J. S. "Old Hutch" Hutchison staked the Graphic (and Juanita) mines in 1866, which he worked until selling the Graphic mine circa. 1878 to the firm of Hanson & Dawson for $30,000 (about $700,000 today). Around 1900, Cony T. Brown discovered a bluish rock discarded in the Graphic tailings that proved to be the rare and valuable Smithsonite.  Partnering with friend James Fitch, also of Socorro, the two leased, then purchased, the Graphic mine. In 1904, Fitch & Brown sold the  Graphic mine to theSherwin-Williams Paint Co. for $150,000 (about $3.5 million today) comprising claims over 227 acres, renaming their enterprise the Ozark Smelter & Mining Co.

 

In 1906, the new Ozark Co. drove the Waldo tunnel to reach the deeper levels of the ore, eventually mining into the Graphic property. The Graphic and Waldo mines are only about 1,000 feet apart, becoming somewhat a single mining operation. The mine above level 6 was traditionally called the Graphic mine and all levels below that theWaldo mine. Due to mining the same ore body, they were often called the Graphic-Waldo mine in reports and literature with lead, zinc, and silver the dominant ores. Nearby is the Nitt mine, also working the same ore body.

 

 

The Graphic Mill was built in 1896 about 1½ miles west of Kelly to process about 100 tons of ore daily from the Graphic mine.

In 1904, the Graphic mine and mill was purchased by the Sherwin-Williams Paint Co., changing their name to Ozark Smelting & Mining Co. in 1906. Ore from the combined Graphic-Waldo mine was run down the mountain to the railroad terminal at the Graphic smelter on a 36-inch tram by gravity; empty ore cars were returned to the mine up the mountain by horse. Ore from other Kelly area mines was delivered to the Graphic smelter by 4-horse, 5-ton ore wagons.

 

The Graphic mill was closed in 1909 while installing a new flotation process for the zinc ores and reopened early 1910. The mill was expanded again in 1912 to increase capacity. By 1913, the Ozark Smelting & Mining Co. was the largest zinc producer in the region.

The Graphic mill was destroyed by fire on August 10, 1916 and immediately rebuilt to respond to the lead and zinc demands for WWI. The economic depression following the war forced the mill to sit idle 1922 through 1925, though the Graphic-Waldo mine remained in production. The mill returned to operation on Feb. 15, 1926 processing 125 tons of low grade zinc ore daily. In 1927, a new ball mill was installed for finer grinding of the ore to increase the percentage of zinc concentrates. However, the mill was closed again late 1927.

 

With the Tri-Bullion mill at the Kelly mine also closed, the Black Cloud mill, processing mostly lead carbonate ore, was the only mill in the region left in operation. It closed in 1928 due to diminishing ore and a weak market - becoming the last mill in the Magdalena-Kelly mining district to cease operation.

 

During the early 1930s, the Graphic, Tri-Bullion and Black Cloud mills were dismantled, equipment removed or sold, and the properties abandoned.  Today, only the extensive concrete foundations of the Graphic (Ozark) mill, and the concrete pedestals once supporting the milling and smelting machinery, remain.  The Graphic mill ruins are located at the junction of the road to Hop Canyon with the Kelly road.

Have photos?  If you have photos of the Kelly mining district or of family that worked the mines you'd like to share, please let us know here and we'll add them to these pages.