Historical mining in the Lakeview District dates from the 1880’s, typically conducted by now defunct smaller mining companies working small, isolated mines. While some companies engaged in exploration prior to, or in conjunction with, production, many simply mined. Because only limited exploration was conducted in the Lakeview District, and the fact that many companies operating in the area folded during the 1970’s when metal prices were depressed, historic exploration data is extremely limited.
Although most operators in the Lakeview District held only single mines, Sunshine Mining and Refining developed an interest in the Lakeview area in the 1960’s. In the wake of the devastating Sunshine Mine fire in 1972 and with historically low silver prices, Sunshine Mining abandoned the Lakeview District.
Irvin Scheller, Shoshone's founder and a former employee of Sunshine Mining, believed there was great but unproven potential in the Lakeview District. Due to Mr. Scheller's efforts, Shoshone obtained its initial Lakeview holdings from Sunshine Mining.
Shoshone mined the Keep Cool and Weber in the early 1980’s, driving 400 feet of workings in the Keep Cool and conducting surface operations at both mines. The company conducted extensive exploration in the district during this time. Following the collapse of silver prices, Shoshone ceased production in the district.
Past Production from Shoshone's Lakeview District Properties
Over the years, Shoshone's Lakeview District properties have been held by a wide variety of mostly small mining companies, with ownership of each changing a number of times. As a result, production records from properties in the district are incomplete. Victoria Mitchell, a staff geologist with the Idaho Geological Survey, compiled production records from publicly available sources. The results of this compilation are given in the table on page 2.
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