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Show REFINER AT CORTEZ GOLD MINES, Ed Walker, left, and his assistant, Robert Craig pour a bar of gold. The molten metal pictured here attained a temperature of approximately 2200 degrees Fahrenheit before it was poured. HilldllDlnl$ Gold shouted out of the The article traces the history headlines and photos of the of the Cortez Mining District Territorial Enterprise of from Nevada, in a issue Nov. 19 devoted to special the gold mining industry of Nevada. Spotlighted in the story was the Cortez Mine at the base of Mount Tenabo in Lander County, Nevada, one of the nations newest major gold producers. Winnemucca, its discovery by prospectors from the silver camp of Austin, 50 miles to the south, in 1862, the mining of rich silver ores in the area from 1864 to the early 1900s to the 1959-6- 0 exploration Exploration (AMEX), Six years exploration by & American Mining Co. were spent in activities, drilling, magnetometer surveys, mapping, etc., during which time it was decided a major expenditure of high-ris- k would be capital to develop the necessary potential of the area. Amex joined in forming the Cortez Joint Venture with the Bunker Hill Co., Kellogg, Idaho; Vernon F. Taylor Jr., and Webb Resources, Inc., both of Denver. Early in 1967 sufficient drilling results had been accumulated to indicate the of existence significant tonnage of low-grad- a e ore. By the end of 1 967 the known gold reserves totaled 3.4 million tons of open-p- it ore, of ounces 0.29 gold averaging ton. per open-p- venture, Cortez Gold Mines, was formed to equip and operate the it On March 11, 1968, after engineering feasibility studies, the Cortez Joint Venture decided to put the property into production. An operating joint property, complete the necessary mine development and contract for engineering design and construction of the concentrator. The 1,500 tpd mill went on stream Jan 10, 1969. The first shipment of bullion was made. Feb. 19, 1969. |