The Black Oak Mine, located about one mile southwest of Soulsbyville, California, was primarily a gold producer. Discovered in 1878, it was worked intermittently until the 1920s. The mine was ultimately developed to the 19th level, reaching a depth of 1,700 feet along its incline shaft, and was credited with more than $3.5 million in production.
A site visitor shared a collection of photographs from the Black Oak Mine that had belonged to his grandfather, Roger C. Knox, who served as superintendent of the mine for fifteen years. Roger’s brother, Charles Knox, was one of the mine’s owners.
The following photographs are estimated to date from 1907 to 1922. Click any image to view the full-resolution file.
The Black Oak Mine
By 1888, a decade after its discovery, the Black Oak Mine had been developed to a depth of 200 feet on its incline shaft. The operation employed 56 men, including 36 in the mine, 12 in the mill, and 8 on outside work. Miners earned an average of $3.00 per day, mill workers received $2.75 per day, and outside workers were paid $3.00 per day.
By 1900, the mine’s incline shaft had reached a depth of 900 feet, and either a 20- or 30-stamp mill was in operation, depending on the source. In 1907, the mine was sold to Charles Knox for $202,500. The following year, Knox sold an interest in the property to Eastern capitalists.
The Black Oak Mine made news several times between 1915 and 1919 following new ore discoveries within its workings. In March 1922, a cave-in during heavy storms caused extensive damage to the headframe and shaft, forcing the mine to close. While giving a tour of the property to representatives of Eastern capital in October 1922, Superintendent Roger C. Knox fell into a stope and was killed.
Funded by Eastern capital, new development work was undertaken at the mine in 1923 and 1924, but little, if any, production resulted, and the mine soon closed permanently.
The Strike of 1903
Union miners, angered that they had been replaced by Chinese for some of the surface jobs, shut the mine down in 1903. The December 16, 1903 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle reported:
The Black Oak mine, one of the largest and richest properties in Tuolumne county, remains idle because its owners will not accede to the demands of the union miners to operate the property with white employees exclusively. Several Chinese were employed as ore sorters and canvas sweepers up to November 9th, when they were intimidated by the approach of a crowd of 200 union men from Carters and left the premises. The Chinese were paid $1.75 a day and the demand was to supplant them with white men at a wage of $2.50 a day.
Although newspapers reported that the Chinese workers had been driven from both the mine and the nearby town of Soulsbyville shortly after the trouble on November 9, the Black Oak Mine remained idle through the end of December. The ultimate resolution of the dispute is unclear, but the December 24, 1903, edition of Engineering and Mining Journal reported: “Pumping has commenced again at this mine at Soulsbyville, preparatory to starting up with non-union men.”
Roger C. Knox
Before becoming the superintendent of the Black Oak Mine, Roger C. Knox owned mines around Tonopah, Nevada, and was a major player in the rush to Greenwater in the Death Valley region of California. An article from 1907 lists Knox as a member of the Tonopah Tennis Club.
Knox was killed in an accident at the Black Oak Mine in 1922, which was reported in the October 18, 1922 edition of the Stockton Daily Evening Record:
SOULSBYVILLE – Roger C. Knox, for fifteen years superintendent and manager of the Black Oak mine at this place, plunged 130 feet down an old stope on the 800-foot level at 3:30 yesterday afternoon and was instantly killed.
The mine was being inspected by Engineer Atwater for an Eastern concern which was about to refinance the company, The examination of the property was almost completed when Knox, offered to show Atwater an ore body on the 800 level, which had not been worked for several years. Accompanying Knox were Atwater, Arthur Sutton and Charles Knox, the latter a brother of the deceased. Boards covered the upper end of the huge stope lying below. Knox advised the members of the party to be careful, as he was not certain of the condition of the covering. Sutton crossed without mishap. Knox followed and when half way over the board crashed beneath his weight and he plunged headlong through space. The body was found near the 1000-foot level.
Dr. E. H. Reid of Tuolumne was summoned in haste. He went down the mine and at once declared Knox had been dead some time. Death was instantaneous, he said.
As soon news of the fatality spread, miners and others hurried to the place and offered their services in bringing the body to the top. This was finally accomplished last night at 10 o’clock. Coroner O’ Beirne took the body to Sonora to prepare it for shipment the old family home at Independence, Missouri.
Deceased was a native of Independence, Missouri, aged 51 years. He was widely known throughout the county and popular with all classes. A widow, three children, Roger C., Jr.. Katherine and Jane, living at the mine, a mother and two brothers survive.