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Volume 053-2 - April 1999 (10 pages)
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Page: of 10
NCHS Bulletin April 1999
warm brown color (known in some circles as Spenceville
ted), which always maintains its shade and is superior to
any of the metallic paints imported from the East or
Europe. A paint plant was completed last year with a
capacity of 10 tons every 24 hours....
This company was awarded the first prize for metallic
paint at the 1894 California Midwinter Exhibition, which
entitles them to a gold medal and which goes to prove
that this is the best paint in the market and should be
used by all consumers, the wholesale and retail prices
being below any other in the market. . . . Otto Woehler,
Spenceville, is superintendent.»
It was found later that the sulphur in the paint during a rain
caused the formation of sulphuric acid and it was reported
to eat the heads of the nails holding down shingles and allowing them to fall off. Therefore the term of paint manufacture was limited.
In Copper Resources of California there is a discussion
of the mines located in the Mineral Hills area:
About two miles north of Spenceville is located the
Mineral Hill group of mines, which are now being quite
actively prospected. The Mineral Hill Mining and Smelting Company, of which C. C. Bitner is superintendent
owns five claims on the copper belt—the Golden Eagle,
Index, Legion, Mineral Hill and Prospect. The California
Gold and Copper Company, C. C. Bitner, superintendent,
owns six claims—the Jackson, San Francisco, American,
St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Sixteen-to-One. The Sacramento, Main Chance, First Chance and Advance Chance
are owned by C. C. Bitner. The Arkansaw Traveler is
owned by Jackson & Monasco. The Last Chance, a
patented mine, is owned by F. Miller and E. A. Roberts
of Sacramento. The Green Lead is owned by the heirs of
Thomas Mooney, residing in Smartsville, Yuba County.
The Monmouth and Climax claims are owned by J. F.
Dempsey of Smartsville.”
The point is that in this vicinity, there was activity in the
exploration of claims, but very little profit was realized.
A diary of Otto Woehler’s obtained from Ms Ferretti indicates that Otto, his wife and son, Otto Jr., worked in the
Arkansas Traveler mine from late 1909 to 1912, apparently
for wages. There was one brief statement that sacks of ore
were shipped to Sacramento and San Francisco for processing.
During this period when miners in the hard rock gold
mines were paid three dollars a day, miners in the copper
mines were paid two dollars a day.
In Mines and Mineral Resources of Nevada County, published in 1919, in the discussion of copper mines there are
13 entries concerning the Spenceville area which relate to a
larger number of individual mines, yet none of these mines
was producing ore.’
However, hope doesn’t die easily. In 1920-21 Mr. Otto
Woehler filed claims to eight mines whose previous claims
4
had lapsed.® There is no indication that any of these claims
were worked to anyone’s profit.
As noted previously, the area is currently under the management of the California Department of Fish and Game.
They have been notified of a 1988 inspection by the Central
Valley Water Control Board that “you have hazardous waste
surface impoundment at your facility.” Their concern was
the acid leach from the mine area. The California Board of
Conservation is also aware of this condition.
The possibility of a Waldo Reservoir becoming a reality
remains to be seen.
REFERENCES:
1. Bean, Edwin F. History and Directory of Nevada
County, California. Nevada City: Daily Gazette, 1867; p.
355, “The Copper Region.”
2. Wells, Harry L., Allen M, Freeman, H. B. Rice, and J.
Albert Wilson. History of Nevada County, California. Oakland: Thompson and West, 1880; p. 91.
3. Aubury, Lewis E. “The Copper Resources of California,” California State Mining Bureau Bulletin No. 23, April
1902.
4. Bal, Peggy. Pebbles in the Stream. Nevada City, CA:
Nevada County Historical Society, 1993; p. 36.
5. Poingdestre, J. E. Nevada County Directory, 1895; p.
125, “Imperial Paint and Copper Co., Otto Woehler, Superintendent.” ~
6. Artifacts and memorabilia owned by Ms Tosca June
Ferretti, of Auburn, California, who lived in Spenceville as _
a child. Her family was associated with the copper mines
and her mother’s uncle was Otto Woehler. The medal given
to the Imperial Paint and Copper Co. is in her possession.
7. MacBoyle, Errol. Mines and Mineral Resources of
Nevada County, Chapters of State Mineralogist Report,
Biennial Period 1917-1918. Sacramento: California State
Mining Bureau, 1919; p. 81.
FURTHER BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Lardner, W. B., and M. J. Brock. History of Placer and
Nevada Counties. Los Angeles: Historic Record Co., 1924;
pp. 434-435.
The Independent newspaper, 7/1/81, p. 7.
Uren, Edward. “Report of the Western Copper Company,
November, 1923.” Copy of text is in Searls Historical Library, Nevada City.
“Spenceville Wildlife Area: Cabbages and Copper,”
Sierra Heritage, May-June, 1981; p. 20.
Nevada County Mining Review. Grass Valley: The Daily
Morning Union, 1895; p. 68.
Meals, Hank. “Spenceville Wildlife Area,” California
Explorer, March/April 1996, p. 3. a
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