GREAT FALLS COAL FIELD: HISTORIC OVERVIEW Prepared by: Mitzi Rossillon, Mary McCormick, and Mark Hufstetler Renewable Technologies, Inc. 8 W. Park St., Suite 313 Butte, Montana 59701 Prepared for: Mine Waste Cleanup Bureau Montana Department of Environmental Quality P.O. Box 200901 Helena, MT 59620 June 2009 Renewable Technologies, Incorporated TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures................................................................................................................................. ii 1. Introduction................................................................................................................................ 1 2. Sources Consulted...................................................................................................................... 2 3. Geology, Geography, and History of Montana Coal................................................................. 5 A. Coal Resources in Montana ................................................................................................... 5 B. Geography and Development of Montana’s Coal Mines....................................................... 6 (1) Coal for Mining and Other Non-Railroad Industries ........................................................ 7 (2) Coal for Railroads ........................................................................................................... 11 4. Coal Mining in the Great Falls Coal Field............................................................................... 14 A. Introduction......................................................................................................................... 15 B. The Great Northern Railway and Its Mines in Sand Coulee, Stockett, and Giffen ............ 17 (1) Sand Coulee..................................................................................................................... 17 (2) Stockett............................................................................................................................ 29 (3) Giffen .............................................................................................................................. 40 C. The Anaconda Copper Mining Company and Its Mines in Belt and Sand Coulee............. 44 (1) Belt .................................................................................................................................. 44 (2) Tracy and Centerville...................................................................................................... 59 (3) Spring Creek.................................................................................................................... 67 D. Selection of Smaller Great Falls Coal Field Mines............................................................. 69 (1) Dean/Culberson and McKean/Nelson Coal/Cottonwood Coal No. 8 Mine.................... 71 (2) Gerber Coal/Carbon Coal and Coke/Cottonwood Coal No. 9 Mine............................... 79 (3) Brown Coal Mine/Surmi Mine........................................................................................ 81 (4) Millard Mine ................................................................................................................... 83 (5) Orr Brothers/East Belt Coal Mine................................................................................... 86 (6) Richardson Mine .............................................................................................................89 5. Coal Mining Legacy ................................................................................................................ 90 6. Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 93 Great Falls Coal Field: Historic Overview page i LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of Great Falls Coal Field and Sand Coulee Basin sub-area (latter marked in yellow; from U.S. Geological Survey, “Great Falls Coal Field,” by Fisher, Plate X)......................... 2 2. Map of recognized coal-mining areas in the state in 1909 (from Rowe, “The Coal-mining Industry of Montana,” Engineering and Mining Journal, 1909)............................................. 8 3. Map showing relative positions of coal mines in Sand Coulee basin owned and operated by Great Northern Railway and its subsidiaries (see Figure 22 for locations of No. 8 [Nelson No. 1] and No. 9 [Gerber] mines). .......................................................................... 16 4. Artist’s sketch of Sand Coulee Coal surface works in about 1889 (from Great Falls Leader Annual [1890], 25). .................................................................................................. 27 5. Undated photograph of Sand Coulee Coal Mine, probably taken in mid- to late 1890s (courtesy of The History Museum, Great Falls). .................................................................. 27 6. Undated photograph of Stockett tipple, taken between 1898 and 1903 (photocopy from Great Northern Railway Collection)..................................................................................... 32 7. Another view of first tipple at Stockett, dating to turn of twentieth century (photocopy from Great Northern Railway Collection). ........................................................................... 32 8. Plan of Cottonwood Coal’s mines at Stockett, showing tracks connecting all mines with centrally-located tipple (Great Northern Railway Collection).............................................. 35 9. Cottonwood Coal’s coal breaker under construction (photocopy from Great Northern Railway Collection). ............................................................................................................. 36 10. 1908 photograph of coal breaker at Stockett (courtesy of The History Museum, Great Falls)............................................................................................................................ 37 11. Ca. 1905 photograph of Cottonwood Coal’s surface plant, with community of Stockett in background (courtesy of Montana Historical Society Photographic Archives, Helena).. 39 12. Another 1905 photograph of part of Cottonwood Coal’s surface plant at Stockett (courtesy of Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, Helena)............................. 39 13. Portion of 1934 (revised to 1944) map of Giffen No. 1 Mine, showing surface works (courtesy of Mine Waste Cleanup Bureau, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Helena).................................................................................................................... 43 14. Map showing maximum extent of underground workings at Belt Mine............................... 48 Great Falls Coal Field: Historic Overview page ii 15. Photograph of Castner’s mine, probably immediately before Shields began its development (courtesy of The History Museum, Great Falls). ............................................ 49 16. Plan showing ACM improvements in and near Montana Central Railway’s right-of-way in Belt, with coke ovens in bank at right (map attached to Cascade County Clerk and Recorder, Deed Book 83, p. 525, 23 November 1915)......................................................... 51 17. View of surface works at ACM’s Belt Mine in about 1895 (courtesy of The History Museum, Great Falls)............................................................................................................54 18. Another view of surface works at Belt Mine in about 1898 (courtesy of The History Museum, Great Falls)............................................................................................................54 19. Portion of Southeast Great Falls topographic map, showing land in vicinity of Tracy that Lochray Coal deeded to ACM. ...................................................................................... 61 20. Map showing approximate locations of ACM’s mines at Tracy and Centerville.................. 63 21. Portion of Fife topographic map showing lands held by ACM at its Spring Creek prospect. ..................................................................................................................... 68 22. Map showing approximate locations of Nelson, Gerber, and Brown Coal Mines in Sand Coulee area................................................................................................................... 70 23. Portion of Southeast Great Falls topographic map showing lands owned by Nelson Coal at Nelson No. 1 Mine. .................................................................................................. 73 24. Undated photograph (ca. 1905-1910) reportedly of Nelson-Jenks Coal’s operation at Sand Coulee (courtesy of The History Museum, Great Falls).......................................... 75 25. Plan of surface works at Nelson No. 1 / Cottonwood Coal’s No. 8 Mine in 1923 (Great Northern Railway Collection).................................................................................... 77 26. Photograph of tipple, rescreening plant, and other structures at No. 8 Mine in 1923 (Great Northern Railway Collection).................................................................................... 78 27. Another view of rescreening plant at No. 8 (Great Northern Railway Collection). .............. 78 28. Map showing locations of Millard, Orr, Boston & Montana, and Richardson Mines in Belt vicinity; all locations are approximate. ..................................................................... 84 29. Portion