Johns-Manville mine and mill, Chrysotile, Arizona

Johns-Manville's mine and mill at Chrysotile, Arizona, gave chrysotile, and Jack L. Neal of the Arizona Asbestos Producers Association, writing in Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, in 1953, placed "Johns-Manville at Chrysotile, on ash creek, a tributary of Salt River northeast of Globe."⁸ The earliest source is a 1921 item in the journal, taken from the Los Angeles Times, which said that N. Nelson, manager of the Arizona Asbestos Company at Chrysotile, had received instructions from the corporation's New York office "to close down all work pending improvement in the Asbestos market."⁹

Before the new mill

In 1926 E. Schaaf-Regelman told the journal that "there are but two mines producing on a large scale, the Johns-Manville mine and the Regal Mine," and that at the Johns-Manville mine "the bulk of production is Crude No. 2 and goes exclusively to the Manville plants, none entering the general market."¹ The journal reported in July 1927 that "the Johns-Manville Co. is pushing production very much," and that its output "had reached its peak, and is probably several times larger than the estimates made by uninitiated but interested persons in the trade."⁵ The U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook recorded no Arizona production for 1932 and said that sales "were made from stocks on hand by the Johns-Manville Products Corporation at Chrysotile."¹⁰ Its lists of Arizona sellers for 1937, 1938 and 1939 name Johns-Manville Products Corporation of New York without saying where it mined.^2,3,4

The new mill

In November 1941 Asbestos reported that "an asbestos mill capable of processing large quantities of asbestos-bearing rock is now under construction" at Chrysotile, while "explorations and tests are going on preparatory to expanding the mine itself."⁶ The yearbook for 1941 said the mill was designed from "tests made for several years at Manville, N. J.," and that its output would add to the supply of Arizona chrysotile, "which, because of its low iron content, is especially valuable for certain military manufacturing needs, particularly electrical insulation."⁷ C. H. Shoemaker, a Johns-Manville vice president, said the mill would be in operation early in 1942 and would help "meet defense manufacturing needs," and the journal wrote that "it has been estimated that approximately 100 men will be employed in the mill and mine."⁶ The yearbook for 1942 reports that the company "completed its new mill at Chrysotile, Ariz., but the output in 1942 was quite limited."¹¹ The company appears among Arizona's sellers for 1941 and 1942, and for 1943 and 1944 the yearbook lists it "with mine and mill at Chrysotile."^7,11,12,13

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.¹⁰

Location

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1921

• Idle: “instructions ... to close down all work pending improvement in the Asbestos market” (Arizona Asbestos Company), as reported by Los Angeles Times (as reported), p. 62⁹

1926

• Worked: “There are but two mines producing on a large scale, the Johns-Manville mine” (Johns-Manville), said by E. Schaaf-Regelman, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 22¹
• Buyers: “goes exclusively to the Manville plants, none entering the general market” (Johns-Manville), said by E. Schaaf-Regelman, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 22¹

1927

• Output: “the Johns-Manville Co. is pushing production very much” (Johns-Manville Co.), p. 14⁵
• Buyers: “Most of the production of Johns-Manville Mine is utilized by that Corporation” (Johns-Manville), p. 42¹⁴

1932

• Idle: “No production is recorded for Arizona in 1932. Sales were made from stocks on hand by the Johns-Manville Products Corporation at Chrysotile” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 4¹⁰

1937

• Worked: “Sales of chrysotile were made by the Johns-Manville Products Corporation, New York, N. Y.” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 4²

1938

• Worked: “Sales were made by the ... Johns-Manville Products Corporation, New York, N. Y.” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 5³

1939

• Worked: “reported by the following companies: ... Johns-Manville Products Corporation, New York, N. Y.” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 5⁴

1941

• Mill: “Asbestos mill capable of processing large quantities of rock under construction at Chrysotile; in operation early in 1942” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), said by Johns-Manville Products Corporation (C. H. Shoemaker, vice president), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 30⁶
• Exploration: “Explorations and tests preparatory to expanding the mine” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 30⁶
• Mill: “The Johns-Manville Products Corporation is constructing a new mill at Chrysotile, Ariz.” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 3⁷
• Worked: “Sales ... were made by the following companies: ... Johns-Manville Products Corporation, 22 E. 40th St., New York, N. Y.” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 3⁷
• Buyers: “Arizona chrysotile, which, because of its low iron content, is especially valuable for certain military manufacturing needs, particularly electrical insulation” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 3⁷

1942

• Workforce: “Approximately 100 men will be employed in the mill and mine” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 30⁶
• Buyers: “Fibre to add to the supply available to meet defense manufacturing needs; valuable for filters, woven materials, paper, asbestos-cement, fillers” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), said by Johns-Manville Products Corporation (C. H. Shoemaker, vice president), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 30⁶
• Worked: “Sales ... were made by the following companies: ... Johns-Manville Products Corporation, 22 East Fortieth Street, New York, N. Y.” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 3¹¹
• Mill: “The Johns-Manville Products Corporation completed its new mill at Chrysotile, Ariz., but the output in 1942 was quite limited” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 3¹¹

1943

• Mill: “with mine and mill at Chrysotile” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 3¹²
• Worked: “Johns-Manville Products Corporation ... with mine and mill at Chrysotile” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 3¹²
• Worked: “Johns-Manville at Chrysotile, on ash creek, a tributary of Salt River northeast of Globe” (Johns-Manville), said by Jack L. Neal, Secretary, Arizona Asbestos Producers Association, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 14⁸

1944

• Worked: “Johns-Manville Products Corporation ... with mine and mill at Chrysotile” (Johns-Manville Products Corporation), p. 3¹³

Other names

Documents call this mine “Chrysotile”, “Johns-Manville mine”, “Arizona Asbestos Company at Chrysotile”, “Johns-Manville Products Corporation”.

See also

• Johns-Manville Products Corporation: the company's documents, people, products and plants
• Asbestos exposure sites in Arizona
• All asbestos mines

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1926, December 1926 (December 1, 1926), p. 22.
2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1938 (January 1, 1939), p. 4.
3. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1939 (January 1, 1940), p. 5.
4. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1940 (January 1, 1941), p. 5.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1927, July 1927 (July 1, 1927), p. 14.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1941, November 1941 (November 1, 1941), p. 30.
7. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1941 (January 1, 1942), p. 3.
8. Asbestos Magazine, 1953, October 1953 (October 1, 1953), p. 14.
9. Asbestos Magazine, 1921, October 1921 (October 1, 1921), p. 62.
10. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1932–33 (January 1, 1934), p. 4.
11. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1942 (January 1, 1943), p. 3.
12. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1943 (January 1, 1944), p. 3.
13. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1944 (January 1, 1945), p. 3.
14. Asbestos Magazine, 1927, November 1927 (November 1, 1927), p. 42.