Famous old Spotted Horse mine as it looked at the turn of the century.

              Famous old Spotted Horse mine as it Looked at Turn of Century
July 1947 newspaper
Fergus County at one time was famous for its mines. And, report many of the old-timers, the best gold
producer in this district used to be the Spotted Horse mine.
A description of this mine-just as it was published 50 years ago in a Lewistown paper-follows:
The Spotted Horse one of the most noted gold mines in the state, is situated near Maiden and is about a half
mile over a ridge from the Maginnis mine. It has been extravagantly robbed, but still continues to produce gold
with the old-time regularity. The first ore body was found in the fall of 1886 by P. W. McAdow, its original
owner. He built a mill, operated the property for two years, sold out to Hauser and Holter, and retired with
more than a comfortable fortune. When that firm went to the wall in 1887, Mr. McAdow took possession of
the property, but shortly afterwards sold it to the Jay Gould Mining company, a Montana corporation. They
doubled the capacity of the mill, erecting a 20-stamp plant upon the slope of the ridge.
The Jay Gould Mining company was not successful with the property and McAdow took it again.
A story is told to the effect that the Jay Gould people could not find the pay lead in the mine, but that when
Mr. McAdow again took hold of it in default of payment, he uncovered the paying streak without much trouble
and took out another pile of gold.
The property was next sold to the Consolidated Double Eagle Gold & Silver Mining company, an Illinois
corporation, and was operated some time under the managent of John W. Provard. The mine was worked for
some months very satisfactorily to Mr. Provard, but with indifferent benefits to the company.
Notwithstanding the fact that a great deal of gold is believed to have been taken out, the company became
financially embarrassed, attachments were placed on the property and it was sold at sheriff's sale, the Bank of
Fergus county being the principal purchaser. It was next sold by the bank to John L. Bright of Columbus, Ohio,
who was also unsuccessful with the property.
The mine and mill were again sold by the sheriff, the bank bought it in again, and the Johanna Gold Mining
company of Salt Lake City, Utah, became the final purchaser. A. H. S. Bird managed the property till it was
bonded last year (1900) to A. S. Wright & company. The numerous changes in the ownership and management
of the mine should not be considered as in any way reflecting on the value of the property. It has always been a
gold producer when managed in the right way. At this time (1901) there are hundreds of sacks of very rich ore
piled up in the tunnels and slopes. It is a free-milling ore and some of it runs as high as $20,000 to the ton.
In 1913, Helen Sanders' "A History of Montana" reported that "Fergus County, as a gold-producing section, has
the largest output in the state of Montana. The Spotted Horse mines have yielded many millions. The district in
and about Maiden is producing approximately $60,000 per month."