Kaiser Mine

Vet S. Baxter discovered fluorspar below Mount Annie in July 1922. Baxter worked extensively until 1929 when he made his first shipment. In 1933, demand for fluorspar rose when the ore was used to make steel for the construction of San Francisco's Bay Bridge. That demand gave Baxter's mine the boost it needed to become an active producer. Baxter continued to run the mine himself with just the help of a few employees until 1951, taking out over 50,000 tons of fluorspar ore.

In 1951, Baxter signed a lease with an option to purchase agreement with the H.W. Gould Company. In 1952, the agreement was transferred to the Fallon Fluorspar Mines, Inc. who soon sold it to the Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation. A mill was built in Fallon along the railroad. Operations continued until early 1957, when ore ran out. The mill continued to operate on stockpile for about six months, and Kaiser hasn't seen any activity since.

Bibliography