DescriptionProspectors James LeRoy Neihart, John O’Brien, and Richard Harley discovered rich silver deposits soon after they arrived in the area in 1881; among the early mines were Queen of the Hills, Galt, Mountain Chief, and Ball. These mines and others produced about $16 million in silver between 1882 and 1929. Ore was initially shipped to the smelter at nearby Barker and Hughesville, but those facilities closed in 1883 and ore had to be shipped by wagon to Fort Benton for eventual processing in Swansea, Wales. Two years later, the Mountain Chief Mine built a concentrator/smelter that again allowed local processing of silver ores. Arrival of a Montana Central Railway branch line in 1891 allowed ore to be shipped to Great Falls for processing. The Panic of 1893 shut down most of the silver mines, but production continued sporadically during periods of higher silver prices. During World War II, Neihart was a major zinc producer for the war effort. Personal NamesNeihart, James LeRoyO'Brien,JohnHarley, RichardContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation5661 ft. CountyCascade County
