MACKAY

Copper and other minerals were first discovered in the White Knob Mountains in 1879. It took several years before any substantial mining activities got started, but by 1884 the communities of Houston, Alder City, Carbondale and Cliff City were established. Houston became the largest, but all the towns went through several years of ups and downs as mining operations stopped and started several times.

Finally, around the turn of the century millionaire investor John W. Mackay, of the famous Virginia City Comstock Lode teamed up with White Knob mining company manager Wayne Darlington to turn the area into a big time mining location.

Their plans included construction of a very large smelter, and an electric railway system to transport ore down the mountain. To further their interests the two men convinced the Oregon Shortline Railroad to extend a spur into the developing area. That line ended at the newly plotted town of Mackay.

The beginning of Mackay in 1901 spelled the end for Houston, which was only four miles away. Before long most of the businesses and residents had moved to the new town on the rail line.

The improved mining area began to boom, but the electric railroad proved to be inefficient, so the Empire Copper Company decided to build a shay railroad. The shay engine was specially designed to haul heavy loads up steep grades.

Before long an even more efficient system led the "mine hill" into its most prosperous period. A three-mile long aerial tramway was built in 1918 to replace the shay railroad. Operating on gravity it cut the costs of getting ore down the mountain and to the rail cars by 80%. Mackay had now become the largest copper producer in the state. Meanwhile another community called White Knob built right on the mine hill was also flourishing. During its peak years it had a population of around 400.

The mine hill and surrounding area boomed until the great depression cut metal prices and eventually force the closure of the mines for most of the 1930s. White Knob slowly became a ghost town, while Mackay just hung on. World War Two brought resurgence in mining activity in the area, but it would never again approach those glory days of the late teens and early twenties.

Today, the White Knob Preservation Committee is sparking renewed interest in the mine hill. A few years ago, when a developer suggested, "salvaging" the timbers from the head house of the tram, the community sprang into action. They helped stop the proposal and then raised money to put up signs at several significant sites on the hill. They feel that these mining structures are a vital part of their heritage and they want to remind people of the crucial role mining played in the founding of the community of Mackay.