Carrying supplies from the Mine and Smelter Supply Company

This man on a horse-drawn wagon was carrying supplies from the Mine and Smelter Supply Company. The date of the image is unknown, it might be from the 1940s. The Mine and Smelter Company was mining and machinery company located in Denver, Colorado. It was formed in 1896 by the mine owner and businessman Eben Smith, his son Frank, and his brothers John S. and Robert J. Cary. Eben Smith (1832 - 1906) was a successful mine owner, railroad executive, bank owner and politician in Colorado in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of Colorado’s early mining pioneers, Smith was concerned that ore deposits in the Cripple Creek area were running out. He believed that much of the slag in the area had been poorly milled, and still contained a large amount of gold and silver ore and subsequently founded The Mine and Smelter Supply Company in 1896 in order to improve ore recovery rates and save the towns. Branches in Denver, Salt Lake City, El Paso, Texas, and Mexico City were established. The company quickly became one of the world's largest supplier of ore recovery equipment. By 1904, Joseph Seep had bought out all the original partners, and his heirs retained control of the company for many years.In 1975 it became the Mine and Smelter Corporation. Around 1900, El Paso was becoming a mining center, eventually leading to the foundation of the Texas State School Of Mines And Metallurgy (the forerunner of UTEP) in 1914.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, University of Texas at El Paso Library. Collection Name: Leona Washington Photograph Collection. Photo ID: PH033-4-19-2.jpg.