Joseph R. De Lamar (1843 – 1918)

Mine Owner and Operator

2023 Inductee from Mining’s Past

Joseph R. De Lamar was born in Amsterdam in 1843. His father, a banker, died when Joseph was four years old. De Lamar worked as a seaman until he was twenty, by which time he advanced to be the master of a ship. Three years later he received a captain’s command.

In 1878, De Lamar came to New York and went west, to Leadville, Colorado. In 1879 he bought the Terrible Lead Mine and operated it until 1885, at which time he sold it. He then obtained control of a mine west of Silver City, Idaho. After taking out $1,500,000 from the operation, he sold a half interest to English concerns for $2,000,000 and turned his interest to the Cripple Creek Mining District in Colorado. There, he invested in a company that utilized a new chlorination process to recover gold. It was here that Daniel C. Jackling joined the new concern, starting his career as an assayer.

From Colorado, DeLamar shifted his interest to gold at Mercur, Utah. Here, he built a 500 ton/day mill to use the new cyanide process. It was expanded to 1,000 tons/day. Jackling was largely involved with this mill.

In the 1890’s De Lamar became interested in copper. He sent two of his engineers, Jackling and Gemmel, to examine Enos Wall’s copper prospect at Bingham Canyon. Although he ultimately declined the opportunity to invest in Bingham, the report served as a catalyst for the development of that property.

He continued investing in mines, among others, the International Nickel Co., which hit peak production during high metal prices during WW I. At the time of his death, he was one of the wealthiest men in America. Three once mining cities, now ghost towns, bear his name; Delamar Nevada, De Lamar, Idaho and Delamar, California.

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