White Caps
Though the claims here were worked earlier by the Dexter and War Eagle Mining Companies, the White Caps Mining Company, organized June 1915, was the first to do any major development. A ten-stamp mill and 75-ton cyanide plant were completed in 1917. In early 1918, the Company was reorganized. Around the same time, the neighboring Morning Glory Mining Co. brought litigation against White Caps regarding a few claims, but this was settled in favor of White Caps.
Unfortunately, as work progressed, it became less and less profitable. As the shaft got deeper, arsenic appeared in increasing amounts, meaning the ore had to be roasted to oxidize before it could be placed into the cyanide tanks. Plans were made to make adjustments to accomodate the ore, but the mill closed in January 1920, before these plans were realized. Ore was shipped to other mills in Manhattan, but this proved too costly and operations finally ceased.
In July 1925, the company was again reorganized, this time as the White Caps Gold Mining Company, and work resumed, attempting to locate new veins. In 1933, the White Caps mine was the largest shipper of ore in Nye County, producing $208,000, though expenses amounting to $202,000 meant there was a very narrow profit margin; this held true the following year as well. In 1935, a new flotation mill was constructed, but it burned the following year. Nevertheless, mining continued until 1940. Up to that point, White Caps produced slightly more than $2.7 million.
The White Caps mine was again briefly reopened in 1952 by Mark Yound and A.C. Corlee for the production of antimony, which was transported to their Manhattan Consolidated Mill (on the road between White Caps and Manhattan), but after a fire in 1964 the mine was closed for the final time. It has passed through a number of hands since, but none have made any developments. Today, a few buildings remain but the site is dominated by a huge wedge furnace that was installed in 1917.
