Wahl Iron Mine
Overview
Location: Custer County, Colorado
Years of Operation: 1924-1924
Total Production (Tons): 3,900
History
The Wahl Mine was a manganiferous limonite iron ore mine that was mined briefly by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company in 1924. According to a report by D.A. Carter written in October 1941, the Wahl iron mine property consisted of six patented claims: "Boss 206," "Hudson Bay 207," "Dakota Maid 209," "Iron Contact 287," South Contact 288," and "Silver Iron 289." In 1924 these patents were owned by Albert Wahl. CF&I reported to have done some of the mining in 1924 and had 3,000 tons of ore shipped to Pueblo, although it seems that CF&I never owned the property.
The Wahl mine was located north of Westcliffe in Custer County. CF&I mined the ore in an open pit on the property.
The ownership is record of the Wahl Mine is incomplete using documents from the CF&I archives, but in 1941, the property was owned by Dr. Mary E. Bates. The property was then bought by George Schweigert in 1949. Mr. Schweigert wrote a letter to CF&I explaining his desire for CF&I to consider mining his property again but a steel strike in 1952 delayed the surveying. The 1957 conclusion was the deposit was not capable of producing direct commercial grade ore due to the grade and the amount of sulfur in it, a quality that the ore of the Calumet Iron mine in Chaffee county suffered.
Note: This history was compiled entirely by Megan Hedberg and does not rely on any information from either H. Lee Scamehorn or by research done by James Copeland or R.W. MacCannon.
History
The Wahl Mine was a manganiferous limonite iron ore mine that was mined briefly by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company in 1924. According to a report by D.A. Carter written in October 1941, the Wahl iron mine property consisted of six patented claims: "Boss 206," "Hudson Bay 207," "Dakota Maid 209," "Iron Contact 287," South Contact 288," and "Silver Iron 289." In 1924 these patents were owned by Albert Wahl. CF&I reported to have done some of the mining in 1924 and had 3,000 tons of ore shipped to Pueblo, although it seems that CF&I never owned the property.
The Wahl mine was located north of Westcliffe in Custer County. CF&I mined the ore in an open pit on the property.
The ownership is record of the Wahl Mine is incomplete using documents from the CF&I archives, but in 1941, the property was owned by Dr. Mary E. Bates. The property was then bought by George Schweigert in 1949. Mr. Schweigert wrote a letter to CF&I explaining his desire for CF&I to consider mining his property again but a steel strike in 1952 delayed the surveying. The 1957 conclusion was the deposit was not capable of producing direct commercial grade ore due to the grade and the amount of sulfur in it, a quality that the ore of the Calumet Iron mine in Chaffee county suffered.
Note: This history was compiled entirely by Megan Hedberg and does not rely on any information from either H. Lee Scamehorn or by research done by James Copeland or R.W. MacCannon.
