Hecla Mining
Hecla Mining is a gold, silver and other precious metals mining company based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Founded in 1891, is the second-largest mining company that produces silver in the country. This area is known as the Silver Valley (Idaho). In 1983, this entire area was designated as a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency, because of land, water, and air contamination resulting from a century of mostly unregulated silver and gold mining. History James Toner filed the Hecla claim on 5 May 1885. He passed on the claim to A.P. Horton, who sold it to George W. Hardesty and Simon Healey. Patrick (Patsy) Clark owned the claim outright by 1 July 1891. On 29 Sept. 1891, Clark formed the Hecla Mining Company with Albert Gross and Charles Kipp. On 14 Oct. 1891, the company was incorporated in Idaho by Clark, Charles Kipp, John A. Finch, Amasa B. (Mace) Campbell, John Dorsey, Healey and Hardesty, and 500,000 shares issued. By 1897, the mine had three tunnels and a 150 foot winze. On 12 July 1899, the new Hecla Mining Company was incorporated in Washington by Campbell, Finch and Clark. The company was capitalized with 1,000,000 shares, surrounding claims were