Bunker Hill Mining Company
Bunker Hill Mining Company was a major Idaho mining company with operations in Kellogg and Wardner. It began in 1887 as the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Company, started by Simeon Reed to run the Bunker Hill mine and mill. The company helped grow the town, building housing, a school, churches, and other facilities for workers.
Key highlights
- The Old South Mill opened in 1891 with a capacity of about 150 tons per day. John Hays Hammond became president in 1891.
- The company grew to become Idaho’s largest employer by the mid-1920s.
- The 1890s were marked by labor unrest and violence nearby; the mine operated under intense scrutiny and evolving safety laws followed.
- In the early 20th century, the company expanded into zinc and built its own lead smelter. It formed a zinc venture with Hecla Mining (the Star Mine) and produced zinc known as Bunker Hill 99.9% zinc.
- The company remained a major employer, even through the Great Depression, and contributed to the local community with housing, healthcare, and other benefits.
- During World War II, an antimony plant was added and women joined the workforce in larger numbers.
- In the 1950s, the company reorganized as the Bunker Hill Company, moved headquarters to San Francisco and later to Kellogg, and expanded its chemical products division.
- In 1968, the company merged with Gulf Resources & Chemical Corp. The Bunker Hill mine and smelter closed in 1982, leaving thousands unemployed.
Key facts
- Products: Lead, zinc, silver
- Locations: Kellogg and Wardner, Idaho (mine and smelter complex)
- Founded: 1887 by Simeon Reed
- Notable leaders: John Hays Hammond (president in 1891), Frederick Worthen Bradley (president 1897–1933), John D. Bradley (president from 1955)
- Employees: about 2,800 at the Kellogg complex (around 1970)
- Mergers: Merged into Gulf Resources & Chemical Corp. in 1968; mine and smelter closed in 1982
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:41 (CET).