La Paz County

Williams Mill

Operated between WWII and the 1960s, this mill processed tungsten ore from nearby mines.

Williams Mill, also called the Halsey Williams Mill, is an ore processing facility located on the backside of “Q-Hill” just south of downtown Quartzsite. Built sometime around World War II, the mill was fed ore from nearby mines which were either sent off to market or for further processing. The millsite underwent redevelopment over the years and processed tungsten, lead, silver, and gold in its lifetime.

The “Q-Hill” area actually contains two different milling operations. Stetler’s Stamp Mill (supported by the Jackpot Mine) sits directly below the “Q” while the Halsey Williams Mill (larger operation supported by the Leadville Mine) sits about 350 yards due south. The ruins of both operations remain today just outside of town.

Because of a lack of clear and convincing historical documentation, it is difficult to determine which mill site was actually built first. In January 1942, the Jackpot Mine, also known as the Tungsten Hill Mine, was discovered by Len Hogue. Jackpot was located about 8 miles northwest of “Q-Hill” and produced 368 tons of tungsten ore between 1943 and 1944. Following his tragic death in an automobile accident, the mine was eventually sold in 1944 to Gold Hill Dredging Company. Tungsten is considered a rare metal and used in alloys, light bulb filaments, and electrodes amidst a variety of other commercial uses.

A tank and main structure of the Williams Mill, with Kofa in the background.

The mine was sold to John J. Stetler (also known as Jack) in 1951. On May 10th of that same year, the U.S. Government announced it would subsidize tungsten ore operations for the war effort and as a result, a tungsten boom happened overnight. The U.S. stockpiling program was likely in response to the large tungsten reserves found in China and throughout the former Soviet Union. The Jackpot Mine had been the only source of tungsten in the area, however following the subsidization, 26 mines popped up overnight, 19 of which were in Yuma County. Jack Stetler operated the Jackpot Group and opened a mill located on “Mill Hill” (now known as “Q-Hill”).

With what became known as Stetler’s Mill, Jack operated a stamp-mill style operation, crushing raw material from the nearby Jackpot Mine. From 1951 to 1956, about 4,000 tons of tungsten ore was processed. By December of 1956, the U.S. Government subsidy had run out. With the tungsten operation having no market or profit, Jack moved to Eagle Mountain, California to work for the Kaiser Steel Company for some time, before moving onto other jobs in Brazil and Utah. Stetler’s Mill showed no other signs of operation after this point.

Crushing equipment remains on the lowest levels at the Williams Mill.

A thousand feet south of Stetler’s Mill, on the backside of “Q-Hill”, sits Williams Mill -- named for Halsey Williams. It is unclear who built this larger mill, but it is possible it was operated in conjunction with Stetler’s Mill at some point. Department of Mineral Resource records indicated that the Williams Mill was first operated during World War II and later on in the 1950s during the tungsten program. The Williams Mill was most used to process the ore of the nearby Leadville Mine.

The Leadville Mine was a lead-silver-gold-zinc operation located about 6 miles west-southwest of “Q-Hill”. The Leadville consisted of six unpatented claims and was in operation by 1947. Between 1947 and 1948 the mine was owned by Arizona Leadville Mines Company and produced about 360 tons of ore. Results averaged about 17% lead, 0.7% zinc, and smaller amounts of silver, gold, and trace amounts of copper. At this point it had only completed small adits totalling about 40 feet of workings. According to reports “for the amount of work done, the property has produced well”.

At this point, mine ownership consisted of Halsey Williams, A.H Walker, L.L. Walker and F.J. Gerlach. Halsey Williams would go on to secure milling operations. By 1959, Williams had purchased the old Quartzsite Tungsten Mill and worked to revamp operations. Flotation mills and tables, and well conditioned crushing and grinding sections were added to the mill. The Leadville by this point had been profitable, producing more lead and some silver and gold. 

The Halsey Williams Mill continued to process ore from the Leadville, and also added ore from the United Lead Mine and possibly other mines in the area. After this point, mining records for the area became sparse. It is unclear if there were any operations at the mine or mill during the 1960s. The Leadville was a moderately productive operation, shipping out carloads of ore as it became available. It is rumored that by 1979, equipment from the Williams Mill was sold off, but that remains unclear.

The main structure of the Williams Mill. Numerous levels remain today, “Q-Hill” in the background.

Today, the ruins of both the Williams Mill and the Stetler Mill remain near “Q-Hill” just south of Quartzsite. The Stetler Mill appeared to be a smaller operation with only a hopper and tank left behind today. The ruins can be seen directly below the “Q” on “Q-Hill”. Williams Mill remains much more intact. Located due south of the Stetler Mill, Williams Mill features numerous levels with various equipment left behind today. While likely built around the same time, the revampment of Williams Mill likely contributes to its continued survival. A large hopper, lower processing facilities, and several tanks remain. A small adit and several cement foundations sit just south of the mill. Powerlines still jut up to the base of the mill, although it’s been decades since it operated. Both mills stand as a testament to the large amount of mining that occurred in the Quartzsite area. The mills can be accessed via the ‘Southwest Loop Trail’ just south of downtown Quartzsite.

 
 
 

Sources:

  1. "Southwest Loop Trail." Quartzsite Off-Road. Web. 15 Dec. 2020. <https://www.quartzsiteoffroad.com/southwest-loop-trail.html>. 

  2. "Jack Stetler and the Jackpot Mine." Desert Messenger. 17 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2020. <http://www.epageflip.net/i/382072-september-17-2014/11?>. 

  3. Werner, Antony B.T., W. David Sinclair, and Earle B. Amey. International Strategic Mineral Issues Summary Report - Tungsten. Washington D.C.: U.S. Geological Survey Circular (USGS), 14 Jan. 1998. PDF. <https://pubs.usgs.gov/pdf/circular/pdf/c930-o.pdf> 

  4. “Leadville Mine File”, Arizona Department of Mining & Mineral Resources. LeadvilleGroupLaPazT3NR20WSec4. Tucson, AZ: Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS). PDF. <http://docs.azgs.az.gov/OnlineAccessMineFiles/G-L/LeadvilleGroupLaPazT3NR20WSec4.pdf> 

  5. "Tungsten Hill Mine (Quartzite Tungsten Mine; Jackpot Group), La Paz Mining District (Weaver Mining District), Dome Rock Mountains, La Paz County, Arizona, USA." Mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Web. 15 Dec. 2020. <https://www.mindat.org/loc-33552.html>. 

  6. "Leadville Mine Group (Hartzeg Mine; Hartzig Mine), Middle Camp-Oro Fino Mining District, Dome Rock Mountains, La Paz County, Arizona, USA." Mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Web. 15 Dec. 2020. <https://www.mindat.org/loc-33567.html>. 

  7. Boyles, Jane Alene. "Area Info." Nugget Wranglers | Quartzsite, Arizona. Web. 15 Dec. 2020. <http://www.nuggetwranglers.net/pb/wp_993b4db7/wp_993b4db7.html>.