University of California Berkeley Regional Oral History Office University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Western Mining in the Twentieth Century Series THE KNOXVILLE MINING DISTRICT, THE McLAUGHLIN GOLD MINE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, 1978-1997 Volume V William Kritikos OPERATOR, OAT HILL MINE Jack Landman RANCHER, MORGAN VALLEY Roberta Lyons JOURNALIST AND ENVIRONMENTALIST Roger Madsen HOMESTAKE MECHANICAL ENGINEER Beverly Magoon MERCHANT AND CRAFT INSTRUCTOR, LOWER LAKE Edward McGinnis WORKER AT THE REED MINE With an Introduction by Duane A. Smith Interviews conducted by Eleanor Swent in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 Copyright o 1999 by The Regents of the University of California Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the Nation. Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well- informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is indexed, bound with photographs and illustrative materials, and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ************************************ This manuscript is made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, 486 Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720, and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: To cite the volume: The Knoxville Mining District, The Mclaughlin Gold Mine, Northern California, 1978-1997, Volume V, an oral history conducted in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1999. To cite an individual interview: [ex.] William Kritikos, "Operator, Oat Hill Mine," an oral history conducted in 1994 by Eleanor Swent in The Knoxville Mining District, The Mclaughlin Gold Mine, Northern California, 1978-1997, Volume V, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1999. Copy no. Cataloguing information KNOXVILLE MINING DISTRICT, THE MCLAUGHLIN GOLD MINE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, 1978-1997, VOLUME V, 1999, xiv, 290 pp. William Kritikos (1922-1995), civil engineer. Oat Hill Mine operator, 1955-75: discusses mining waste dumps, benef iciation of mercury ore, reprocessing wastewater, marketing cinnabar in China. John Landman (b. 1915), rancher: discusses ranching in Morgan Valley, working for Reed mercury mine in WWII, detrimental impact of McLaughlin mine on ranching. Roberta Lyons (b. 1951), journalist, environmentalist: discusses growing up in Lake County, 1960s; "hippies" in Colombia, 1970s; establishing Lake County Land Trust. Roger Madsen (b. 1923), mechanical engineer, Homestake Mining Co.: discusses working in Lead, SD; Grants, NM; designing pumps, let-down valves for autoclave system, McLaughlin Mine. Beverly Maeoon (b. 1934), craft teacher, general store owner: discusses changes in Lower Lake commerce from 1971. Edward McGinnis (b. 1923), Napa County highway department foreman: discusses pioneer family roots in Berryessa Valley, destruction in 1956; working at Skaggs Springs and Reed mines, WWII; guarding German POWs as infantryman. Introduction by Duane Smith, Professor of History and Southwest Studies, Ft. Lewis College, Durango, CO. Interviews conducted by Eleanor Swent in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 for the Western Mining in the Twentieth Century Oral History Series. Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. DONORS TO THE KNOXVILLE DISTRICT /McLAUGHLIN MINE PROJECT OF THE WESTERN MINING IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY ORAL HISTORY SERIES 1993-1999 The Regional Oral History Office, on behalf of future researchers, would like to express its thanks to the following corporations, organizations, and individuals whose encouragement and support have made possible this oral history proejct of the Knoxville District /McLaughlin Mine. Corporations and Organizations Bechtel Foundation Chemstar Lime Company The Gamble Foundation The Hearst Foundation, Inc. Homestake Mining Company Mining and Metallurgical Society of America One Shot Mining Company Individuals Anonymous, in memory of Donald Delicate Anonymous, in memory of Robert S. Livermore Christine W. S. Byrd, in memory of Langan W. Swent Kenneth S. Canfield Rosemary and Harry Conger Douglas W. and Margaret P. Fuerstenau Launce E. Gamble James and Virginia Hickey William A. Humphrey James Jensen Kritikos Family, in memory of William Kritikos John S. Livermore Roger A. Madsen Sylvia C. Mclaughlin Marion Onstad Eleanor Swent, in memory of Langan Swent Jack Thompson and The J. Ward Downey Bequest Fund TABLE OF CONTENTS- -The Rnoxville Mining District, the McLaughlin Gold Mine, Northern California, 1978-1997, Volume V INTRODUCTION by Duane A. Smith i PROJECT HISTORY ill INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM KRITIKOS, OPERATOR, OAT HILL MINE xi CONTENTS xii INTERVIEW HISTORY xiii BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION xv I CIVIL ENGINEER, MINING ENTREPRENEUR, 1922-1955 1 Schooling in Oklahoma, Army Service in World War II 1 Partner Arnold Goody 2 The Rainbow Mine, Durkee, Oregon 2 Arsenopyrite: A Mistake that Led to Bankruptcy 3 Jacqueline Paid Her Dues as a Miner's Wife 4 Civil Engineer for East Bay Utility District and State Water Project 5 The Bach Mine, Hornitos: A "Poorboy" Operation 7 Uncle Sam Starts to Buy Mercury 9 II THE OAT HILL MINE, 1955-1975 12 The Oat Hill Extension and George Anderson 12 Leasing the Waste Dumps from the Livermore Brothers 15 Easy Ore to Beneficiate 17 Seventh-Day Adventists and Three Sons Good Workers 20 "Drier than Hell in the Summertime and Wetter than Hell in the Winter" 21 Newmont Mining Company Donates Drilling Records 22 Dow Chemical's Flocculant Enables Water Recirculation 24 AMAX Tries to Drill for Steam 25 Discovering the Asian Market for Cinnabar 28 The Geo-Thermal, Inc., Disposal Ponds; Competing with I-T 34 Some Ridiculous Policies of the EPA 39 Visiting the Almaden Mine in Spain: Hazards of Mercury Mining Over-Rated 41 Cured of Smoking by a Chinese Doctor 46 Mining in the Old Days; Hazards with Furnaces 49 A Dim Future for Mercury Mining 52 INTERVIEW WITH JACK LANDMAN, RANCHER, MORGAN VALLEY 56 CONTENTS 57 INTERVIEW HISTORY 58 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 60 RANCHING IN THE LOWER LAKE AREA, 1925 TO 1966 61 The Bose/Reiff Ranch in Morgan Valley 61 Working for Bradley Mining Company at the Reed Mine, World War II 66 Doing Top Work at the Harrison Mine, 1940s 77 The McLaughlin Mine "Spoiled it for Ranching" 77 Earlier Problems with Illegal Deer Hunting 81 Waste Disposal, Reclamation, and Other Environmental Concerns 83 The Difficulty of Operating a Small Ranch Today 86 The Lower Lake Action Club Successfully Opposed a Power Line 89 Opposition to a Putting in a Prison 91 INTERVIEW WITH ROBERTA LYONS, JOURNALIST AND ENVIRONMENTALIST 94 CONTENTS 95 INTERVIEW HISTORY 96 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 98 LIVING AND WORKING IN THE THE CLEARLAKE COMMUNITY, 1956 TO 1997 99 Childhood in Lower Lake in the 1960s 99 Typesetter for the Clearlake Observer 106 Master Subramunya at Bonanza Springs 108 The "Hippy Trail" and Popayan, Colombia, in the 1970s 111 Morgan Valley in the Early 1980s: a "Pristine Dell" 113 The McLaughlin Mine Brings "Unf ightable" Changes 119 "Citizens for Positive Growth" in Lake County 123 Serious Social Problems Beginning in the 1980s 124 Protecting Clear Lake: Audubon Society President 131 Establishing the Lake County Land Trust 132 Lake County Resource Management Committee 135 Lake County Marketing Advisory Commission and Gaming 136 Report on Socioeconomics and Land Use 144a INTERVIEW WITH ROGER MADSEN, HOMESTAKE MECHANICAL ENGINEER 145 CONTENTS 146 INTERVIEW HISTORY 147 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 149 I EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION, 1923-1948 150 Growing Up in the Iron Mining Area Near Hibbing, Minnesota 150 Father, Martin Madsen, Master Mechanic 150 World War II: "The Mines Were Busy, Busy, Busy" 151 Sixty- five Cents an Hour and No Benefits 152 Working as Fireman on a Locomotive in the Pit 152 A Draftee in the Army, 271st Engineering Battalion 154 Return to Mechanical Engineering Studies at the University of Minnesota 155 II WORKING AS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER FOR HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY, LEAD, SOUTH DAKOTA, 1948-1957 157 A Junior Engineer's Job Training in the Shops 157 Working in the Drafting Room 159 Marrying Laura Elizabeth Burnett, 1950 159 III WORKING FOR HOMESTAKE 'S URANIUM