The Latham Mine was the first claim in the historic Spruce Mountain mining district. Lead-silver ore was discovered here in 1869, setting off a mining and prospecting rush. By 1870 there were a hundred men working mines and prospects in the Spruce Mountain area.

In the early 1900s the Latham Mine was renamed the “Killie Mine,” and a new shaft was dug a short distance away from the original shaft. The mine shut down in 1930.

Today the mines are nothing more than some open shafts and mine dumps. The one remarkable feature is a former boarding house made of logs. This is one of the oldest structures in the Spruce Mountain area.

The roof was made of logs and planks, covered with sod. The sod is almost completely gone, and the roof is caving in. There are interior walls dividing the structure into three sections.

I found an odd metal hopper near one of the mine shafts.

I visited this site in 2019, and have a brief video of it:

Updated February 2021.

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