New Mexico Mining Tour

2023 Mining History Association

Kelly Mine and Very Large Array (VLA) Tour

Magdalena Area, New Mexico

Tour Leaders Bob Spude and Virginia McLemore
June 11, 2023

PHOTO GALLERY 2

CLICK ON A PHOTO TO DISPLAY A LARGER IMAGE

The Kelly Mine (Continued)

The 1913 Sanborn Map of the Kelly Mine under Tri-Bullion Smelting and Development Company ownership shows the Separator Plant and Slime Mill.

The Empire Zinc Company (NJ Zinc Company subsidiary) purchased the Kelly Mine in 1913. The 1919 Sanborn Map shows that the Boiler House has been expanded and the Mill has been revamped for flotation.

(Left) The Hoist House was located behind the Traylor Shaft

(Left and Above) Old foundations that once held hoisting gear are located throughout the overgrown area.

(Above and Right) The red bricks and more foundations provide evidence of the Boiler House also located behind the Traylor Shaft.

(Above) Looking to the south of the Traylor Shaft the ruins of the Tri-Bullion Separator Plant can be seen.

(Right) The MHAers examine the Traylor Shaft headframe and ore bins. Waste dumps are located behind the bins.

(Above) The Traylor Shaft collar with a human for scale.

(Right) Looking down the 3-compartment shaft.

CLICK ON these links to view several illustrations from USGS professional Paper 200: a portion of Plate 30, a map of the mines and orebodies in the vicinity of the Kelly Mine; Plate 36, a map of the Kelly Mine geology and workings; and Figure 16, a cross section through Kelly Mine at the Traylor Shaft. (Loughlin, G. F. and A. H. Koschman, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Magdalena Mining District, New Mexico, US Geological Survey, Professional Paper 200 (Washington: GPO, 1944))

The dump of the Paschal Shaft located above the Traylor Shaft.

Mother Nature finds a way even on a barren mine dump.

A view of the mill area looking to the south. Ore hoisted from the mine was sorted and conveyed over a trestle to the mill. The foundations of the trestle are in the line at the left in the photo. Furnace stacks are at the right.

A view to the north of the main mill floor. Depressed metal prices following World War I caused Empire Zinc to close the mine. The equipment was dismantled and removed in 1922.

Here is a curious artifact. It appears to be an iron pipe with a rectangular cross-section.

Some MHAers just have to do a little prospecting for ore that fell from the trestle to the mill.

What or whoever goes up must come down. The MHAers head down the hill from the mine to the Kelly townsite.

Winter snow and spring rainfall kept the desert flowers blooming for the MHA visit in early June.