Throughout 1918 the Santa Cruz Patagonian featured a column about mining on the front page of each issue. The Dec. 13 issue reports on negotiations for the sale of the 3R Mine to Magma Copper Company. On Dec. 20 the sale is reported to be almost complete at a rumored price of $750,000. The sale was not realized until a full year later, in Nov. 1919. Turns out this was not the first time the mine was sold by its principal owner, R.R. Richardson. The full text of most of the articles quoted below can be found in the Library of Congress database, Chronicling America. Images of the Santa Cruz Patagonian are available on The Patagonia Museum website: thepatagoniamuseum.org
Rollin Rice Richardson, a prominent member of Patagonia’s community, arrived in Arizona from Pennsylvania in the early 1880s and began cattle ranching and investing in real estate. He initially “dabbled in mining,” and over the years bought and sold many mines. [1] The 3R proved to be one of his most successful and lucrative operations. The mine was created in 1899 by consolidating a group of mining claims in the Patagonia Mountains; Richardson was a principal owner and the mine was named after him. [2] Newspaper accounts between 1906 and 1911 report the sale of the 3R by Richardson at least twice and his partnerships with three men at different times: Frederick (Frank) Olsen, Ben Heney, and Douglas Grey. [The Oasis, 12/15/1906; 8/29/1908; 7/2/1910]. By 1912 Richardson’s sole partner with the 3R was Arthur Crepin.
Richardson was a tough competitor. He filed two mining claims that blocked the road used by Frank Powers, owner of the World’s Fair Mine, to haul his ore to the smelter. [3] In 1911 “Richardson and Crepin …secured a corner on the burro market to such an extent that [his former partner, Douglas Grey] …is unable to procure enough of the little carriers to enable him to make his regular shipment.” [The Border Vidette, 4/15/1911].
By 1912 the 3R had proven its value and began to entice out-of-state investors. “When the chalcocite ore was struck on the 250-ft. level Mr. Amster closed a deal for the property for $550,000, and paid cash down $20,000.” [The Border Vidette, 5/11/192]. In October “Colonel R. R. Richardson and A E. Crepin…went to Tucson by auto, accompanied by N. L. Amster of Boston, and the second payment of $30,000 was made on the mine.” [Bisbee Daily Review, 10/15/1912].
The sale enraged a former partner, Ben Heney, who sued Richardson, Crepin, and Amster. “Long before the mine was worth a tinker’s hammer…Mr. Heney sold his interest in the property to…Richardson, for cash. Since the property has become a great mine, said to be worth millions, Heney…desires to again participate in the profits, derived from the sale of the property, in which he at one time owned an interest.” [The Border Vidette, 6/6/1914]. In July 1914 a Santa Cruz County jury rendered a verdict in favor of Heney. Three months later the Boston investors closed the 3R, putting over 100 out of work, and the mine reverted to its original owners. [The Border Vidette, 9/19/1914]. Richardson appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court and in late 1916 the verdict was overturned. In the meantime, Richardson sold the mine to H.C. Harrison and son for $500,000. [The Border Vidette, 6/10/1916].
Later the Albert Steinfeld company was “working the [3R] under bond and lease from R. R. Richardson. The company owes $200,000 and was among the first to shut down on the falling off of copper prices, after having made partial payment for the property.” [Bisbee Daily Review, 5/20/1919]. Finally, in November 1919 the Magma Copper sale was finalized. [The Border Vidette, 11/22/1919]. According to Robert Lenon, $2.5 million of ore was removed from the 3R by 1930, when most of the mines in the Patagonia district closed during the Great Depression.
1 Cunningham, Bob. A Pennsylvanian In Patagonia: The Arizona Career of Rollin Rice Richardson. The Journal of Arizona History; 1994 Spring, 35 (1): 47-62.
2 Lenon, Robert. Patagonia Area Mining Districts, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, 1539-1930. In: History of Mining of Arizona, Volume III. Tucson, AZ: Mining Foundation of the Southwest, 1998. Available online at: https://www.miningfoundationsw.org/resources/Documents/Publications/History%20of%20AZ%20-%20V%203/03_LENON_1999_HIST_MINING_AZ_3.PDF3Cunningham: 51