. London mill facilities are nearing completion.
83 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1971, April to May T:71/7,12; Aer; Ph Cantrell concentrate storage bins are soon completed. Construction begins around this time on the pellet plant. Calcine storage area, copper smelter, power plant, and No. 5 acid plant are under construction. West Drainage Channel culverts/ditch are covered and graded by this time. Ocoee pumping station and northern part of weir are being constructed. London mill facilities are completed. Construction continues on Tennessee shaft surface facilities. The Cherokee WWTP is under construction at this time, apparently for treating water from the mine and surface workings. 1971, August M:71; NP:85; RU; Mary mine ceases operation and closes for the last time. Total lifetime production SP from the Mary deposit (including some Polk County ore hauled through the Mary mine) amounts to 7.3M tons of ore. 1971 TC:5; GD:8 Sodium hydrosulfite and zinc oxide production is terminated and the plant abandoned, due to lack of profitability. The facility is then used for product warehousing, and later for limited production of liquid copper fungicide (see early 1973). 1971, about October T:71/10; T:81/9 The former laboratory structure (third lab), which had caught fire, is renovated on its interior for use as the Safety Department office (safety building). This department previously occupied the new lab, and prior to that was in the service office building. 1971, December T:71/12 The No. 5 acid plant is virtually complete. Many of Cantrell Flats facilities are largely in place, except the metals recovery plant. 1971 or 1972 TC:5; FR; Aer The large D-1 and D-3 acid tanks are built near the No. 5 acid plant. In addition, on the east side of DMC in the 2-acre tank farm, there are 25 acid storage tanks with a total capacity of about 66,000 tons. 1972, March GD:4; T:72/4; The No. 5 acid plant begins production. Only one iron roaster at Cantrell Flats is T:73/5; T:76/8; operating. These are new Dorr-Oliver fluo-solids type roasters that leak no gas. NUS 1972, April T:69/12; T:72/5; The entire Isabella Plant is permanently shut down, timed with the startup of the TC:10; LM second iron roaster at Cantrell Flats and following the startup of the No. 5 acid plant. With Isabella facilities closing, plus progress in emissions at the Copperhill Plant, vegetation in the region soon shows marked improvement in survival, growth rate, and reproduction. 1972, May T:72/5; CM; Aer The third iron roaster at Cantrell Flats is set to begin operation. Iron calcine is now going to the new A-frame storage building, but then hauled up to the storage area near DMC until the pellet plant starts up. The truck acid loading station is now operative. Construction of the Gypsum Pond may have begun at this date (or sometime after March 1971).
84 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1972, June T:72/6,7 The Copperhill sinter plants cease operations. The Cantrell Flats waste-steam boiler at the power plant begins with one generator, and a second generator starts in July (power plant is still standing today). 1972, July GD:4; G:71,72; The Cantrell Flats copper smelter begins production, consisting of a copper roaster, T:72/7 electric furnace, and one new converter. The new furnace permits offgas recovery of sulfur dioxide (previously wasted through reverberatory stack). 1972, August T:72/8; T:83/1; IH The pellet plant goes through a partial trial run. The plant cost $50M to build, and reportedly has significant problems stemming from local modifications to the original Japanese design. 1972, September T:72/9; TC:6; Aer Construction of the Gypsum Pond and a pipeline leading to it are completed. The impoundment will accept wastes from the metals recovery process, which is still being worked on. The Cantrell Flats guard house and employee parking lot are completed. The old 1923 copper converter at Copperhill is transferred to Cantrell Flats to complement the new Cantrell converter (both are Peirce-Smith). 1972, November T:72/11,12 The metals recovery plant is completed and waiting for final startup of the pellet plant. 1972, latter half D:87; FR; GD:8; London mill concentrate material south of Calloway “B” is first disposed in surge Aer piles, by rail (between about mid-1972 and May 1974). Piles are placed on new fill west of the Gypsum Pond pipeline. This initially included mostly iron concentrates, but later also with copper concentrates/reverts at the north end. Disposal and reclamation of this material continues until 1987 at this location. 1972, about Aer; IH L&N builds a wide rail bridge with two extra tracks across lower DMC and extends additional tracks through the Apache Blast area. Spur tracks are also added to connect Cantrell Flats to the mainline, joining in the Apache Blast area. Cities Service also installs three propane tanks in the Apache Blast area to service the Copperhill Plant (between March 1971 and May 1974). 1973, early TC:5; IH A pilot plant for occasional production of liquid copper fungicide, known as Tenn- Cop, begins operation in the old hydrosulfite building. 1973, April GD:4; TC:5,6,9; Pellet plant begins production, using a gas-fired kiln, and first pellets are shipped to T:73/5; G:73; customer. Plant discharges scrubbed and cleaned gas, unlike the old sinter plant. T:79/3; FR Initial waste from the metals recovery plant (calcium sulfate-sulfite and iron-zinc hydroxides) is pumped to the Gypsum Pond. Project Copperhill is now completed, and millions of dollars have been spent on reclamation and pollution control. 1973, April T:73/4; FR The Polk County sanitary landfill opens on land donated by CSC along Highway 64 near Isabella. An older landfill near the highway at the head of DMC had closed in the early 1970s.
85 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1973, Spring T:72/12 The Tennessee shaft and related structures are completed. Major repairs and replacement of equipment at London mill are completed about this time. 1973, May T:73/5 Cities Service operations process-flow information; shipped products now include: zinc concentrate, blister copper, slag, iron pellets, Ferri-Floc, liquid sulfur dioxide, sulfur trioxide, three grades of sulfuric acid plus oleum, sulfonated organics, copper sulfate/fungicide chemicals (briks, crystals, snow, powdered, mono, Tri-Basic, Copper Carbonate, and Cit-Cop). 1973, June SN:1; TC:6 Pellet plant and metals recovery plant are still undergoing startup and operating very intermittently. Wastes are pumped to the Gypsum Pond. A waste collection system is installed at the Ferri-Floc plant, for wastes from various plants, which will be pumped to a waste treatment system at the metals recovery plant. 1973 T:74/3; TC:10; Cities Service Company together with SCS and University of Tennessee outline a TV:3; SCS; LM five-year program for replanting in the Copper Basin. The U.S. Forest Service and CSC begin experimenting with revegetation in highly eroded central area of Copper Basin (13.5 square miles, of which 7 square miles is owned by CSC). Practices tested include application of fertilizer and lime, tree bark additions for organic matter, planting pines with symbiotic fungi, and testing 20 species of plants for adaptability. Results of these techniques become the standard means of later revegetation in the Basin. 1973, July T:73/7; NA; T:80/5 Cities Service Company relocates management headquarters for the Chemicals and Metals Group from New York to Atlanta. This group includes operations at Copperhill and Miami, Arizona, and the Marketing Department of Industrial Chemicals and Metals. Copper from Copperhill and Miami continues to be sold through the Adolph Lewisohn Selling Corporation, still located at 61 Broadway in New York. 1973, August T:73/8; T:74/9; Dismantling of Copperhill sinter plants and smelter facilities begins. For pollution NUS prevention, plans are announced for building the No. 6 acid plant and two wastewater treatment plants. New systems will also be installed to collect and neutralize liquid wastes from throughout company facilities, and measures will be made to reduce SO2 and oleum emissions. 1973 KR Following a Boyd shaft pillar collapse, a new shaft is started near the old manshaft. The headframe from Mary mine is moved and in use at Boyd in 1974. 1973, September TC:7 Regarding the Copper Basin, Cities Service Company states that because it does no strip or open-pit mining, “the landscape is undisturbed by its mining operations.” 1973, September T:73/9; T:74/4,9; Most of the No. 2 sinter plant has been demolished. The No. 1 sinter plant is Aer removed in early 1974.
86 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1973, October T:73/10 The reverberatory smelter stack is demolished as part of the old smelter removal. This 200-ft stack had been built in 1939. 1973, December G:73; SN:3; Iron roasting and pelletizing facilities are still not operating satisfactorily, and require T:78/12; FR; GD:8 major modifications. Off-spec pellet material is wasted on Carroll Hill over a period of time. Two old roasters at Copperhill are used intermittently as sulfur burners (at least through 1976), using imported sulfur to make SO2 for acid plants, because the new roasters are having operational difficulties. 1974, February to April T:74/4; T:83/1 A labor strike at Copperhill Operations extends from mid-February to mid-April. An agreement for a 3-year contract was finally reached between CSC and the unions on April 11th. 1974, April T:74/4; TC:8; Air and water pollution control project begins. This will involve construction of the T:76/8 No. 6 acid plant and modification of the No. 4 and No. 5 plants, and other modifications to the smelter, mines, mill, and chemical facilities. 1974 TH Tennessee Water Quality Control Board classifies Davis Mill Creek as a “wastewater stream.” This implies that the creek water consists largely of industrial discharge on company property down to its mouth. Subsequently, the creek was permitted as a point source discharge. 1974, midyear T:74/4,9; T:75/6; Construction begins on the No. 6 acid plant, again being done by Leonard T:76/3; G:74; Aer; Construction Company (Monsanto) of Chicago, who has built all of TCC’s contact F:07/4/2 plants. The tall stack is built beginning about June 1975. The sinter plants are now completely removed. 1974, about D:74; Aer The slag plant at the south end of the Copperhill Plant is removed (possibly soon after May 1974). 1974, November D:73; T:74/11,12; Construction of Cantrell Flats WWTP and London mill WWTP begins. These plants SN:2; G:74; T:75/6 are built to remove chemicals and suspended solids from wastewater. The long warehouse (temporary paint facilities) at the future site of the Cantrell Flats WWTP is removed; it had been there since December 1970. 1974, December SN:1,2; LS Construction begins on the Calgon carbon absorption unit at the Copperhill Plant. This unit will be used for removal of DMA and other organics prior to wastewater treatment. 1974–1976 T:74/9; G:74-76 Major improvements are required and made to the iron system, including revamping four iron roasters, two of four roaster waste heat boilers, and the pelletizing system. 1975 FE; GD:8 Copper revert materials, including copper concentrate, are disposed on Carroll Hill and near the boneyard north of Shea Hollow.
87 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1975 TC:10; LM CSC develops a program to control tailings at the London tailings pond from blowing in the wind, which under certain conditions, reach a distance of several miles. In 1975, 45 to 50 acres are covered with soil and vegetated; in 1976, another 25 to 30 acres are covered and seeded. 1975, Summer TC:8; T:77/12 Due to new clean air legislation, a project begins that will implement a new gas scrubber system at the pellet plant kiln. Also, equipment is added to the acid plants to decrease sulfur oxides emissions by increasing conversion efficiency from SO2 to SO3. 1975, August M:75; RU; SP Eureka (Isabella) mine ceases production and shuts down completely. Total lifetime production from the entire Eureka-Isabella deposit amounts to approximately 13.7M tons of ore. 1975, December T:75/12; T:79/11 Mining headquarters office is moved from Burra Burra mine (future Ducktown museum building) to a new office at the Tennessee shaft. 1975, December T:74/10; T:75/12; The No. 6 acid plant initially starts up on December 16, and goes on-stream soon G:75; T:76/3,8; after, utilizing a double absorption system to meet stack emission standards. T:77/6,12 Completion of the plant was delayed at least six months due to delays in equipment delivery. The No. 4 and No. 5 acid plants are being combined into one large plant (known as the No. 5 plant), also with double absorption. Now there are only two sulfuric acid plants in the Basin. The Cantrell Flats WWTP is nearly complete. 1975 GD:7 During this year, TCC treats a total of 1.6M tons of mined ore, while producing 20M pounds of copper, 780,000 tons of 100% sulfuric acid, 270,000 tons of iron pellets, 10,000 tons of zinc concentrates, 18,000 tons of copper sulfate, 4,000 tons of copper fungicides, 37,000 tons of Ferri-Floc, 31,000 tons of liquid sulfur dioxide, and 3,000 tons of organic sulfonates. 1976, January WE:3; T:76/4; KZT Construction begins on a diversion tunnel, to reroute water from NPC to DMC. Cities Service excavates the tunnel, beginning at DMC outlet end. This will handle excess storm flow from NPC and prevent flooding at downstream mining areas. This flooding concern had been raised by W.H. Emmons as long ago as 1947, to protect the Cherokee-Old Tennessee mine areas. 1976, February SN:5; TH; TC:12 The London mill WWTP begins operation. It will treat water from McPherson mine, Isabella/Eureka mine, and London tailings pond. The plant had apparently been approved in 1975. 1976, March TC:5,6,12; The Cantrell Flats WWTP and Copperhill industrial wastewater collection system SN:3,4,5; TH; FR begins operation. Mine water treated at the plant will be from Mary/Polk, Boyd, Calloway “B”, and Cherokee/Tennessee mines, as well as the Boyd change house. Sludge “underflow” from the WWTP is piped to the Gypsum Pond. Clarified effluent is discharged to DMC.
88 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1976, April T:76/4,10; T:77/12; Mining begins on the School Property at the North/South Pit mines by stripping T:79/8; GC; RU overburden. CSC now utilizes the township funds previously paid during times of inactivity (since 1912) to cover the current lease royalties, until these funds become expended in 1982. Construction begins soon on the flood-control diversion dam near the tunnel entrance. No. 5 acid plant is taken out of production to complete the final modifications. 1976, May T:76/4; T:77/12; The diversion tunnel is completed, extending from the diversion dam in NPC to T:79/8; KZT; TV:4 DMC. The tunnel is 2,350-ft long and 13-ft diameter. About this time, the path of NPC is re-routed around the locations of the future open pits. 1976 KD; IH; Aer Smelter Hill residences are razed by Cities Service Company. Blue Goose Hotel and Cowanee Club house both remain. (The Blue Goose is still standing today, and is leased out by IH; but the Cowanee Club is razed by about 1987). 1976 CM; NUS The Copperhill calcine pit that was formerly used for dewatering calcine is now backfilled, and later is used for materials storage. 1976, August T:74/10; T:76/3,8; The No. 5 acid plant (combined with the old No. 4 acid plant) begins operating as a T:77/12; T:82/9; large double absorption plant, which is highly efficient. Simultaneously, the No. 2 TC acid plant and No. 3 acid plant are shut down. 1976 TC:5; D:92; GD:8 The sulfur trioxide plant that has been operating at the No. 2 contact acid plant is moved to the No. 5 acid plant, due to closure of the No. 2 acid plant. SO3 from the acid process is sent to this new plant for liquefaction into the final product. 1976, October T:76/4,10; T:77/12; Ore is first produced from the North Pit mine. T:79/8 1977, April to August T:77/4,8; G:77; A labor strike from mid-April to mid-August decreases Copperhill annual production T:83/1 by 51 percent compared to 1976. The work stoppage results from differences between the International Chemical Workers union and Cities Service Company, although four unions are involved in negotiations. 1977, November TC:9; T:77/12; A new Lone Star gas scrubbing system at the pellet plant kiln and another system at G:77 the copper converter are completed and begin operating. This will help meet regulatory levels for both air and water discharge. 1977, about FR; Aer The Gypsum Pond becomes full of water for the first time. By mid-1974, a large amount of water was already ponded behind the dam. 1978, January to March T:77/12; 1978/3 The electric furnace at the smelter is almost completely rebuilt, along with repairs to other parts of the copper system. New gas scrubbing systems are installed for the copper roaster and the furnace. The old gas scrubbing equipment at the pellet plant, which worked poorly and has been superseded, is removed to make room for a new quench tower to replace the two existing towers.
89 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1978, March T:79/12; T:81/2 The Ducktown Basin Museum forms as a non-profit organization to preserve the Copper Basin’s historical heritage. Its volunteer staff is housed in a building on Main Street in Ducktown. 1978, Spring T:78/5; TC:10; Pines and increasing numbers of locusts continue to be planted in Copper Basin for TV:3; SCS; CEC; reforestation. Aerial distribution of fertilizer is first used in lieu of slow-release LM tablets. CSC outlines a three-year interim plan of revegetation using soil treatment. 1978, Spring T:77/12; T:79/8; The diversion dam in NPC is completed. It is 90-ft high and will hold a 100-year KZT flood to protect both underground and surface mines downstream. The old Potato Creek tailings dam (a small rockfill dam upstream of the new dam) is buttressed to retain existing solids behind it. 1978 T:79/3; TH Extensive modifications are made to the pellet plant to improve pellet quality. These modifications will prove to be unsuccessful. By the end of the year, the investment in the Copperhill Plant would amount to $180M. 1978 FE Part of the large calcine piles in the DMC watershed is reclaimed, via covering and vegetation. 1978, Fall T:77/12 Ore is first produced from the South Pit mine at this time. Late 1970s, about Aer; D:78 The Cantrell Flats pellet office and brick storage building are constructed (between May 1978 and April 1982, both still standing today). The former leaching plant (built 1918) is removed due to encroachment by Shea Hollow landfill (between May 1974 and April 1982). 1979, March T:79/3-5,12; The pellet plant is shut down due to problems with pellet quality, quantity, and G:79,80; SB; profitability. This necessitates approximately 400 employee layoffs. As a result of T:82/3; T:83/1; TH; no outlet for the iron end-product, iron calcine begins to be trucked to huge piles west FR of DMC, accumulating at a rate of 2,400 tons per day. 1979, March TH Due to financial difficulties, Cities Service Company has to reduce activities on its voluntary revegetation program (plan initiated in October 1978). Around this time, DMC shows a large number of acidic condition measurements. In order to meet permit limits, CSC begins frequent manual lime additions to DMC. An automated lime feeder is later installed, and utilized to at least 1985. 1979, April T:79/8 The production capacity of the liquid sulfur dioxide plant is expanded by 17 percent. This plant now accounts for about one-sixth of all U.S. production.
90 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1979, May T:79/4,5; T:80/5; Cities Service Company merges operations at Copperhill, Atlanta, and other Georgia T:81/10 locations into the Industrial Chemicals Operation, headquartered at Atlanta. M.F. Finfrock, vice president of Industrial Chemicals and general manager at Copperhill, is transferred to Atlanta. Christopher G. White, former mine and mill superintendent, is assigned as general manager of Industrial Chemicals (formerly Copperhill Operations). CSC quells rumors that it intends to close the entire Copperhill Plant. As cost-saving measures, CSC will close the Blue Goose Hotel and reduce the reforestation effort. 1979, May T:79/5,9; T:81/8 A “calcine utilization team” is formed by the Industrial Chemicals Operation to find uses for excess iron calcine. 1979, mid T:79/10 Additional copper sulfate storage is created to smooth out production, because demand is seasonal. New storage is located in the vat crystallizer room, in the basement of the No. 5 acid plant change house, and in the old construction storage building west of the third lab. Copperhill now produces 48 percent of the nation’s copper sulfate. 1979, August T:79/8; TV:4 Mining is completed at the North Pit mine and continuing at the South Pit mine. The waste rock from the South Pit is used to backfill the North Pit. 1979, September T:79/9 A total of 95 percent of iron calcine is going from the Cantrell Flats A-frame storage to the “mountain” stockpile along DMC, and only 5 percent is sold. 1979, November T:79/11 The old brick chemical lab building (second lab) near the Copperhill gate house is demolished. It had been used for chemical and other storage since about 1929. The mine maintenance shops are moved from Burra Burra to the Tennessee shaft area of the Cherokee mine. 1979, December T:79/12; T:81/5,7; A small plant (crusher/hammer mill) is installed south of Calloway “B” to reclaim IH sour iron concentrates and copper reverts, used for blending with new concentrates. This process has evolved into an integral part of the concentrate handling system. New iron concentrates are covered with magnetite from London mill to prevent oxidation. Magnetite is also being increasingly sold as a minor by-product. 1980, February T:80/2 Major derailment of nine cars full of concentrate occurs on the way to the smelter at the Triangle area of NPC. Iron and copper concentrates are spilled. 1980, May T:80/8,10; T:83/5 An environmental team is organized to evaluate water quality problems in streams and WWTP discharges. Three monitoring stations are located in lower DMC, two in NPC, and two in the Ocoee River. 1980, first half T:80/8 A “mineral processing improvement team” is developed to examine means of maximizing economic recovery of ore components during beneficiation.
91 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1980, July T:80/7,9; Dismantling of the pellet plant begins, and continues through 1981. T:81/5,10; G:80 1980, August T:80/8,12; T:81/12 Two 50-foot extensions are added to the process stacks on the liquid sulfur dioxide plant, to meet ambient air quality standards. Both acid plants are shut down for part of the month for emergency maintenance. An ore pass blockage at the Tennessee shaft stops all Cherokee mine activity for 32 days. The ore pass problem continues to a lesser extent into 1981. Also leaks in the boilers for the iron roasters took place between August and October. 1980, about November T:80/12 An area of Cantrell Flats near the smelter, iron roasters, and control room is paved to prevent mud problems. 1981, January T:80/11; FR; WB Apache Blast, Inc., begins to excavate slag piles near the L&N rail tracks north of the Ocoee River, west of DMC, for use in sandblasting. Apache Blast had signed a contract with Cities Service Company in October 1980, and begun building their processing plant immediately. (Note: L&N merges to become Seaboard System Railroad in December 1982, and then is absorbed into CSX Transportation in mid- 1986.) 1981, February T:81/2; T:82/2; Cities Service Company donates Burra Burra surface facilities to the Ducktown Basin GY; NP:87 Museum. In February 1982, the museum moves from a building on Main Street in Ducktown to the former Burra Burra mine office. 1981, April T:81/6; T:83/10 A steam pipeline is installed so that the liquid sulfur dioxide plant can utilize steam generated at the copper sulfate plant boiler, instead of burning its own diesel fuel. 1981, May T:81/5,12; T:82/6,7 Cities Service Company announces its interest in selling the Industrial Chemicals Division (Copperhill, Augusta and Cedar Springs, Georgia) and Miami Copper Operations (Miami, Arizona). 1981, August T:81/4,8 New truck scales at the plant entrance gate house are completed, replacing the old shorter scales. For several months during construction, temporary scales near the company sign have been used. 1981, September T:71/10; T:81/9 The exterior brick wall of the safety building is rebuilt. The exterior of the building had not been modified after the 1971 fire. 1981 T:81/12 The rail system for the Copperhill operation includes 23 miles of track, four diesel locomotives, 795 tank cars, and 25 side-dump cars. Over a year’s time, a total of 10,600 cars of products are handled and shipped. A total of 24,200 cars of ore are hauled from the mines to London mill, and 15,700 cars of concentrates are hauled from the mill to the bins at Copperhill.
92 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1981, November T:81/12 Due to an economic depression, with decreased demand and price for copper and acid, a large reduction in force takes place at Copperhill. A total of 170 employees are laid off during the year. 1981–1983 T:81/8; TC:11; FR A pilot test is conducted at the concrete pond north of Calloway A shaft to determine the leaching characteristics of calcine. About 500 tons of calcine are used in the test, which took place between August 1981 and May 1983. 1982, March T:82/3; D:88; FE; The southern part of iron calcine “mountain” along DMC is being covered with soil FR and applied heavily with lime, fertilizers, binding agents, and grass seed. It is green by early summer. 1982, June T:80/8,12; Intermittent operational problems continue (since 1980) with the iron roasters and T:81/2,8,12; acid plants. T:82/3,6,7 1982, September T:82/10-12; T:83/1; Industrial Chemicals Division of Cities Service Company is purchased by Tennessee TV:3; SCS; GY; Chemical Company on September 22nd. The purchase represents a buyout of the IDC TC; TC:12; CEC by its management and outside investors. The new company is based in Copperhill, with the sales/marketing division based in Atlanta. Bruce D. Davis is appointed as president and CEO, while C.G. White is assigned as vice president of operations. Davis heads up a consortium of four venture groups. Tennessee Chemical Company is now a private independent company, and is essentially the newest successor to Tennessee Copper Company. Tennessee Chemical is now the nation’s leading producer of copper chemicals. The company name on the large sign at the Copperhill Plant entrance is immediately revised. Tennessee Chemical continues a program to revegetate the Copper Basin. 1982 GC As a result of mining on the leased School Property, the previously paid fund to the Township Commission (paid since 1912) has been fully depleted to pay for recent mining royalties. TCC now will pay only the flat royalty payment of 31 cents per ton of ore mined. 1982, October T:82/5,11 A long channel that connects impoundments is completed along the northern side of the London tailings pond. The project had begun in April. 1982, December TD; P:03/4/30; WB A subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation purchases the assets of Cities Service Company, which had sold Copperhill Operations in September. In early 1983, Occidental also sells off Miami Copper Company to Newmont Mining Corporation, eventually becoming Pinto Valley Copper Corporation and finally Magma Copper Company. In September 1983, OXY Oil and Gas USA, Inc., acquires the assets and liabilities of Cities Service Company, and then is merged into OXY USA, Inc., in December 1993. 1982, December T:82/12; IH The disposal of iron calcine (previously ongoing for a short time) into a shaft or pit at the old Mary-Polk County mine is discontinued due to a fatal accident.
93 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1982, about Aer; FR Calcine begins to be disposed in the large northern pile on the western side of DMC (between 1982 and 1985). 1983, March T:83/3,12; TC Tennessee Chemical Company products now include: four grades of sulfuric acid and five of oleum, sulfur dioxide, sulfur trioxide, aluminum sulfate (liquid alum), Ferri- Floc, copper sulfate (pentahydrate, monohydrate, liquids), Tri-Basic copper sulfate, Copper Carbonate, Citcop 5E (fungicide), copper (blister, shot, electrolytic), magnetite, iron oxide (calcine), zinc concentrate, granulated slag, Sul-fon-ate (OA-5, AA-9, AA-10, OE-500), para-toluene sulfonic acid, para-ethylbenzene sulfonic acid, sodium hydrosulfite (Cit-White, Hydro-T), sodium bisulfite, zinc sulfate, and sodium silicofluoride. Some of these products are manufactured at satellite plants. Regional distribution warehouses are located at Harbor Bay, New Jersey; Saddle Creek, Florida; and Pittsburg, California. TCC’s chemical products are sold nationally to almost 800 customers, amounting to more than $25M in annual revenues. 1983, July T:83/9; G:83; GY; The Calloway “B” shaft pillar collapses and thus causes the mine to permanently TC:12; RU; KR; close. Total lifetime production from the Calloway deposit amounts to about 12.0M SP tons of ore. This loss, in combination with an economic recession and drop in copper prices, leads to financial difficulties that accelerate termination of mining in the district. Bruce Davis borrows several million dollars from four local unions to keep the company afloat and the mines operating. 1983, July T:82/11,12; T:83/6; Tennessee Chemical Company, which owns about 20,000 acres of land and 5,500 GC; BS acres of mineral rights, begins to sell major portions of its land holdings. Actual transfer of deeds begins in October 1983, and land auctions continue until May 1994. 1983, August T:83/10 A steam-extraction system is initiated at the Copperhill Plant, which routes excess steam from the Cantrell Flats power plant to the organic chemicals plant, copper sulfate plant, and liquid sulfur dioxide plant. The system has been in construction since early 1983. 1983, late T:83/12 Tennessee Chemical Company enters the water-treatment polymer business via a resale arrangement through their satellite offices. These offices also sell zinc sulfate, arsenic acid, sodium silicofluoride, liquid Ferri-Floc, liquid copper sulfate, and others. TCC also acquires the Burris alum plants. 1984, about MP:2; Aer The Cartertown iron calcine pile is graded and covered with soil (between April 1983 and February 1985). Vegetation of the pile takes place about 1985. 1984 D:11,69,84; Aer A drainage ditch is installed on the east side of the Calloway concentrate piles, leading to a new concrete sediment retention pond south of the pile. At this time, the adjacent culvert on DMC is removed, which had been part of an old bridge on the former road between Coletown and Mary mine (between April 1983 and February 1985).
94 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1984, February T:84/3 Tennessee Chemical Company donates its Copperhill YMCA building (built 1923) to the town of Copperhill. It later would become the City Hall. The February-March issue of “Topics” is the final issue of the company newsletter, due to serious budget cuts by TCC to eliminate all non-essential programs. 1984, about May MF; FR Mary mine “stabilization” or “minefill” activity begins, with pumping of Cantrell Flats WWTP sludge to the Mary-Polk County mine (apparently to the Polk County shaft). The Gypsum Pond remains as a backup disposal area. A pipeline is also constructed so that Mary mine water from the Gordon shaft can be pumped and treated at the WWTP to keep the groundwater levels down for surge capacity. 1984 FR, CH Slag piles are first leased by TCC to the firm, Gran Grit, to excavate granulated slag for roofing shingles and sand blasting. Gran Grit starts with the Mudflat slag pile, then the Cartertown pile about 1986, then Carroll Hill about 1989. 1984 TV:3; SCS; TC:12; TVA together with TCC, Soil Conservation Service, and others join into a coalition F:92/3/29; LM; known as the Cooperative Copper Basin Land Reclamation Project. About 20 square F:02/1/10; miles of the Basin are still considered critically eroded. A massive aerial seeding N:02/4/30; WB; FR program of large areas is initiated to halt sediment transport to Ocoee River reservoirs. Up to 1984, more than 14 million trees have been planted in the Basin. The new program includes lime addition to soil, plus millions of additional seedling plantings by hand, and seeds and fertilizer by air. During this year, grass is planted on 36 acres of the London tailings pond (and another 28 acres in 1988). 1984 M:84; NP:87; RU; Boyd mine ceases production and shuts down, with final closing of the mine in 1985. SP Total lifetime production from the Boyd mine amounts to 18.5M tons of ore. 1985, January NP:85; G:85; GY; Mining phase-out is announced to occur by 1987, giving the employees a 30-month TC:12; P:87/8 notice. Tennessee Chemical had planned the phase-out since 1982. Up to 900 jobs will be affected directly, and possibly 1,100 indirect jobs. At this time, about 60 percent of sales are from sulfuric acid and liquid sulfur dioxide, 30 percent from copper and copper chemicals, and 10 percent from miscellaneous organics. 1985, September RT; CT:1; CMA A major leak of about 725 gallons of DMA occurs on September 6th at the liquid sulfur dioxide plant, reaching DMC and the Ocoee River. As a result, the river is closed to rafting and swimming for one week. 1985, latter half JG:1; BW; CM; The old Shea Hollow Landfill (unpermitted) is closed and reclaimed, by covering NUS; FE; FR with borrow soil and then vegetated.
95 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1986–1987 TV:3; SCS; LM; Two major cooperative plans are issued for completing revegetation and erosion SA control in Copper Basin. One plan is by TVA (June 1986); the other is by a consortium of Soil Conservation Service, TCC, TVA, and Polk County Soil Conservation District (February 1987). Surface soils in the Basin are considered infertile and with an average pH of 4.0 (highly acidic). In 1986, approximately 18 square miles of Copper Basin remain not fully vegetated and critically eroding, which represents about one-third of the original size. By this time, altogether more than 14M trees have been planted with varying success in the Basin. 1987 FR; GD:8; RE The No. 5 acid plant discontinues operation, and only the No. 6 acid plant remains active. Iron calcine (or “treated calcine”) is now disposed in the Gypsum Pond. 1987, July G:87; FR; GY; Mining operations are discontinued on July 31st, including activities at the Cherokee TC:12; RU; GD:8 mine and the South Pit mine. This entails loss of about 640 jobs, including those in milling and smelting. TCC will focus on acid and chemical production, with raw materials purchased, because it is less costly to purchase than to mine materials. Iron roasters are converted to sulfur burners to generate SO2 for the acid plant. The Ferri- Floc process begins using calcine from Carroll Hill. The copper sulfate plant begins using “chopped copper” imported from Southwire Company in Carrollton, Georgia. 1987, August P:87/8; RU; SP The last load of ore in the district is hauled from Cherokee (Old Tennessee) mine on August 27th, and milling operations cease soon after. Total lifetime production from underground mining on the entire Cherokee-Old Tennessee-School Property deposit amounts to approximately 20.2M tons of ore. In addition, production from open-pit mining (North and South Pits) amounts to a total of 4.0M tons of ore. For the full history of the district, a total of 95M tons of ore were extracted since 1850. 1987, Fall CM; NUS Copperhill smelting operations cease. The Cantrell Flats slag settling pond is backfilled with nearby fill material, apparently after removal of any remaining granulated slag. 1988, April TT; FE; FR The new Shea Hollow “demolition” landfill is approved and permitted, but apparently not opened until 1989. 1988, May LS; D:88; CMA; A release of DMA to the Ocoee River is reported on May 16th, originating from the Aer liquid sulfur dioxide plant. The DMC treatment project also is under construction, the Belltown diversion dam is nearly complete, and a polyethylene diversion pipeline is being laid. A pump station and part of the DMC dam (to pond water for pumping) have been constructed as part of the Cantrell Flats WWTP system. 1988, latter half FR; F:01/1/20; SA; The base flow water of Davis Mill Creek begins to be treated at Cantrell Flats N:02/4/30 WWTP, and this continues until 1996. The DMC dam (future No. 3 dam) is completed.
96 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1988 D:88; FE; MP:2; The northern portion of iron calcine “mountain” along DMC is reclaimed by covering FR; Aer and vegetating (in late spring). A pit of calcine is opened for removal and processing of calcine for Ferri-Floc, and a calcine mixing unit is erected at Cantrell Flats for this purpose. The Calloway concentrate pile is reclaimed by grading, covering, and vegetating (before May); the Gypsum Pond pipeline is rerouted on top of the soil cover. Late 1980s IH, GD:8 The brownish substrate of DMC apparently starts to become more noticeably orange, and its water quality is becoming worse with time. Lime addition to creek is apparently terminated about this time. Late 1980s EL; FR; Aer The Polk County mine collapse event takes place south of the old Mary mine collapse pit (which was present before 1922). This new collapse begins to grow sometime after mid-1988. 1989, April TC:12; CEC; LM; TCC files for bankruptcy. The company owns about 8,500 acres of land (13.3 square BB:02 miles), of which their manufacturing facilities occupy about 240 acres. 1989, August CT:1; CMA A fire strikes the liquid sulfur dioxide plant. This releases DMA-contaminated fluid to the East Branch sump. 1990 IH A nighttime fire destroys the former calcine storage A-frame structure at Cantrell Flats. 1990, midyear CEC At this time, 15.9 square miles of the Copper Basin remain in need of revegetation, including 908 acres of denuded land and 9,269 acres of partially vegetated land. 1990, September TC:12,13; AC; Boliden Intertrade AG, a Swiss company, purchases Tennessee Chemical Company TV:4; F:92/6/7; on September 20th, just before TCC is to be liquidated. This includes the Copperhill FG; LM; PS:3; OR; production operations and surrounding land in bankruptcy court, totaling 1,630 acres NP:99; IH; within DMC watershed. The remainder of the company lands are sold as smaller F:01/1/20; SA; WB parcels or are in bankruptcy court. This newly formed operation is later renamed as BIT Manufacturing. Boliden Intertrade is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swedish- based firm Trelleborg AB. The Prospective Purchaser Agreement is signed by EPA, TDEC, and Boliden, which protects Boliden and successors from much of the environmental liability (Agreement and Covenant Not to Sue). This agreement requires Boliden to perform environmental actions, including operation of the Cantrell Flats WWTP, revegetation, limited remediation at Plant, water quality improvements, and closure of the Gypsum Pond. Boliden also begins operating the London WWTP for one year only. Chemical engineer James C. Hedrick becomes Copperhill Plant manager. Boliden plans to continue manufacturing sulfuric acid by sulfur burning, Ferri-Floc, liquid SO2, sulfonated organic chemicals, and some copper products (copper sulfate).
97 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1990, November JG:2 A spill of an estimated 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel occurs on November 23rd at the railroad shop engine-fueling station at the Copperhill Plant. This release reaches DMC and the downstream Ocoee River. Fuel-contaminated soil (60 tons) is removed from the spill site, while 9.8 tons of contaminated debris and 230 gallons of liquid are removed from behind Ocoee No. 3 dam. 1991, early TC:12; F:92/6/7 A contract is given to Monsanto to renovate part of the sulfur burning plant and add new technology. The installation is not complete until March 1992. 1991, May JG:3; TV:4; PS:1; The water of NPC is routed into the abandoned South Pit mine to act as a sediment F:92/3/29; FG; LM; trap, at the request of the State. This creates a 20-acre pond that can hold 3.9M tons SA of sediment. The channel rerouting process in the vicinity of the South Pit had begun in February, with initial modification to the outlet channel from the open pit. 1991, September TV:4; F:92/3/29; TVA proposes a plan to cooperatively complete the revegetation of Copper Basin by LM the year 2000. At this time, approximately 15 square miles of the Basin remain unvegetated or partially vegetated and are eroding heavily. To date, 16M trees have been planted in the Basin during the entire reforestation effort. 1991, September AO; EI; OR; OXY Oil and Gas USA, Inc., enters into a Consent Order with EPA, requiring OXY P:03/4/30 to operate the London mill WWTP (see 1996), to meet effluent standards, and to perform specified long-term environmental monitoring, sludge disposal, and other actions. OXY never owned the land or operated in the mining district, but had purchased Cities Service Company after they had sold operations to Tennessee Chemical Company. 1992, March TC:12; NP:91; TW; A modern sulfur burner (using #2 fuel oil) is completed at the No. 6 acid plant to F:92/6/7; FR; MA; replace the modified roasters, which will greatly diminish sulfur dioxide emissions. Aer Heat from the sulfur burner will generate electrical power at the Cantrell Flats power plant; excess electricity can be sold back to TVA. A new sulfur unloading station is constructed near the acid plant, but the old Cantrell Flats operation is retained. About a million tons of sulfur per day can be hauled by rail into the Plant, although the process is only operating at half capacity. Construction had begun in 1991 on the sulfur-burning facility, which also included a 1M-gallon liquid sulfur storage tank near the No. 6 acid plant. 1992, June TV:4; PS:1,2; TW; The NPC diversion tunnel to DMC is plugged with concrete, and the diversion dam is JG:4; FG; SA upgraded. 1993 FE; MA; IH; SA Storm water collection ponds are built or modified at the Copperhill Plant: East Branch pond (4.6M gallon capacity), Copperhill pond (0.7M gallon), Upper Cantrell Flats pond (2.4M gallon), Lower Cantrell Flats pond (1.6M gallon), and Firewater pond (1.8M gallon). The industrial storm water collection area is now 120 acres draining to these five ponds. Previously about 30 point-source discharges entered DMC. This task is completed in July 1993.
98 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1993 MA; GD:8 The copper sulfate/fungicide plant discontinues operation permanently. 1993 Aer; Ph Three propane tanks at the Apache Blast site are moved to the area south of the liquid sulfur dioxide plant (between March 1993 and February 1994). 1994, May BS; P:03/4/30 Former Tennessee Chemical Company lands are auctioned off until this date. Altogether, several thousand acres of land are disposed of via five land auctions. The court allowed the bankruptcy trustee to declare the remaining property as “abandoned lands,” which amount to 2,000 to 3,000 acres. 1994, June FG; CT:2; FE; SA Storm water around the Gypsum Pond impoundments is diverted via a system of ditches. This will segregate the Gypsum Pond waters from surrounding surface waters. This task is completed in August 1994. 1994, July MD; BS; PB; Apache Blast, Inc., discontinues granulated slag operations on July 22nd, files for BB:05; Aer; Ph bankruptcy, and abandons the Apache Blast site, but leaves equipment in place. 1994, about FR Cartertown off-spec calcine that had sloughed into upper Davis Mill Creek is partly covered with plastic and soil, and then revegetated. 1995, Spring FG; CT:3; JG:5; Sediment retention dams and ponds in DMC are constructed. The upper two silt traps SA are designated No.1 and No. 2 (completed in April). The lower trap, No. 3, is a modification of the existing dam used for intake to the Cantrell Flats WWTP (completed in May). 1995, about MP:2; Aer A number of granulated slag piles in DMC watershed are covered and vegetated (between 1994 and 1999). 1995, September TC:12; TD; OR OXY USA, Inc., enters into a Consent Order with the State of Tennessee (TDEC) on September 20th to carry out a data collection program and other activities in order to identify problems caused by mining and processing operations in the district. The order requires state oversight of OXY, which then enters into the State voluntary cleanup program. OXY cannot meet final effluent standards for London mill WWTP, and interim standards are maintained. 1995, November IH; WB Boliden begins to install a chain-link fence around the Copperhill Plant, for fear of a labor strike, and it reinforces critical areas.
99 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference Mid-1990s Aer; FR; GD:8 The following facilities are demolished at this time (based largely on aerial photographs): copper sulfate/fungicide plant (in part after February 1997); No. 3 acid plant; No. 4/5 acid plant (before 1997); iron roaster complex and North flue; second lead shop (probably after February 1997); smelter office, shop/lunch room, old smelter repair shop, and bucking room; service office; third lab/safety office (probably before 1997); rail change house (north of rail office, before 1997); roof cover on copper/lime/slag/coal bins; No. 1 acid plant office (north of organics plant, before 1997); Ferri-Floc plant (in 1997 after February); Cantrell Flats copper smelter and roaster (1994-95); Cantrell iron roaster (1994-95); Cantrell gas scrubber (~1994- 95); SE part of pellet facilities (towers and calcine mixing, probably 1994-95); two tall tanks near Cantrell Flats entrance (probably before 1997); building/cover over concentrate unloading bin (probably before 1997). 1996, April WB; IH; F:01/1/20 A labor strike begins at the Copperhill Plant on April 30th, initially involving four unions and about 200 employees. The strike continues with a decreasing number of supporting employees and unions to about 2004. 1996 P:00/12/6; OXY’s subsidiary, Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc. (GSH), which is formed in the early P:03/4/30; WB 1990s, takes over local management of environmental tasks in 1996. This includes operation of the London mill WWTP to treat pumped water from McPherson shaft, Isabella collapse pit, and upper Burra Burra Creek. 1996, about June PR; PB; BB:05; The State performs a removal action on the granulated slag piles at the Apache Blast FR; US site. Slag is moved to an area north of the former Mary mill prior to the Atlanta Olympic Games, with the whitewater venue on the downstream Ocoee River. The remaining infrastructure on the site is also removed about this time. Some additional removal also occurs in 1997. 1996 MA; IH Operation of the Ferri-Floc plant is discontinued. This facility is then demolished in 1997. 1997, February PS:3; D:1999; FR; The Gypsum Pond stops receiving sludge underflow from the Cantrell Flats WWTP, MA; IH; SA and this sludge is piped to the Mary mine stope (minor amounts may continue to the Gypsum Pond after this date). Between 1997 and 2000, a 65-acre wetland habitat is created at the Gypsum Pond, as part of its future closure with water remaining in larger ponds. 1997 MP:2; D:1999; Aer At least one slag piles in upper DMC is reclaimed at this time. A small pile of calcine on the west-central surface of the concentrate pile in DMC watershed is reclaimed. 1997, June PS:3; US; IH Boliden Intertrade, Inc., changes its name to Intertrade Holdings, Inc., but is still owned by Trelleborg, AB, and is also a subsidiary of IT Holdings, Inc.
100 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 1997, August MP:1; JG:6; PS:3 A surge pond (2.0M gallons) at Cantrell Flats wastewater treatment plant becomes operational, replacing the former surge tank (0.75M gallons) that had deteriorated. The pond had been approved for construction in October 1995, and construction begun about late 1995. The elevated bermed pond feeds to the WWTP by gravity. 1998 MP:2; D:1999; Aer Slag units on the southern end of Carroll Hill are reclaimed and vegetated. Prior to this time, calcine on the southeast side of Carroll Hill is also reclaimed. 1998 OR; P:03/4/30 OXY goes to court in order to have a receiver appointed to reclaim the abandoned TCC lands taken by quitclaim deed. This would allow the land to remain under TCC ownership to protect the restoration investment. Glenn Springs Holdings continues paying the property taxes while the land is in receivership. OXY also proposes an amendment to the state Order, by conducting wetland and revegetation pilot studies and by preparing a Master Plan to serve as a feasibility study. 1998, April FR; CH CuHill, Inc., purchases Gran Grit operations and continues excavating granulated slag from Carroll Hill. 1998, May US; IH; N:01/1/12; Trelleborg AB sells its subsidiary, Intertrade Holdings, Inc., including the Copperhill WB Plant and surrounding property, to the Canadian-based Marsulex, Inc. (May 13th). Marsulex purchases all stock in IT Holdings, Inc. The Intertrade Holdings name is continued for Copperhill operations. Marsulex is purchasing the Plant to expand its acid and sulfur dioxide business into the Southeast, where it does not have a presence. 1998, October TC:12; B:02/4; GSH installs a demonstration wetland treatment system on McPherson Branch of N:02/4/30; Burra Burra Creek. This 2-acre anaerobic wetland receives water for passive B:02/12/17; treatment from the creek and McPherson mine. Also in 1998, a large waste rock pile BB:03,04; FR; WB is removed along McPherson Branch, and test plots are made in the Tailings Pond by GSH and the University of Tennessee. 1998 MA During this year, Intertrade manufactures the following quantities of products: 516,000 tons of sulfuric acid/oleum, 24,900 tons of liquid SO2, 8.16M pounds of sulfonated organics, 6.2M pounds of surface active agents, 1.2M pounds of surfactants (soaps and other detergents), and 0.8M pounds of agricultural fungicides (Tenn-Cop). 1999, early FE; MP:2; D:1999; Consolidated granulated slag northeast of Calloway “B” and east of DMC is covered FR; Aer and vegetated. It is grassed by May 1999. 2000, Spring MA Due to low sales of sulfuric acid, Intertrade is drastically reducing the amount of acid production.
101 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 2000, November IH; N:00/12; Operation of the liquid sulfur dioxide plant is discontinued on November 1st. This N:01/1/12 plant is mothballed in a manner that allows it be brought back on line, if market conditions improve. Remaining sulfur dioxide will continue to be shipped until inventories are depleted, probably in January. 2000, December TC:12; IH; The No. 6 acid plant discontinues operation on December 8th, after 93 years of acid- B:00/7/25; production at the Copperhill Plant. As a result, electrical generation at Cantrell Flats P:00/8/2; power plant also ceases. A total of about 50 employees are affected, leaving only B:00/12/12; about 40 remaining. Closure of the acid plant is likely permanent and is caused by an N:00/12; oversupply of acid on the market and a decline in fertilizer sales, decreasing the need P:00/12/20; and the price of sulfuric acid. About 500,000 tons of acid have been produced P:01/1/10; annually. Remaining acid will continue to be shipped until inventories of about N:01/1/12; WB 40,000 tons are depleted (in March). 2000, December IH; A:2000; Growth Management Services, Inc., purchases Intertrade Holdings facilities and P:01/1/10; 1,630 acres of land from Marsulex on December 31st, becoming effective on January N:01/1/12; 1st (only 300 acres are actively used). GMS owns Intertrade stock, and the Intertrade F:01/1/20; name is retained by GMS. Marsulex sells the Copperhill Plant because it is becoming P:03/4/30; RE; WB unprofitable and does not fit the firm’s core business. GMS is newly formed as a Georgia company by three long-term Plant employees, with Jim Hedrick acting as president. Organic sulfonates (detergents) will continue to be produced by GMS. The Atlanta sales office (which was opened in 1919) is closed by Marsulex before the sale. 2001, January TC:12; P:00/12/6; An agreement is finally reached between U.S. EPA, Tennessee State (TDEC), and F:01/1/10,12,20; Glenn Springs Holdings on the Copper Basin environmental cleanup activities and P:01/1/10; responsibilities. This agreement, signed in Atlanta on January 10th, was 2½ years in N:01/1/12; the making. The agreement keeps the Copper Basin site off the Superfund National B:01/1/18; Priorities List. The environmental work is performed under the State’s voluntary BB:01,02; cleanup program – the largest voluntary cleanup in Tennessee history. The process P:03/4/30; GSH will involve two phases of work, with the first phase including 20 substantial actions. A memorandum of understanding is signed between the three partners. 2001, January B:01/1/16 Following closure of the acid plant and sulfur dioxide plant, the only major need for water on the Copperhill Plant is in the cooling towers. The former water pumps at the river (10,000-gpm capacity) are thus replaced with 1,000-gpm pumps. The 42-inch water main from the river to the plant is repaired after developing a leak. The acid storage tanks are mostly empty and are cleaned and neutralized. The remaining vanadium pentoxide catalyst stored onsite will be removed by April. 2001, March TC:12; NP:01; The last trainload of sulfuric acid leaves Copperhill on March 6th. As a result, CSX F:02/8; P:02/10/30; considers abandoning the rail line between Copperhill and Etowah. During the year WB 2001, the Copperhill Plant ships 94 carloads of products on the rail line. This compares to 6,792 carloads in 2000, and 7,022 carloads in 1999.
102 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 2001, February to April GSH; P:01/2; Glenn Springs Holdings sets up office in February in the former main branch of The N:01/4; B:02/4; Home Bank in Ducktown, which is also the former company store. Frank Russell is P:02/4/17; assigned as project manager to lead the environmental cleanup effort. GSH begins N:02/4/30 planning the first portion of environmental actions, which must be completed by November 2002. GSH has its open house and project ground-breaking on April 9th. First tasks are to sample the South Pit mine and storm water, assess physical hazards, fence mine shaft and collapse areas, inventory contaminants in the NPC watershed, evaluate the Isabella collapse area and study treatability, modify the existing passive wetland, vegetate 30 acres of the London tailings pond, sample stormwater at Gypsum Pond and Belltown Creek, and upgrade Intertrade Holdings’ WWTP beside DMC. 2001, October BB:02; FR GSH removes eight truckloads of PCB-contaminated material and debris from the North Potato Creek watershed area. 2001 IH Products produced at this time by Intertrade are: Sul-fon-ate (AA-10, OA5-R, OE- 500), Sul-fonic 800, para-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA-65% and anhydrous 97% PTSA-Anh), Sadpo-SS, Bas-SS, Tanapure, Dabs, and Tenn-Cop fungicide (occasional product). 2002, February CH CuHill, Inc., completes excavation of granulated slag on Carroll Hill. CuHill continues processing and selling the remaining stockpiled slag. 2002, Spring F:02/6/26; Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc., begins significant reclamation activities in the NPC B:02/12/17; FR; watershed, mainly at London and Isabella areas. The treated effluent from London WB WWTP is rerouted from Burra Burra Creek to McPherson Branch, to avoid contact with the tailings and other waste materials in the London area. 2002, July GD:8; IH Intertrade begins manufacturing sodium bisulfite at the organic chemicals plant, using stocks of liquid sulfur dioxide to produce it. Marketing of sodium bisulfite is not established, as this is low priority process. The organic chemicals plant is modified for production of alkylated diphenyl oxide chemicals (ADPO) for use in making detergents. Difficulties in alkylation production continue. 2002, August F:02/8; P:02/8/7; Glenn Springs Holdings agrees to provide the funding to purchase the CSX railroad P:02/10/30; line between Copperhill and Etowah, including the Copperhill rail yard. The B:02/11/5; purchase cost is $1.6M, which will be furnished to the Tennessee Overhill F:02/11/14; FR; Association as loaned funds. The arrangement is finalized on October 24th. To help WB defray rail costs, Intertrade later (May 2003) proposes to restart manufacturing sulfuric acid, and a permit is pending for this purpose.
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Date and Activity Reference 2002, November FR; IH; Glenn Springs Holdings and Intertrade begin treating the base flow of DMC at the B:02/12/17; Cantrell Flats WWTP on November 18th. GSH had renovated the facility to meet the F:02/12/20; BB:03- original plant specifications, with new piping and splitter box and refurbished 05 reactors. The previous 2M-gallon surge pond will be utilized, and the plant has a capacity of 6,000 gallons per minutes. Approximately 8,400 pounds of metals per day begin to be removed from DMC water. The underflow sludge is piped to the old Calloway shaft (the later vent shaft). 2002 to 2004 N:02/4/30; The London tailings pond is fertilized and seeded by Glenn Springs Holdings in three B:02/12/17; phases. This includes 32 acres of grass in spring 2002, 62 acres of grass in spring F:02/12/20; 2003, and 85 acres of trees in winter 2003/04. Between fall 2002 and spring 2003, BB:03,04; FR about 27,000 feet of fencing are installed around East Tennessee, Ocoee, Isabella/Eureka, Boyd, Mary/Polk, and Burra Burra mines to protect from hazards. 2003, Summer BB:03-05; WB; FR The McPherson passive wetland treatment area is expanded by GSH, with aerobic cells and rock filter. A segment of McPherson Branch is restored below the wetland to improve habitat and demonstrate that it will support aquatic life. Area of Isabella lead chamber plant (more than 3 acres) is capped with impermeable material and revegetated. Other areas of the Isabella plant site are investigated for cleanup. 2003, May IH The former vent shaft south of the main shaft at Calloway A is restructured for removal of mine water to be piped to the Cantrell Flats WWTP. 2003, July CH CuHill processes and sells the last amount of stockpiled granulated slag. The processing plant is then dismantled and the site abandoned in August. 2003 to 2004 (late 2003 to October 2004) BB:03,04; FR; WB The following activities are conducted by Glenn Springs Holdings in the DMC watershed. Three sediment ponds are dredged of material to expand their capacity (winter 2003/04). A 63¼-inch diameter underground pipeline is installed to divert the relatively clean water of Belltown Creek and Gypsum Pond tributary to a point below the intake for the Cantrell Flats WWTP on DMC (spring/summer 2004). This is the largest polyethylene pipe ever used in North America. It begins carrying water in about September. The dams on the upper two ponds are modified and raised 5 feet to convert them to flood retention reservoirs (September-October 2004). 2004, April to June BB:04,05; FR GSH completes placement of a containment cap and vegetation on the Isabella lead chamber acid plant site (April), and on the Ellis Branch slag pile (May to June). A fence is placed around the lead chamber area.
104 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 2005, January B:02/12/17; Glenn Springs Holdings begins lime treatment of the base flow of NPC at a new plant F:02/12/20; BB:03- just upstream of the South Pit mine on January 10th. This system had been in the test 05; FR; BF; WB and design phase since 2002. Treatment sludge is discharged to the pit. This system can handle up to 436,000 gpm, making it perhaps the largest acid-mine drainage treatment facility in the world (although it currently runs at much lower capacity). It removes 750 pounds per day of dissolved metals. Together with the Cantrell Flats WWTP, more than 98 percent of the metals that previously flowed to the Ocoee River are eliminated. 2005, March WB; IH Intertrade Holdings begins shipping excess calcine from iron calcine “mountain” (consisting of about 10M tons) along DMC to a Pennsylvania company for manufacturing steel. The calcine would be transported via rail to Newport News, Virginia, and will then be shipped to China. The railroad leading out of Copper hill is revamped for this purpose. However, due to economics, the plan eventually falls through, and calcine mountain stays put, after two shipments went out between March 2005 and February 2006. 2005, latter half BB:05; WB; FR A large volume of slag is removed in summer by GSH from the Apache Blast area and moved to the Mary mine tailings dam. The Mary mine area restoration in the winter includes regrading tailings, installation of a French drain, and revegetating. Mary mine restoration is then complete in 2005. 2005, August FR Waste material from a number of sources begins to be disposed within the Isabella collapse pit. This material includes London mill storage bin concentrates, concentrates south of the mill site, most of London surface waste rock, concentrates and waste rock from the McPherson rail Y, concentrates and waste rock from the tailings pond area, Isabella tunnel portal concentrate, Isabella calcine (high-sulfur and some near pit), Eureka smelter roast yard waste, waste rock from Central and Tennessee shaft areas, Tennessee crusher rock, railroad ballast and concentrate from the Triangle area and other areas on the rail line. As of July 2007, a total of 300,000 cubic yards of material had been disposed in the pit. 2005, Fall WB; F:07/4/2; IH Most of the components from the No. 6 acid plant are dismantled and sold by IH to a Brazilian company, Galvani Industries, based in Sao Paulo. The plant components are moved to port in 125 truckloads, then shipped to Brazil. 2006, January IH Paul Carter becomes president of Growth Management Services (Intertrade Holdings). He takes over for Jim Hedrick. 2006 WB; IH IH now produces only specialty sulfonates and Tenn-Cop fungicide at the Copperhill Plant. The organic chemicals plant has an annual capacity of about 20M pounds. 2007, March F:07/3/7; FR Power house structure at McPherson mine (built in 1906), which was part of the mine power distribution center, is demolished by imploding. GSH is concerned about maintenance and safety, because the roof was falling.
105 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Date and Activity Reference 2007, April to May F:07/4/2; The 200-foot tall, red and white stack at the No. 6 acid plant is taken down and P:07/7/11; IH dismantled by IH (continuing through July). It had been standing since 1975, but is removed for safety reasons. This year marks the 100th anniversary of sulfuric acid production in the district. 2008, March F:08/3/27,28; IH Intertrade Holdings announces on March 27th that they have sold their organic chemicals plant, their product line, and customer base to a competitor, Pilot Chemical Corp. of Cincinnati. The organics plant will continue to operate for four months, and then Pilot will shut it down. This is expected to cause layoffs for 80 percent of the 40 IH employees. IH will continue to operate the Cantrell Flats WWTP, is running a small chemical production and blending operation, and is finding a growing market for selling iron calcine.
106 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
REFERENCES FOR HISTORICAL SUMMARY
(Note: many references below are followed by a five-character notation beginning with “S” (Sxxxx), which refers to the EPA docket system categorized by SAIC, as listed below under Sxxxx.)
A:xx = Tennessee Copper Company and successor firms, Annual Reports: annual accounting reports for year 19xx (for various years beginning in 1902); continues with Cities Service Company in 1963. AB = Charlotte E. Abrams, 1987. Base Metal Mines and Prospects of the Southwest Ducktown District, Georgia: Georgia Dept of Natural Resources (Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Geologic Survey), Information Circular 78. AC = Multiple Parties, September 20, 1990. Agreement and Covenant Not to Sue: signed by USA (EPA), State of Tennessee (TDEC), Boliden Intertrade, A.G., TCC Holding S.A., TCC Acquisition, Inc. (S0207). Aer = Aerial Photos from various years (about 17 different years included between 1938 and 2001). AO = United States EPA, Region IV, September 17, 1991. Administrative Order on Consent, In the matter of London Mill Wastewater Plant, Polk County, Tennessee, for OXY Oil and Gas USA Inc. (Tulsa): EPA Docket No.: 91-36-C, signed by OXY Oil and Gas USA Inc., and U.S. EPA, Region IV (S0155). B:xx/y/z = The Basin Prospector: newspaper (Copperhill, Tennessee), for year/month/day: 20xx/y/z. BB:xx = Basin Briefings, Copper Basin Mining District: for year 20xx, newsletter briefings produced periodically by TDEC, GSH, and EPA. BF = Ben B. Faulkner, E. Griff Wyatt, John A. Chermak, Franklin K. Miller, April 2005. The Largest Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Plant in the World?: paper presented at the 26th West Virginia Surface Mine Drainage Task Force meeting, April 19-20, 2005. BG = B. Britton Gottsberger, December 1908. Mines and Works of the Tennessee Copper Co.: Mining World, v. 29, p. 911 (S1640). BR = William M. Brewer, March 23, 1895. Ducktown, Tenn. Copper Mining District: EMJ, v. 59, p. 271 (S1649). BS = Paul T. Bradshaw and Ileana M. Speer (TDEC), September 1, 1995. Preliminary Assessment Narrative Report, Apache Blast, Copperhill, Polk County, Tennessee: prepared for TDEC Division of Superfund, in cooperation with U.S. EPA (S0100). BU = W.T. Burns, August 24, 1929. Refining Anaconda Copper at Raritan and Great Falls: EMJ, v. 128, p. 306-312. BW = Lynn Birdwell, August 30, 1985. Tennessee Chemical Company – ground water monitoring of the unpermitted landfill which is being closed: interoffice memo from Birdwell (Tenn Dept of Health and Environment) to Steve Baxter (S0530). C:xx = The Copper Handbook (1901-1914), succeeded by The Mines Handbook (1916-1931), succeeded by Mines Register (1937- ): series publication for various years, 19xx, listed by publication year. CA:xx = Copper Basin Heritage Calendar: for year 19xx, Ducktown Basin Museum. CB = Charles Baskerville, May 1909. Legal Status of Works Producing Noxious Gases: EMJ, v. 87, p. 884- 887. CC = Tennessee Copper Company (drawn up by ten TCC leaders), January 15, 1909. Charter and By-Laws of the Cowanee Club, Copperhill, Tenn.: later printed in 1919 by Knoxville Printing and Publishing Company. CEC = Clayton Environmental Consultants, August 21, 1990. Natural Resources Damage Assessment of The Copperhill Area, Tennessee: Prepared for King & Spalding on behalf of Boliden Intertrade AG; Kennesaw, Georgia (S0559). CH = CuHill, Inc., Stéphan Gosselin (CuHill employee), 2000-2003, personal communication with SAIC. CM = Carolyn W. Merritt, October 13, 1988. Information Pertaining to the Site Screening Investigation
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Conducted at Tennessee Chemical Company, TDD No. F4-8712-09: letter with attachments sent from Merritt (TCC) to Daniel Marion of NUS Corporation of Tucker, Georgia (S0769). CMA = CMA, January 14, 2001. DMA History: handwritten chronology notes related to DMA-related events (S2298). CR = Clarence S. Ross, 1935. Origin of the Copper Deposits of the Ducktown Type in the Southern Appalachian Region: U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 179 (S1697). CT:1 = Consolidated Technologies, Inc., October 1993. Preliminary Engineering Study and Corrective Action Plan, Southern Production Area: report by CTI, Chattanooga, for BIT Manufacturing (S2268). CT:2 = Consolidated Technologies, Inc., March 1994. Hydrological Analysis: Gypsum Pond Diversion Channel: report by CTI, Chattanooga, for BIT Manufacturing; with cover letter dated March 17, 1994 from James W. George (TCC) to Philip Stewart (TDEC, Chattanooga) (S2270). CT:3 = Consolidated Technologies, Inc., May 1994. Engineering Report and Conceptual Design, Silt Traps in Davis Mill Creek: report by CTI, Chattanooga, for BIT Manufacturing (S2271). D:xx = Drawings or maps by Tennessee Copper Company or successor firms (from 1897 to 1999; 18xx or 19xx); some engineering drawings of the Plant site were revised (often more than once) after the original version, but the initial year date is listed here. DI = Ducktown Sulphur, Copper & Iron Company, June 9, 1925. Operation of Isabella Plant: company report. DM = Ducktown Basin Museum collection; includes mostly various historical photographs, but also a few documents. DN = Daniel Marion, September 28, 1987. Waste Disposal in the Demolition Landfill: memo from Marion (NUS Corporation) to TCC preliminary assessment file (S0623). DS = USGS Ducktown Special map (topographic map with 20-ft contour interval, scale 1:36000); surveyed in 1906-07 and published in June 1909; also, non-topographic features were modified by Emmons and Laney (see EL) as the base layer for the geologic map of the district, dated 1925. E:xx/y = Engineering and Mining Journal: non-feature journal articles, for year/month: 18xx/y or 19xx/y. EC = Edward H. Conroy, March 31, 1939. Treatment of Ducktown Basin Sulphide Ores: report prepared by TCC employee, Conroy (S2410). EF = Edwin P. Fleming and T. Cleon Fitt, November 1950. Liquid Sulfur Dioxide from Waste Smelter Gases: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, v. 42, p. 2253-2258. EH = Edwin Higgins, December 1908. Mining and Smelting in the Ducktown District: EMJ, v. 86, p. 1237- 1241. This also includes a general map of the entire district (S1644). EI = Eckenfelder, Inc., November 30, 1992. Final Report, Phase II Treatability Study, London Mill Wastewater Treatment Plant, Copperhill, Tennessee: prepared by Eckenfelder (Nashville) for Camp Dresser & McKee on behalf of OXY Oil and Gas USA Inc. (S0069). EJ = Edward M. Jones, December 14, 1951. Stream Pollution: presentation at TCC Engineer’s Club meeting (S2410). EL = W.H. Emmons and F.B. Laney, 1926. Geology and Ore Deposits of the Ducktown Mining District, Tennessee: U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 139 (S0897). EM = E.P. Mathewson, July 1918. Notes on Recent Metallurgical Progress: EMJ, v. 106, p. 138-145. EP = Emerson P. Poste, June 1932. The Tennessee Copper Basin: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, v. 24, p. 690 (S1443). F:xx/y/z = Chattanooga Times Free Press: newspaper, for year/month/day: 19xx/y/z or 20xx/y/z (one article dated 01/1/20 is uncertain and is approximate date). FA = Tennessee Copper & Chemical Corporation and Calumet Fertilizer Corporation, 1927. The Farm Record Book, 1927 Edition: Lockland, Ohio, and New Albany, Indiana; copyright by Joseph V. Freitag. FC = Frank G. Calkin, April 17, 1959. Organic Chemicals in the Tennessee Corporation Line: presentation by Sales Dept at TCC Engineer’s Club meeting (S2410). FE = Frank Russell and EMPE Inc, December 1995. Storm Water Pollution Control Plan for BIT
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Manufacturing, Inc., Copperhill, Tennessee: report by Russell (BIT) and EMPE, with a draft date of September 1995 and revised in December (S1774). FG = Frank Grubbs, March 8, 1993. Letter from Grubbs (TDEC, Nashville) to Leonard Nowak (EPA, Atlanta) regarding status of tasks taken at TCC site in compliance with the 1990 Agreement and Covenant Not to Sue (S0425). FF = Frederic J. Falding, September 1909. Sulphuric Acid lead Chamber Construction: EMJ, v. 88, p. 441- 445. FJ = F.J. Longworth, October 1924. Smelting Copper Concentrates in a Converter: AIME Transactions, v. 71, p. 969-971; paper presented October 1924, volume published 1925. FK = F.M. Kimsey, December 14, 1951. Industrial Wastes of Tennessee Copper Company: apparently a two-part presentation (including an introductory talk on the existing situation) at TCC Engineer’s Club Meeting (S2410). FL = F.B. Laney, 1911. The Manufacture of Sulphuric Acid from Smelter Fumes at Ducktown, Tenn.: USGS Mineral Resources, Part II – Nonmetallics, p. 958-964. FM:1 = F.M. Lewis. October 30, 1953. Ore Concentration Practices at Tennessee Copper Company, Copperhill, Tennessee: presentation given at southeastern AIME meeting, Knoxville (S2410). FM:2 = F.M. Lewis. February 14, 1968. Iron Project Review: progress report submitted to H.F. Kendall of TCC. FR = Frank Russell (Intertrade Holdings, Inc., and Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc.), 2000-2007, personal communication with SAIC. G:xx = USGS, Mineral Resources, 18xx (for 1893) or 19xx (up to 1931), succeeded in 1932 by Minerals Yearbook, 19xx (for various mining years described, not publication date). GC = Grady Clay, July 1983. Copper Basin Cover-up: Landscape Architecture, v. 73, no. 4, p. 49-55, 94 (S1691). GD:0 = George A. De Witt, December 14, 1951. Stream Pollution: presentation at TCC Engineer’s Club meeting (S2410). GD:1 = George A. De Witt, September 17, 1968. Stream Pollution Control at Tennessee Copper Company: presentation by De Witt to TC at Pollution Conference at Cranbury, New Jersey (S2410). GD:2 = George A. De Witt, June 20, 1969. Presentation to Engineer’s Club by De Witt (text untitled) (S2410). GD:3 = George A. De Witt, 1970 (approximate date). Copper Basin History: chronology of events in Copper Basin from 1838 to January 1970, annotated with notes by De Witt (this is similar to several common chronologies that were later put out by the mining companies and newspapers – all included here as TC:12; however, this appears to be the original version with annotated details) (S2410). GD:4 = George A. De Witt, May 15, 1970. Copperhill Air Pollution Recovery Procedures: presentation at Fontana Conservation Roundup (S2410). GD:5 = George A. De Witt, circa 1972 (undated). Background and History of Contract Between the State of Georgia and Cities Service Company: unpublished report produced by CSC (S2395). GD:6 = George A. De Witt, October 12, 1973. Gas Cleaning – Construction Dates – Mining Notes: handwritten summaries on various topics, dates of some notes vary from 1972-76 (S2410). GD:7 = George A. De Witt, May 4, 1976. Process History in the Basin: CSC interoffice letter from De Witt to M.F. Finfrock (S2410). GD:8 = George A. De Witt (former company engineer), 2001-2002, personal communication with SAIC. GSH = Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc., 2001-2007, information or personal communication (aside from FR) with SAIC. GT = The Geological Survey of Tennessee, April 1913. News Notes: The Resources of Tennessee, v. 3, p. 112. GY = Gerry Yandel, July 12, 1987. Miners’ Last Stand: 640 People Will Lose Jobs, But Twin Towns Fighting to Stay Alive: Atlanta Journal and Constitution newspaper, p. 1H (S2086). H:xx = D. Houston & Co., 1897-1903. Copper Manual: Copper Mines, Copper Statistics, Copper Shares; (subtitle varies slightly with time): for years 18xx or 19xx (1897, 1899, and 1903 which has a 1904
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cover date). HE = Carl Henrich, March 1895. The Ducktown Ore-Deposits and the Treatment of the Ducktown Copper- Ores: AIME Transactions, v. 25, p. 173-245; paper presented March 1895, volume published 1896 (S1651). HF = H.F. Wierum, September 1913. Ore Bedding by the Tennessee Copper Co.: EMJ, v. 96, p. 435. HM = H.G. Moulton, February 1937. Tennessee Copper Company Ore Developments and Acquisitions in 1936: supplemental report by Moulton addressed to Messrs. Coverdale & Colpitts, New York. HW = Harper’s Weekly, February 25, 1911, Unique Copper and Acid Plant of the Tennessee Copper Company: Harper’s Weekly advertisement (text with photos, prepared by TCC), v. 55, no. 2827, p. 23. I:xx/y = Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: non-feature journal articles, for year/month 19xx/y IH = Intertrade Holdings, Inc., 2000-2007, company information or personal communication (aside from FR), with SAIC. J:1 = J. Parke Channing, July 1902. Copper in the United States: Cassier’s Magazine, v. 22, p. 253. J:2 = J. Parke Channing, 1909. Metal-Losses in Copper-Slags: discussion on other author’s paper; AIME Transactions, v. 41, p. 885-887; paper presented 1909, volume published 1911. J:3 = J. Parke Channing, 1923. Discussion: two discussions on other authors’ papers; AIME Transactions, v. 69, p. 132-134, 152; paper presented February 1923, volume published 1923. JB = James C. Blair, March 1966. Fluosolids Roasting of Copper Concentrates at Copperhill: Journal of Metals, v. 18, p. 324-27 (S0985). JC = Joseph R. Clark, Sr., October 1948. Report of Industrial Waste Survey, Tennessee Copper Company, Copperhill, Tennessee: report by Clark (Tenn Dept of Public Health) with attached TCC process flow sheet (S1995). JG:1 = J.W. George, June 13, 1985. Closure Plan, Sanitary Landfill Site, Tennessee Chemical Company, Copperhill, Tennessee: attachment with letter from J.W. George (TCC) to Steve Baxter (Tenn Dept of Health and Environment) (S0632). JG:2 = James W. George, December 17, 1990. Letter from George (TCC) to Philip L. Stewart (Tenn Dept of Health and Environment, Chattanooga) regarding diesel fuel spill to Ocoee River (S2127). JG:3 = James W. George, February 19, 1991. North Potato Creek Agreements: letter from George (BIT) to Paul Davis (Tenn Dept of Health and Environment, Nashville) (S1063). JG:4 = James W. George, July 2, 1992. ACNTS Task 3.d., North Potato Creek Diversion Dam and Tunnel Improvements: letter from George (BIT) to Philip L. Stewart (TDEC, Chattanooga) and Richard S. DuBose (EPA, Atlanta) (S0256). JG:5 = James W. George, August 30, 1994. ACNTS Task 1-F(i), 1-F(ii), 1-F(iii), Davis Mill Creek Silt Trap Installation: letter with attachment from George (BIT) to Philip L. Stewart (TDEC, Chattanooga) (S2272). JG:6 = James W. George, October 10, 1995. Cantrell Flats WWTP Surge Pond, NPDES Permit No. TN0002411: letter from George (BIT) to Philip L. Stewart (TDEC, Chattanooga) (S1766). JH = Joseph H. Taylor, February 1918. Pyrite and Pyrrhotite Resources of Ducktown, Tenn.: AIME Transactions, v. 59, p. 88-92; paper presented February 1918 (S1643). JK = J.F. Kemp, February 1901. The Deposits of Copper-Ores at Ducktown, Tenn.: AIME Transactions, v. 31, p. 244-265; paper presented February 1901, volume published 1902 (S1443). JM = James E. Murray, April 17, 1959. Discussion of Sulfuric Acid and Copper Salts Sales Activities: presentation by Sales Dept at TCC Engineer’s Club meeting (S2410). JR = J.R. Ramsey, (former company mining engineer), 2002, personal communication with SAIC. JRR = J.R. Ramsey, April 22, 1971. Economic Evaluation Report, Number 20 Mine, Cities Service Company: Cities Service Company internal report. JT = James W. Taylor, June 1950. Ducktown Desert: A Study of the Industrial Culture Upon the Physical Environment of a Secluded Area of the Southern Appalachians: Master’s thesis, Syracuse University, New York. KD = Karen Daniels, about 1993 (no date listed). Tennessee’s Historic Copper Basin Area: An Overview:
110 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Southeast Tennessee Development District. KR = Kenneth Rush (Ducktown Basin Museum curator), 2000-2008, personal communication with SAIC. KS = K.J. Seigworth, November 1943. Ducktown–A Postwar Challenge: American Forests, v. 49, p. 521- 523, 558 (S1692). KZT = U. Kappus, C.L. Zimmerman, and T. Turner, October 1980. Hydrologic Investigation, Design, and Construction of Flood Control Structures, Copperhill, Tennessee: Mining Engineering, v. 32, p. 1504-1509 (S0984). L:xx/y/z = Los Angeles Times: newspaper, for year/month/day: 18xx/y/z or 19xx/y/z. LA = E.L. Larison, December 1916. Sulphuric Acid from Copper Smelting Gases: EMJ, v. 102, p. 1121- 1125. LB = Lorraine B. Burgin, 1976. Time Required in Developing Selected Arizona Copper Mines: U.S. Bureau of Mines, Information Circular 8702. LK = L.S. Kaniecki, April 17, 1959. Introductory Remarks: presentation by Sales Dept at TCC Engineer’s Club meeting (S2410). LM = Louise E. Mathews, May 1995. Patterns of Land Degradation and Restoration in the Copper Basin, Tennessee, and Their Influence on Soil Hydrologic Properties: Master’s thesis, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. LN = L&N and TCC, September 16, 1910. Indenture land deed between TCC and L&N Railroad (Intertrade Holdings document). LS = Woodson L. Smith, May 20, 1988. Tennessee Chemical Company, DMA Release, Polk County: office memo from Woodson (Tenn Dept of Health and Environment, Chattanooga) to Water Pollution Control files (S2100). LW:1 = Lamar Weaver, December 1937. Power Distribution Underground at Burra Burra Mine: EMJ, v. 138, p. 52-56. LW:2 = Lamar Weaver, October 1942. A Planned War-Time Maintenance and Salvage Program: EMJ, v. 143, p. 53-54 (S1683). M:xx = TCC Mining Department monthly reports, for the year 19xx (various years), located in Ducktown Basin Museum; reference for M:58 includes an appendix to report for June 1958, regarding closing of Burra Burra mine. MA = Cynthia M. Anderson, May 25, 2000. CEI Results, Intertrade Holdings, Inc., NPDES Permit No. TN0002411, TMSP No. TNR051166, Ocoee River, Polk County: office letter from Anderson (TDEC, Chattanooga) to Division of Water Pollution Control files (S2202). MC = S.W. McCallie, October 1902. The Ducktown Copper Mining District: EMJ, v. 74, p. 439-41 (S1650). MD = Mark Derrick, November 9, 1994. Current Status of Apache Blast Site (Polk County): office memo from Derrick to Wayne Everett (TDEC, Chattanooga) (S1442). MF = Tennessee Chemical Company and Tennessee Department of Public Health, July 1983 to May 1984. A number of documents (by either TCC or TDPH) related to Mary mine fill or stabilization (S0826- 0828, and S0830-0833). MI:xx = The Mineral Industry: Its Statistics, Technology and Trade During 19xx: for the years 19xx (review year, not publishing year); Engineering and Mining Journal, Inc. MM = Maurice Magee, 1968. Geology and Ore Deposits of the Ducktown District, Tennessee: Ore Deposits of the United States, 1933-1967, the Graton-Sales volume, part 2, p. 208-241 (S1519). MN = C.H. McNaughton, July 1929. Mining Copper at Ducktown, Tennessee: Details of Methods and Costs: EMJ, v. 128, p. 8-13. MP:1 = EMPE, Inc., September 1995. Construction Specifications for Cantrell Flats WWTP Surge Pond, BIT Manufacturing, Inc., Copperhill, Tennessee: report prepared for BIT by EMPE, Nashville (S1771). MP:2 = EMPE, Inc., May 1998. Figure 1 – Site Drainage Map: Intertrade Holdings, Inc. (IHI), Copperhill, Tennessee: map prepared for IHI by EMPE, Nashville (unclear if this is part of a larger report; map is hand-revised through July 1999) (S1815). MQ = M.L. Quinn, July 1993. Industry and Environment in the Appalachian Copper Basin, 1890–1930:
111 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
Technology and Culture, v. 34, p. 575 (S1658). MR = M.J. RoBards, November 1950. Tennessee’s Wealthy Wasteland: L&N Magazine, v. 26, no. 11, p. 11-14, 44. MS = Mining and Metallurgical Society of America, September 1942 and January 1943. Proceedings, Bulletin: Nos. 266-267, v. 35, p. 53, 73, 112, and v. 36, p. 19-21. MW = E.P. Mathewson and W.L. Wotherspoon, August 16, 1919. Pulverized Coal for Blast Furnaces: EMJ, v. 108, p. 274-278. N:xx/y/z = The News Observer: newspaper (Blue Ridge, Georgia), for year/month/day: 20xx/y/z. NA = Thomas R. Navin, 1978. Copper Mining & Management: University of Arizona Press, Tucson. NE:1 = N.H. Emmons, December 1909. Fire in London Mine of Tennessee Copper Company: EMJ, v. 88, p. 1181-82. NE:2 = N.H. Emmons, November 1910. Tops of Copper Blast-Furnaces: AIME Transactions, v. 41, p. 723- 738; paper presented November 1910, volume published 1911 (contents repeated in a shorter article in March 1911, EMJ, v. 91, p. 573-574). NP:xx = Newspaper articles from local papers, but details are unspecified, for various years, 19xx. NR = U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, May 15, 1992, and September 2, 1992. National Register of Historic Places: Historic Resources of the Tennessee Copper Basin and the Central Headframe (available on the internet). NUS = NUS Corporation, July 17, 1989. Final Screening Site Inspection Report, Tennessee Chemical Company, Copperhill, Polk County, Tennessee: for Waste Management Division, U.S. EPA (S0010). OR = Anonymous (probably TDEC or EPA), undated but soon after 1998. Orders: one-page history of the 1990 agreement with Boliden and various regulatory orders placed on OXY, from 1990 to 1998 (S1542). P:xx/y/z = Polk County News: newspaper (Benton, Tennessee), for year/month/day: 20xx/y/z. PB = Paul T. Bradshaw (TDEC), May 22, 1996. Site Investigation Narrative Report, Apache Blast, Copperhill, Polk County, Tennessee: prepared for TDEC Division of Superfund, in cooperation with U.S. EPA (S0096). Ph = Photographs (non-aerial), various photos including postcards, photos from TCC or successor firms, and from the Ducktown Basin Museum. PPH = Polk, Powell and Hendon, Engineers, July 1944. Report Covering Proposed London No. 2 Dam, Burra Creek: for Tennessee Copper Company; Birmingham, Alabama. PR = PRC Environmental Management, Inc., April 15, 1996. Alternatives Analysis for Removal of Slag at Apache Blast Site, Polk County, Tennessee: prepared for TDEC Division of Superfund, Nashville (S1713). PS:1 = Philip L. Stewart, October 7, 1991. ACNTS Task 3.d., North Potato Creek Diversion Dam and Tunnel Improvements: letter from Stewart (TDEC) to James W. George (BIT) (S0174). PS:2 = Philip L. Stewart, July 31, 1992. North Potato Creek Diversion Dam and Tunnel Improvement, Task 3.d., Agreement and Covenant Not to Sue: letter from Stewart (TDEC) to Wayne Pittman (BIT) (S0460). PS:3 = Philip L. Stewart, September 26, 1997. Agreement and Covenant Not to Sue, Statement of Work, Task 7, Boliden Intertrade, Inc., Polk County, Modified NPDES Permit No. TN0002411: letter from Stewart (TDEC) to James George (Intertrade Holdings) (S0451). R:1 = F. Ernest Richter, February 1916. The Amalgamated Copper Company: A Closed Chapter in Corporation Finance: Quarterly Journal of Economics, v. 30, p. 387-407. R:2 = F.E. Richter, February and August 1927. The Copper-Mining Industry in the United States, 1845- 1925: Quarterly Journal of Economics, v. 41, p. 236-291, 684-717. RB = R.E. Barclay, 1975. The Copper Basin–1890 to 1963: Cole Printing & Thesis Service, Inc., Knoxville, Tennessee (S1656). RE = Richard Estes (former company employee), 2003, personal communication with SAIC. RF = W.H. Freeland and C.W. Renwick, May 1910. Smeltery Smoke as a Source of Sulphuric Acid: EMJ, v. 89, p. 1116-1120 (S0464).
112 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
RJ = Royal P. Jarvis, September 1912. The Valley and Mountain Iron Ores of East Tennessee: The Resources of Tennessee, v. 2, p. 326-360 (published by the Geological Survey of Tennessee). RP = Robert C. Percival, October 2003. The Frictions of Federalism: The Rise and Fall of the Federal Common Law of Interstate Nuisance: University of Maryland, Pub-Law Research Paper No. 2003-02 (available on the internet). RS:1 = Robert E. Swain, March 1923. Atmospheric Pollution by Industrial Wastes: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, v. 15, p. 296-301. RS:2 = Robert E. Swain, November 1949. Smoke and Fume Investigations: A Historical Review: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, v. 41, p. 2384-2388. RT = Robert V. Taylor, January 6, 1986. Dimethylaniline Spill on Ocoee River, Polk County, Tennessee: Tenn Dept of Health and Environment (S2225). RU = Kenneth Rush, December 1999. An Overview of Mining-Smelting-Acid Production in the Copper Basin: Ducktown Basin Museum (S0578). Sxxxx = SAIC, compiled 2000-2002. Copper Basin document control binder number (EPA docket system, using the SAIC-xxxx-CB document numbering scheme). SA = Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), February 4, 2002. Prospective Purchaser Agreement Evaluation: prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville, and U.S. EPA, Region 4, Atlanta (S2423). SB = Steve Baxter, June 30, 1981. Cities Service: memo from Baxter (Tenn Dept of Public Health) to files, summarizing a Plant site tour (S0953). SC = U.S. Supreme Court decisions, as recorded in The Supreme Court Reporter: for the years 1906-07, 1910-11, 1914-15, 1915-16, and 1937-38 (available on the internet, and summarized in a variety of web pages). SCS = Soil Conservation Service, Tennessee Chemical Company, Tennessee Valley Authority, with the Polk County Soil Conservation District, February 1987. A Cooperative Erosion Control Plan for the Copper Basin, Polk County, Tennessee. SL = Sam A. Lewisohn, July 1918. The Government as Employer—Labor Inflation: Proceedings of the Academy of Political Sciences in the City of New York, v. 8, p. 124-25. SM = Stuart W. Maher, 1966. The Copper-Sulfuric Acid Industry in Tennessee: Tennessee Division of Geology, Information Circular No. 14 (some of the text was written by TCC) (S1639). SN:1 = S.L. Norwood, May 11, 1973. Project Number 72-001-A: letter from Norwood (CSC) to Logan Hickerson (Tenn Dept of Public Health, Nashville) (S0665). SN:2 = S.L. Norwood, December 30, 1974. Cantrell Flats and London Mill Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plants – Cantrell Flats, London Mill and Copperhill Industrial Wastewater Collection Systems: letter from Norwood (CSC) to Jack R. McCormick (Tenn Dept of Public Health, Chattanooga) (S0679). SN:3 = S.L. Norwood, February 9, 1976. Temporary Permit No. 74-109: letter from Norwood (CSC) to J.R. McCormick (Tenn Dept of Public Health, Chattanooga) (S0691). SN:4 = S.L. Norwood, April 27, 1976. NPDES Permit No. TN002411: letter from Norwood (CSC) to unnamed individual at EPA, Water Enforcement Branch, Atlanta (S0693). SN:5 = S.L. Norwood, February 14, 1977. NPDES Permit No. TN0002411: letter from Norwood (CSC) to unnamed individual at EPA, Water Enforcement Branch, Atlanta (S0697). SP = SAIC, April 3, 2000. Preliminary Draft Site Management Plan for Copper Basin Mining District, Tennessee: report submitted to EPA, Region IV (S0080). T:xx/y = Tennessee Copper Company or Cities Service Company or Tennessee Chemical company newsletters: Acid Test (June 1943 to March 1952), succeeded by Topics (April 1952 to March 1984): for year/month 19xx/y. TC = Company information (brochures/info) provided by TCC or CSC (undated, printed in various years). TC:1 = Tennessee Copper Company, 1916. Mechanical Equipment: descriptions of equipment at London, McPherson, Polk County mines, and at acid-concentrating facilities at the Copperhill Plant; including facility drawings.
113 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
TC:2 = Tennessee Copper Company, Mine Department, 1958. Burra Burra Mine: unpublished report (1958 date is listed on document, but final document is actually 1960 or later) (S1375). TC:3 = Tennessee Corporation, 1966. Sulfuric Acid (second edition): Industrial Chemicals Marketing Division of Cities Service Company. TC:4 = Tennessee Copper Company, July 15, 1968. Product Data Sheets: accumulation of product data sheets, analyses, and raw materials for full range of manufactured chemicals (individual sheets have dates ranging from 1961 to 1968) (S2396). TC:5 = Cities Service Company, January 1973. Engineering Report: Proposed Treatment Facilities, Copperhill Plants: report by CSC, Copperhill Operations (S0621). TC:6 = Cities Service Company, June 1973. Engineering Report: Proposed Water Pollution Abatement Concepts for Cantrell Flats Area: report by CSC, Copperhill Operations (S0566). TC:7 = Cities Service Company, September 19, 1973. Copper Basin Facts: one-page company informational flyer (S2410). TC:8 = Cities Service Company, May 1974. Copperhill Operations from Mine to Products: Chemicals and Metals Research Division, Cranbury, New Jersey (S1646). TC:9 = Cities Service Company, June 1976. Engineering Report to Abate Chemically Contaminated Wastewater Discharges from the Pellet Plant: report by CSC, Copperhill Operations (S0695). TC:10 = Cities Service Company, about 1978. Land Reclamation of the Copper Basin, 1930 – 1978: draft of speech to Engineering Club (anonymous author) (S1416). TC:11 = Tennessee Chemical Company, et al., May 25, 1983. Tennessee Chemical Company, Meeting CBO – May 25, 1983, Minefill Project: handwritten notes from meeting with state agency at Copperhill, plus attached information provided by TCC (S0118). TC:12 = Tennessee Chemical Company and Polk County News (newspaper), July 1987. Salute to Miners, July 29, 1987: information presented by TCC to Polk County News for “A Tribute to the Miners”; includes chronological information of Copper Basin history (this basic chronology apparently began with GD:3 and has been modified and expanded through time, and put out in various renditions by TCC and successor firms, as well as by Polk County Publishing as recently as 2001; this modified chronology is found in several EPA docket references: S0431, S0606, S0123, S0780, S1418, S1765, and in CEC and elsewhere). TC:13 = Boliden Intertrade AG, 1990 (undated, but probably soon after 1990 agreement). Waste Management Practices: this is a summary of processes and waste management practices, apparently sent from Boliden to TDEC (S1994). TD = Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, September 20, 1995. Consent Order and Agreement, in the Matter of London Mill Wastewater Treatment Plant, Polk County, Tennessee: for OXY USA Inc (Tulsa, Oklahoma); Site Number 70-503, Site Name: Cities Service Company. Signed by TDEC Division of Superfund, and OXY USA Inc (S0223). TH = Tennessee Department of Health and Environment, April 1985. Ocoee River Survey 1981: Division of Water Management, Chattanooga (includes attachment of statement by CSC to Tennessee Water Quality Control Board, at Nashville meeting, dated April 24, 1979) (S0078). TS = Thorn Smith, 1909. The Ferric Iron Contact Process of Making Sulphuric Acid from Smelter Smoke: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Transactions, v. 1, p. 178-183. TSC = Tennessee State Supreme Court decisions (can be found on the internet). TT = Tom Tiesler, April 25, 1988. Registration Authorizing Solid Waste Disposal Activities in Tennessee: attachment with letter from Tiesler (Tenn Dept of Health and Environment, Nashville) to Marvin E. Verner, Jr. (TCC) (S2099). TV:1 = Tennessee Valley Authority, September 1945. A Proposal for Erosion Control and Restoration of Vegetation in the Copper Basin: Norris, Tennessee. TV:2 = Tennessee Valley Authority, September 1947. Copper Basin Investigations, 1934-46: A Progress Report: prepared by Clarence H. Burrage (TVA, Norris, Tennessee). TV:3 = Tennessee Valley Authority, June 1986. A Plan for Revegetation Completion of Tennessee’s Copper Basin: prepared by Jack A. Muncey (TVA, Norris, Tennessee) (S0533).
114 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
TV:4 = Tennessee Valley Authority, September 1991. A Plan for Cooperatively Completing Revegetation of Tennessee’s Copper Basin by the Year 2000: prepared by Jack A. Muncey (TVA, Norris, Tennessee) (S1695). TW = Terry Whalen, May 11, 1992. BIT Manufacturing, Inc., TN0002411, Polk County: office memo from Whalen (TDEC) to Water Pollution Control files (S0429). TY = John Tyssowski, February 26, 1910. Stoping Methods in Mines of the Ducktown Basin: EMJ, v. 89, p. 463-464. US = U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IV, 2000-2002, personal communication with SAIC. VK = Vern L. Kegler, February 1931. Mining Methods of the Ducktown Chemical and Iron Co., Mary Mine, Isabella, Tenn.: U.S. Bureau of Mines, Information Circular 6397 (S0955). VT = Earl C. Case, 1925. The Valley of East Tennessee: The Adjustment of Industry to Natural Environment: Tennessee Division of Geology, Bulletin 36, Nashville. W:xx/y/z = Wall Street Journal: newspaper, for year/month/day: 18xx/y/z or 19xx/y/z. WB = Website information, from a variety of internet www pages, unspecified. WC = T.W. Cavers, August 9, 1919. An Improved Copper-Casting Machine: EMJ, v. 108, p. 234-235. WE:1 = W.H. Emmons, August 16, 1940. Report to the Tennessee Copper Company on Prospecting Campaign in 1940: letter report from Emmons to F.J. Longworth of TCC; Minneapolis, Minnesota. WE:2 = W.H. Emmons, February 15, 1947. Review of Prospecting at Ducktown Since 1928: letter report from Emmons to TCC; Minneapolis, Minnesota. WE:3 = W.H. Emmons, April 15, 1947. A Report on Prospecting the Ore Deposits of the Ducktown District Tennessee: report from Emmons to T.A. Mitchell of TCC; Minneapolis, Minnesota. WF = W.H. Freeland, May 1903. Smelting of Raw Sulphide Ores at Ducktown: EMJ, v. 75, p. 664-666. WH = W.A. Heywood, 1923. Notes on the Selection of a Copper-Smelting Plant: AIME Proceedings, v. 32, p. 221-229. WK = Walter F. Keffer, September 24, 1965. Quality Control – Opportunity for Profit: presentation by Keffer to Sales Dept; presentation text written by George De Witt (S2410). WL = W.F. Lamoreaux, February 4, 1922. The Feld Scrubber for Cleaning Metallurgical Smoke: EMJ, v. 113, p. 198-206. WN:1 = Wilbur A. Nelson, January 1912. Manufacture of Sulphuric Acid in Tennessee for 1911: The Resources of Tennessee, v. 2, p. 23-34 (published by the Geological Survey of Tennessee). WN:2 = Wilbur Nelson, October 1924. Ducktown, Tennessee, Copper District: AIME Transactions, v. 71, p. 299-303; paper presented October 1924, volume published 1925 (S0958). WS = W.G. Stromquist, November 25, 1946. Letter from Stromquist (TVA) to R.P. Farrell (Tenn Dept of Public Health), with attached TCC process flow sheet dated June 28, 1944, and analytical information (S2216). WT = Warren E. Tiller, April 17, 1959. Ultimate Disposal of Sulfur Dioxide: presentation by Sales Dept at TCC Engineer’s Club meeting (S2410). WW:1 =Walter H. Weed, February 1900. Types of Copper-Deposits in the Southern United States: AIME Transactions, v. 30, p. 449-497; paper presented February 1900, volume published 1900. WW:2 = Walter Harvey Weed, July 1902. Recent Development of Southern Copper Deposits: EMJ, v. 74, p. 80-81. WY = William Young Westervelt, January 29, 1910. Improved Shaft-sinking Methods at Ducktown: EMJ, v. 89, p. 275-276. Y:xx/y/z = New York Times: newspaper, for year/month/day: 18xx/y/z or 19xx/y/z.
115 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS
AIME = American Institute of Mining (and Metallurgical) Engineers Asarco = American Smelting & Refining Company BIT = Boliden Intertrade, Inc. (also BIT Manufacturing) CSC = Cities Service Company DCI = Ducktown Chemical & Iron Company (successor to DSCI) DMA = Dimethylaniline DMC = Davis Mill Creek DSCI = Ducktown Sulphur, Copper & Iron Company, Ltd. EMJ = Engineering and Mining Journal EPA = U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ETOW = East Tennessee Ordnance Works GMS = Growth Management Services, Inc. GSH = Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc. IAC = International Agricultural Corporation IH = Intertrade Holdings, Inc. L&N = Louisville & Nashville Railroad NPC = North Potato Creek (formerly Potato Creek) OXY = Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY Oil and Gas USA, Inc., OXY USA, Inc.) PTC = Pittsburgh & Tennessee Copper Company SACC = Southern Agricultural Chemical Corporation SAIC = Science Applications International Corporation TC = Tennessee Corporation TCC = Tennessee Copper Company (to 1970), or Tennessee Chemical Company (1982-89) TC&CC = Tennessee Copper & Chemical Corporation TDEC = Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation TVA = Tennessee Valley Authority USGS = United States Geological Survey WWTP = wastewater treatment plant
116 March 2008 History of Tennessee Copper Company and Successor Firms at the Copperhill Plant
FOOTNOTES
1. Lewisohn Brothers started business in 1866 and began working in the metals trade in 1868. In the 1890s, the brothers do a major business importing coffee (which in future decades will help sustain metal selling during periods of low profit). They currently have significant interests in copper mines at Butte, Montana, and in upper Michigan, they are sales agents for many mining companies, and they own two metal refineries in New England. Lewisohns also become well-known for philanthropy and civic-minded concerns regarding labor issues, employer-employee relations, prison reform, children’s shelters, the arts, and various fields of social betterment. Adolph Lewisohn would later be referred to as “New York’s most useful citizen.”
Prior to 1897, J. Parke Channing (a graduate of Columbia University School of Mines) had been working in Michigan and Montana, in part for mining companies that the Lewisohns had a substantial stock interest in. His trip to the west (mid-1896 to late January 1897) is partly to evaluate properties that the Lewisohns have stock interest in. Channing would become well-known initially for his successful and efficient work of getting Tennessee Copper Company and then Miami Copper Company started and operational. He later will address issues of federal government waste, efficiency, labor, transportation, and other engineering issues – sometimes together with Adolph Lewisohn. Channing will work or communicate closely with several U.S. presidents or would-be presidents, especially Herbert Hoover – a mining engineer.
2. Burrage is presently the legal counsel for Standard Oil, which also has powerful interests in metals firms. During this era, it is common practice to assign a lawyer as president of a company.
3. Also in 1899, the Lewisohns are similarly obligated to join and mediate the merger of the American Smelting & Refining Company (Asarco) or lose their role in selling lead and silver. Both mergers later result in a significant loss of property and funds for the Lewisohns. They would eventually lose their current stock interest in all mines except TCC and Miami Copper (but would rebuild it later with new mining properties). They would also lose the Raritan refinery and later lose their control share of United Metals Selling Company (formed in January 1900). In April 1901, Amalgamated considers a combination of all independent copper companies in the country, including TCC, but this does not take place.
4. This rail junction lies just east of the mouth of Potato Creek (later called North Potato Creek), at the intersection of the AK&N (L&N) line and the Virginia company spur line to the Old Tennessee Mine. The rail station is named after Henry K. McHarg, president of Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Company during this time (E:05/10; Y:07/2/22).
5. Matte is very concentrated copper ore, an intermediate smelter product that comes molten from the furnace, and then gets treated in the converter; it has a general formula of Cu2SAFeS. A settler is the large “tub” for molten material at the outlet from the blast furnace, where the copper matte and slag are separated (matte settles and slag rises).
6. This office will remain at 61 Broadway for both Tennessee Copper and Miami Copper until at least 1963. The office will be the headquarters over the years for a number of different companies and for a variety of activities by Lewisohns, Channing, and other associates, including Adolph Lewisohn & Sons, Inc. In 1919 to 1920, it will house a national committee headquarters for a group led by Adolph Lewisohn and Channing to form a National Public Works Department to replace the Department of the Interior, in order to eliminate government waste.
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References:
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APPENDIX A
Historical Photographs of the Copperhill Plant
Latter half of 1900. Smelter building on left is under construction, with copper converter flue on roof partially completed. The large stack (on hilltop) and the smelter furnace flues are not completed. Power house on right and low boiler room (in front) has two medium-height stacks, with railroad on south side, but coal bins are not yet completed. Low area on far left will later become filled with slag. (Source: T:66/2)
Spring 1902. Smelter building on left has two blast-furnace stacks and converter flue on the roof, a refining building extension on the far side, a covered charging-track trestle, rail track and ore bins to the right. Large 150-ft tall smelter smokestack is present on the hill. Power house/boiler room (center) has two medium stacks. Smelter office building is between smelter and power house. The first laboratory building is on hill behind power house (far right in photo). Locomotive engine house is on lower right, with a small plate/ structural shop beyond. Two covered water tanks for the smelter are on the hill. The large flat area south of smelter and power house has no significant visible slag. East Branch creek is flowing on lower left of photo; trees and grass are present on the Plant site. (Source: J:1) A-1
Winter 1902/03. Smelter, power house, and most other structures are similar to previous photo. A larger new plate/structural shop is present beyond the old one (below the lab). On the upper right, at edge of photo, is a new blacksmith-machine-carpenter shop building. Slag is beginning to fill the low area near the smelter at far left. Some trees are still present on the Plant site. (Source: T:65/12)
Fall 1905. Smelter has been enlarged and now has seven furnace stacks. The separate refining building has been removed. A clay mill is present beyond smelter at far left. The 325-ft tall smelter stack is partially built to left of the existing 150-ft tall stack. The power house and boiler room have been enlarged, with a new 155-ft tall boiler stack. East of the boiler room is a new warehouse and a large smelter supply house, with a new blacksmith shop north of the supply house. A railroad “roundhouse” has been constructed where the locomotive house was previously located. Three new water tanks are present on hill behind lab building. Pot slag has partially filled low area south of the smelter, and waste from the power house/boilers is beginning to accumulate to the south. (Source: T:65/12) A-2
Early 1906. Large 325-ft tall stack is present on hill and older stack has been removed in preparation for the chamber acid plant. The foundation for the acid plant is completed, and a new low building is present on hill, for lead burning to construct chambers. Smelter has three furnace stacks being enlarged. Boiler room has conveyors to launder waste material to piles. A reservoir on East Branch is seen in front of the supply house. (Source unknown)
Late 1907. Overview of Plant site from the southwest, where the No. 1 acid plant on let appears completed. The tall new stack has a large flue dust chamber leading to it. The long roundhouse is present on the east side of the Plant, with the general office, Smelter Hill residences, and Newtown beyond. Ocoee River and Fightingtown Creek are in foreground. (Source: DM)
A-3
Late 1907. View of Plant site from the northwest, showing the newly completed acid plant, with large 325-ft stack and flue dust chamber leading to it. The steel acid storage tanks have recently been constructed. To the left of the acid plant is a boiler house with a medium-height stack. The broad low area to the left side of the photo will eventually be filled with slag. (Source: DM)
1908. Entrance to Copperhill Plant, at southeast end of complex. In center (beyond two men) is Smelter Store, with power house behind. To left is smelter, with acid plant and tall stack beyond that. (Source: EH)
A-4
1908. Features are generally similar to previous photos, but the low area to the left has been filled in further with slag and other waste from the power house/boiler room. The roundhouse is present on the lower part of photo, with a new wooden fence in front, which encloses the east and north sides of the Plant. (Source: BG)
1908. Colorized and stylized postcard of the above photo. It is uncertain how true the colors are, but note the wishful appearance of grass at the Plant site. (Source: unknown)
A-5
September 1909. Reservoir along East Branch creek. Shops and other structures beyond the reservoir include, from right to left, pattern/carpenter shop, foundry, pattern storage, plate shop, blacksmith/pipe shop, cooling tower (dark color), machine shop, tool room, and supply house. At acid plant on hill, new octagonal Glover towers are being installed to left of chambers. (Source: DM)
Late 1909. Two Glover towers are now completed at acid plant. A sintering structure has been added to the southeast side of the smelter in order to treat flue dust, which is beginning to accumulate in visible piles south of the smelter. The slag pile on left side of photo is continuing to grow southward, and two conveyors are installed from the power house/boiler room to rid of waste. A medium stack has been added to the smelter roof to vent the copper converter. The southern end of fence is visible in the lower left of the photo. (Source: DM) A-6
January 22, 1910. Acid plant expansion is ongoing, with Gay-Lussac towers being added to west side (front view) of plant, and a large bridge flue being added to the right side. Acid storage tanks on the far left now total 15. Between the large dust chamber leading to the stack and the acid plant are some process acid tanks. (Source: DM)
Early 1910. The No. 1 acid plant is under construction, with addition of the “B” chambers on the right. One of the two medium stacks at the power house/boiler room has been removed, and a smaller one added at the laboratory on the right. Two water tanks on hill are moved to the east and rebuilt to make room for the new chambers. (Source: EL)
A-7
Late 1910. Acid plant addition is essentially completed. The second medium stack at the boiler room is removed, leaving the large 155-ft tall smokestack. A railroad office with supply house is under construction in lower center of photo. To right of this building is the sand plant and the rail car repair shop; to front left is the locomotive roundhouse. (Source T:65/12)
1911 or early 1912. View of fully renovated acid plant with large bridge flue leading from smelter to acid plant. Structure in lower left is the rail car repair shop. Sintering plant is visible at far left. (Source: postcard from collection of Jack Mozingo)
A-8
Midyear of 1912. Area of slag dump has enlarged to fill much of area south of the smelter and power house. Piles of coal and ash launder continue to accumulate outside boiler room. Flue dust pile on left is growing and is conveyored to sintering plant. Behind pile at far left is the bedding plant. Smelter Store is visible at lower left and roundhouse at lower right. (Source: USGS, reprinted in MQ)
Midyear of 1912. No. 1 acid plant has conspicuous spires added on top of Gay-Lussac towers. Fifteen acid storage tanks are present on hillside. Bedding plant on right side of photo has two long elevated conveyor beds. Four large houses (of three suites each) in Cantrell Flats were built by TCC to house homeless employees after the 1910 fire swept through the town of Copperhill. (Source: USGS, reprinted in MQ)
A-9
1915. No. 1 acid plant has new “brick chambers” and tanks/towers east of the “B” chambers. An acid plant office is built just to the right of these structures. The converter stack has been removed from the smelter, and a larger sintering plant has been rebuilt on far left side of photo. A small ice/refrigerating plant is built in front (south) of the power house. A gas plant for generating oxygen and hydrogen is attached as a lean-to on east side of power house. A new gate house and service pay office is present in the lower right, beyond the roundhouse. (Source: postcard from collection of Jack Mozingo)
June-July 1916. No. 2 chamber acid plant on right of photo is nearing completion, but tanks and towers at north end remain to be finished. A large acid concentrator facility is on the left side. The former low area north of No. 1 acid plant has been filled in with slag. Four large houses in Cantrell Flats are still in place. (Source: T:66/12, which lists date as “1917”).
A-10
Latter half of 1916. No. 2 chamber acid plant on left side of photo is apparently complete. The large flue dust pile is handled by the adjacent sintering plant. A nitric acid plant is present northeast of No. 1 acid plant, to right of the brick chamber set and tanks. Two concentrated acid (66°) storage tanks have been built east of and below the brick chambers. A smelter repair shop is present west of the laboratory. A brick transformer house has been installed west of the ice plant and south of the power house; hydroelectric power now runs the Plant. (Source T:65/12)
Last quarter of 1916. Structures at north end of No. 2 chamber acid plant, including a Glover tower and Gay-Lussac tower, are completed. The large acid concentrator facility is on left side of photo, connected by a footbridge to the No. 1 acid plant. A large acid storage tank is also present in front (east) of the concentrator. (Source: T:54/3 and T:57/11)
A-11
1919. A new chemical laboratory (second lab) is built near the Plant entrance, on left side of photo with a small stack. A tall slag granulator bin is built on the south side of the smelter. A two-story machine shop (later to become a change house) is built east of the white supply house, on the right of photo. Nitric acid plant No. 1 is visible beyond brick chambers, and a sampling mill complex is present on the hillside below these chambers. (Source: DM and T:61/10, which lists date as “about 1915”)
1920. Panorama of Copperhill Plant, showing large flue dust pile in front of the No. 2 acid plant, and the sintering plant to right of the pile. The roundhouse is present on lower left and a coal bin to the right. The “long shed” for material storage is below distant hill on far right. (Source: TCC, reprinted in E:20/9)
A-12
1923-1924. Tower acid concentrator (possibly with two towers) is present east of No. 1 acid plant on far right, and brick chamber set has been removed. (Source: postcard from collection of Jack Mozingo)
1924. Panorama of Copperhill Plant, similar to 1920 photo, but with tower acid concentrator located to right of No. 1 acid plant. Locomotive roundhouse has also been removed. (Source: TCC, reprinted in E:24/10)
A-13
June 9, 1926. Old sintering plant for flue dust has been replaced with a larger sinter plant (with tower, in front of No. 2 acid plant) for handling iron calcine. Iron roasters have been built behind and above the smelter building. The 66° acid storage tanks below the tower concentrators (on right) have been increased from two to five. (Source: DM)
1927. View of No. 1 acid plant, showing Gay-Lussac towers on near side. The structures on the lower right of photo are part of the No. 2 acid plant. This includes the tall white structure, which is the Gay-Lussac tower; the flat structure in front of it houses small tanks. The old copper sulfate plant is visible on the left as two small square buildings on either side of the farthest large tank. (Source: TCC, reprinted in E:27/11)
A-14
1929-1930 (between mid-1929 and mid-1930). Split panorama of Copperhill Plant site, with left half in upper photo. Next to the far shore of the East Branch reservoir is a pump house. Beyond that is the nitrate of soda storage building, which in 1929 is converted to become the third chemical laboratory used on the Plant site. The second lab building (on top, far left) is then used for storage. The acid tower concentrator (top, right) is expanded from previous photos. The three water tanks above the first lab are removed. (Source: DM and EP)
A-15
May 7, 1932. Very similar to previous photo, except that large new mechanical shops building is constructed on far right, replacing a number of old wooden shops. (Source: TCC/IH)
About 1933 (between 1930 and 1934). Gay-Lussac towers on near side of No. 1 acid plant have been rebuilt from octagonal to round. Number of acid storage tanks in tank farm has been reduced to about 12. At left of photo is nitric acid plant No. 3, and to right of that is nitric acid plant No. 1. Old copper sulfate plant is at extreme left. (Source: postcard from collection of Jack Mozingo)
A-16
About 1937. Very similar to 1932 photo, with only minor changes. The depression slowed construction activities. (Source: TCC/IH)
1937. Overview of Plant site and Ocoee River from south, with both chamber acid plants present. A large flue dust pile is present in front of smelter, and Polk County Hill (Carroll Hill) granulated slag pile is visible in left rear above Davis Mill Creek. (Source: TCC, reprinted in E:37/10)
A-17
September 1939. First known color photo of Copperhill Plant. Copper sulfate/fungicide manufacturing is now taking place in the former nitric acid No. 3 building, to the left (with three roof vents). To the right of that, the former nitric acid No. 1 plant is used for the lead shop. The brown wooden building (visible between the nitric plants) formed part of the old copper sulfate plant. (Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, in photo collection of Tom Dubé)
A-18
May 1940. Changes since 1937 include the addition of the 200-ft tall reverberatory stack at the smelter, restructuring of the smelter slag granulator from a bin to a pit, removal of the Glover tower at the No. 2 acid plant, removal of the gate house near the supply house, and the infilling of the lower part of the East Branch channel on right. (Source: TCC/IH)
May 1941. Changes since 1940 include a new personnel service office (brick), replacing the former wooden pay office. A small gate house is added, which necessitates further infilling of Each Branch channel. (Source: TCC/IH)
A-19
About 1943. Changes since 1941 photo include the removal of the No. 2 chamber acid plant to make way for the East Tennessee Ordnance Works contact acid plant. East Branch is fully placed into culverts and the channel filled in to make a large parking lot, the ice plant is modified and an adjacent conveyor is removed, and the tall tower on the sinter plant is removed. (Source: TCC/IH)
Latter half of 1949. Changes since 1943 photo include removal of three wooden buildings: the supply house, an attached storage building for steel, and storehouse supply room. The power house complex is expanded to the southeast and the large 155-ft stack has been removed. The acid tower concentrator complex is removed to the right of the No. 1 chamber plant, and the new liquid sulfur dioxide plant (white building at far left) is erected. The large stack on the hill is shortened. (Source: DM)
A-20
Latter half of 1950. Changes since the 1949 photo include removal of the top half of the brick change house (former machine shop) in front of the mechanical shops building. Also, a tower at the sampling mill (behind these two buildings) is removed. Also two tall white tanks are added to the concrete mixing plant near the former 66° acid storage tanks at far right.
About 1951. Granulated slag pile has accumulated in Cantrell Flats. New buildings at far left are part of the copper sulfate manufacturing plant. Additional acid storage tanks have been installed. (Source: postcard from collection of Jack Mozingo)
A-21
1951. Copperhill Plant and Ocoee River overview, with pumping station and old weir to pond water, L&N freight station, and Plant entrance. New general office is on far right of photo. Sampling mill and two large water tanks to east of No. 1 acid plant have been removed. Few wooden structures remain on the Plant site. (Source: A:51)
1954. Aerial view of Copperhill Plant and Carroll Hill with slag pile. Rail shops are at far upper right. Tall stack on hill has been removed since 1951. New No. 3 acid plant is being constructed to left of No. 1 plant. Newly built organic chemicals plant is just visible beyond No. 1 acid plant. (Source: A:54)
A-22
About 1957. Color photo of Cantrell Flats and Plant site, with little water in the West Drainage Channel in foreground. New organic chemicals plant (white) is to left of No. 1 acid plant, and sodium hydrosulfite plant (white) is farther to left. No. 3 acid plant is visible beyond middle of acid storage tanks, which now have crushed granite around their base. (Source: postcard from collection of Jack Mozingo)
1957. Plant site with general office on far right, and new No. 2 sinter plant on far left. A new gate house is located farther south than before. (Source: A:57)
A-23
1957. Color aerial photograph of Plant site and surrounding area, with Davis Mill Creek and its orange delta in foreground. Water of DMC appears to be relatively uncolored until it passes Plant site, likely due to iron calcine washing. (Source: postcard from collection of Jack Mozingo)
1961. Copperhill Plant and Ocoee River overview, with few changes from similar photo in 1951. Most noticeable is the disappearance of the tallest stack, and addition of the Ferri-Floc plant at far left of photo. (Source: A:61)
A-24
1966. Major change since previous photos is the demolition of the No. 1 chamber acid plant, and its replacement by the No. 4 contact acid plant, which changes the skyline of the entire Plant site. Also the smelter has been heavily modified with addition of the copper roaster. In addition a second building has been constructed at the Plant gate house. (Source: TC:3)
November 1970. Cantrell Flats at the start of “Project Copperhill” construction. Initial structures at left and center of photo are for iron roasters and gas cleaning equipment. Future concentrate storage bin is on slag cliff at opposite side of Flats. Rail shops are to right of bin on top of slag pile. (Source: T:72/12)
A-25
February 1, 1971. After completion of new weir across Ocoee River near mouth of Davis Mill Creek. Access road to new pump station is being developed on north bank. In left background is major construction in Cantrell Flats, in front of Carroll Hill slag pile. To right at main Plant site is liquid sulfur dioxide and Ferri-Floc plant, two sinter plants, and iron roaster beyond them. (Source: IH)
November 1971. After more than a year of construction, the pellet plant on left side is shaping up, with the iron calcine A-frame storage beyond. The iron roasters are in center of photo, and gas scrubbers to right. Green flue to acid plants is already extended across Davis Mill Creek. (Source: T:72/12).
A-26
November 1972. After more than two years of construction, the pellet plant on left side is close to apparent completion. The metals recovery area at lower right is completed and waiting for finalization of pellet plant trial runs. The acid truck loading area is at far lower right. The iron roasters in the center of photo are completed, as is the copper smelter behind it. The gas scrubbers are completed and are hooked up to the flue leading to the acid plants. (Source: T:72/11).
Fall 2001. Copperhill Plant from left to right: gate house, No. 6 acid plant with tall stack and sulfur tank, liquid sulfur dioxide plant in rear (with two thin stacks), brick transformer building, ice/refrigerating plant (later used for storage and as a gas plant), power plant (used as a power house, electric shop, and supply house), smelter change house (brick building on far right), and mechanical shops building behind it. Only foundations remain of three former acid plants on top of hill. Copperhill smelter and iron roasters are left in ruins. This photograph marks the 100th anniversary of the first copper shipment made from the Copperhill Plant. (Source: photo collection of Tom Dubé)
A-27