Abandoned Scratch Awl Silver Mine - Long Version - near Philipsburg, Montana MT

Abandoned Scratch Awl Silver Mine - Long Version - near Philipsburg, Montana MT

The abandoned Scratch Awl Silver Mine near Philipsburg, Montana was first developed in the 1870s. It was misspelled Scratch-All after the original survey but both names refer to this site on Granite Mountain just east of Philipsburg.

From the Montana Department of Environmental Quality website:
"The Scratch Awl was one of the first silver lodes discovered in the district, and recorded production in 1875 when it was worked in a small way in association with the Salmon lode. By 1907 the workings were inaccessible. The mine was reopened in 1917 when it supplied a moderate amount of manganese for the war effort. The mine recorded production nearly every year between 1919 and 1927. Between 1928 and 1939 the mine was reported to have produced 50,000 tons of manganese ore and 60,000 tons of silver-zinc ore. By 1939 the mine was the most active in the district. The mine is developed through a 500-foot shaft with three levels with 8,000 feet of workings. On the 500-foot level, the mine is connected to the True Fissure lode to the north and to the Cliff lode on the west."

The work was brutal, but the pay was steady. The mine was operated by the Silver Prince Co. in the 1920s and by Contact Mining Co. through the 1960s when it closed.

Most of the shop buildings have collapsed due to winter snowfall, but the main cable building and the change house (dry house) building still stands with their roofs intact. After-shift showers were a welcomed relief since the underground work was hot, dusty, and dirty.

This site is on private property so please respect the owners’ rights and take only pictures, leave only footprints. Speaking of footprints, please watch your step! A lot of rusty nails are just waiting for your footprint!

Please do not climb the structures since they are well beyond the safe condition and could collapse. Also, respect the fencing around the main shaft since it was placed there for your safety.

Many thanks to my friend Rick from the Granite County Museum and Cultural Center. Rick provided transportation, access and insight to this historical site. Please visit the museum in Philipsburg on your next journey through the valley. Their website is: www.granitecountymuseum.com

This sequence was captured with the following cameras: DJI Phantom 3 Advanced drone, DJI OSMO and Canon Vixia HFS-100. Postproduction was accomplished with Adobe Premier Pro.

Music: "Scissors", "Ossuary 7 - Resolve","Texture for Violincello and Pianoforte No. 2", “Pale Rider” and"Sunset at Glengorm" all by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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