Maricopa County

Lost Spaniard Mine

This small zinc & silver operation opened in the 1940s and worked as recently the as 1980s.

The Lost Spaniard was a small zinc, lead, and silver operation located in the northernmost part of the Belmont Mountains. The mine was first worked in the 1940s with little success and later reworked thirty years later. Located thirteen miles north of Tonopah, the area is surrounded by numerous other mines, some of which are still active. 

Lost Spaniard was first worked in the early 1940s. By 1942, the property was taken over by the East Vulture Mining Company, the same group that operated the massive Vulture Mine about 10 miles to the north. Up to this point, some work had been done and one car of ore had been shipped from the mine to El Paso. It was valued at 16% lead and contained $5-$10 worth of gold with 3-4 ounces of silver.

The property continued development and a shaft was sunk down 100 feet. The shaft was equipped with a hoist, headframe, and compressor. Based on early reports, the plan was to produce one car-load of ore per week at first, and step up output to three cars per week later on. At the time, only four men were working the property. The plan was to employ more labor to work at the mine, however that would prove to be a problem.

A partially fenced off adit sit on the west end of the Lost Spaniard property.

As the U.S. was caught up in WWII, reliable labor was in relatively short supply. Men would be trained at the mine, but quickly move to jobs with better pay. This, combined with union-labor disputes and low production numbers, would lead to the downfall of the Lost Spaniard. The small operation wasn’t successful enough to keep up with other major producers in the area like the Vulture. While it appears that the mine was continuing development work underground, by 1950, there was no record of any operation, and it is safe to presume that the mine shut down. 

After over twenty years of sitting abandoned, there was renewed interest in the Lost Spaniard. In 1977, the mine was owned by Melvin Jones and ore samples were run through the lab. They found that the mine continued to have decent amounts of zinc and lead, with smaller amounts of silver, copper, and other fluorescent minerals. Renamed the Potter-Cramer Mine, work started back up and a new shaft was sunk 60 feet. The volcanic nature of the area proved to provide trace amounts of unique fluorescent minerals such as Vanadinite, Fluorite, and a newly named mineral -- Wickenburgite.

A few pieces of equipment remain at the Lost Spaniard today.

Work continued on-and-off through the 1980s and the shaft was sunk to the 75 foot level. Nothing substantial was ever produced however. By 1987, the Lost Spaniard had shut down for good, and while the mine dumps were re-explored again, no work was continued at the mine. 

Today, there isn’t much that remains at the mine. A tailings pile and 60’ inclined shaft remain -- although it was fenced and filled with debris. Some signs of equipment can be found scattered around the main shaft. Another adit sits to the west on a seperate hill. The surrounding hills are incredibly scenic and contain views of Belmont Mountain to the south and Vulture Mine to the north. To get to the mine, follow Belmont Mountain Trail, or take Vulture Mine Road south from the end of the pavement. Just south of the Belmont Pit, stay west for about three miles. The ruins will be visible on the hills on the left side of the trail.

 
 
 

Sources:

  1. Arizona Department of Mining & Mineral Resources. “Lost Spaniard File” - LostSpaniardMaricopaT4NR7WSEc24.pdf. Tucson, AZ: Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS). PDF. http://docs.azgs.az.gov/OnlineAccessMineFiles/G-L/LostSpaniardMaricopaT4NR7WSEc24.pdf

  2. "Lost Spaniard Mine, Big Horn Mts, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA." Mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Web. 13 Sept. 2020. <https://www.mindat.org/loc-67359.html>.