Who was John Long?

 If you were to ask, almost anyone that has lived in Granite county, where the John Long Mountains are they would either point to the mountain range or describe the location. But if you asked them who the mountains were named after the answer would probably be “Don’t know.”

When a local retired Forest Service employee asked me this question, I decided it was time to find out who John M. Long was and why he was so important that a large mountain range was named for him. The first mention found concerning Mr. Long was in the June 23, 1887 Philipsburg Mail, detailing that the Black Pine Mining Company “has succeeded in securing as foreman the services of Mr. John M. Long, an old Comstock miner of wide and varied experience in mines of all kinds. Mr. Long arrived in Philipsburg Tuesday evening, from Butte where he has had charge of several important mines in that vicinity, having just left the foremanship of the Wild Bill to accept that of the Black Pine mining company.” 

By November 24th John was examining the Bowie Group of mines in Butte though still employed by Black Pine. He resigned his position at the Black Pine and Combination Mining Company according to the July 19, 1888 Mail though “it is not the intention of Mr. Long to leave, but to remain in Philipsburg.” 

By March 7, 1889 John had been at Bonita, for the last six months, developing land for a mine and comments continued through out 1889 that he was developing a mine at Harvey Creek. Then in December of 1889 John was in Madison County looking at mines. The Mail on January 21, 1890 stated that James Hammond sold ½ interest in the Florence Lode near Harvey creek to John M. Long.  

By 1891 the Long family was living in Wardner, Idaho where he was working on mines in Shoshone County. He had great hopes for Wardner’s future when the family visited Philipsburg in September of 1892. John testified in a lawsuit at Boise City on January 19, 1892 according to the Anaconda Standard. Also in 1892 the Helena Independent stated that John M. Long an Anaconda Copper man would begin work on his properties on Harvey Creek. He was still a resident of Idaho in April 1894 then in July he was over from Butte with Charles Warren looking at Harvey Creek properties. In April of 1895 he was over from Idaho looking at his mining interests in the Alps Mining District. 

According to the May 23, 1895 Mail John M. Long and Walter McKay bought a ten-stamp gold mill from Elliston and were preparing to move it to their property in the Harvey Creek District. Construction was beginning on a road into the claims and when it was completed they would move the mill. The August 15, 1895 Mail stated that Charles Densmore the well known Philipsburg teamster would soon be hauling the McKay/ Long mill. The next week John was in town detailing how the mill would be hauled. By December of 1895 he was in Anaconda from his properties on Harvey Creek. Often there was mention of his wife and daughter staying at the Rankin Hotel in Anaconda. I failed to find if the mill ever made it to the Harvey Creek property or operated. 

By July 6, 1896 John M. Long and his wife left to superintend one of the big properties in the LeRot group of mines in Rossland Country British Columbia according to the Anaconda Standard. Thomas Long returned from a trip to Rossland in September of 1897 and stated John was superintendent of the Josie one of the best mines in the district which was not producing enough to pay expenses. The last information found was an ad in the Daily Missoulian March 18, 1917: John M. Long was vice president of the Royal Mining Company, selling stock. He was from Spokane and Eastern Trust Company Spokane, Washington. They were expending thousands of dollars to develop the Charcoal Mines and you could buy stocks March 20th to the 24th from Louis K. Church at the Florence Hotel in Missoula. 

The description of the John Long Mountains states “ In Granite County, Montana , a section of the Sapphire Mountains bounded north by the Clark Fork; west and southwest by the valley of Rock Creek; east and southeast by Flint and Trout Creek. Named in memory of John Long. A pioneer miner in these mountains. A trail over which he packed ore bears his name.” 

Why Long, instead of Hammond, McKay, or Opp, all area miners and long time residents? My own opinion: These men and McLure probably packed a lot more ore.