The Talc City Mine was discovered in 1912 and was a major producer of steatite talc aka soapstone, especially during WWI when foreign sources were cut off. Steatite has many industrial uses, being resistant to heat and chemicals, and electrically nonconductive. From 1915 to 1948 the Talc City Mine produced 218,485 tons of steatite-grade ore. By 1950 the mine's total production was a quarter of a million tons.

In the 1970s most of the original mine shafts and related structures were destroyed by modern strip mining.

Other mines in the Talc City Hills include the Alliance Talc Mine, the Silver Dollar Mine, and the Sierra Talc Mine.

Also of interest: The Talc City Monster

I visited this site in July 2024.