The Huffman Mines and Jaspar Huffman

The 1870 Federal Census shows Jaspar Huffman age five living with his parents Thomas Jefferson (38) and Julia Ann Reins Huffman (34) in Pipers Gap of Carrol County near Hillville, Virginia with siblings: Addison (13), Susan (10), Elizabeth (9), John (8), Cosmo (6 months) and Grandmother Elizabeth (84). 

The first reference found about Jaspar S. Huffman in the Philipsburg Mail was August 8, 1889 when Jaspar, horse and carriage went over an embankment on the road coming down from Granite. The horse and Jasper were okay as they hung up on a tree, but the carriage was not found. Jaspar was manager for the Freyschlag, Huffman and Company Store in Granite and was ill with a severe case of Quincy according to the May 23, 1893, Philipsburg Mail and during that same year Jasper made a trip to the Oregon coast. He was an election judge for the 2nd Ward in Philipsburg in May,1894 and for District Number One in November, 1895. 

Also, in the Citizen Call, Jaspar circulated a petition to have the Montana legislature reconsider women’s right to vote in May 1895, ”He desires to be a candidate for Congress and thinks he can make his calling and election sure if the ladies can be enfranchised.” By May of 1895, Jaspar was involved in a mine in Princeton and also mining in the Boulder District. By July 1896 “Jaspar is in from a summers work on his placer ground and from the way he has ‘spruced up’ rumor is left to believe he has made a fortune and is looking for one of the fair sex to share his good fortune.” 

By September, 1896, Jaspar and Sam Synder were prospecting in the Red Lion District. August 8, 1898 Mail stated that Jaspar “was in town from the Boulder Country to sell his dust and whiskers.” He was also on the volunteer list from Granite County for the Spanish American War in 1898. The May 5, 1899 Mail states “J.S. Huffman and Webster Butcher, who have been working the mines owned by P.J. Brophy and others near Princeton under lease, have struck a rich body of excellent ore which has every indication of being sufficient to give them a very good start in life. The ore it is said, will average over $100 per ton in gold and about forty five tons are already on the dump. Mssrs, Meacham and Clark, who operated the property several years ago, will have charge of the milling of the ore. All of the above parties are interested in this mine and mill. Messrs. Huffman and Butcher owning one-fourth.” 

 By June the Huntington mill was up and running and within a week had milled about $1,000. This mill is believed to be located near the mouth of Smart Creek, close to Maxville. The 1900 Federal Census shows Jaspar (35) living in Princeton with his brother John (38). As a Democrat, Jaspar won the November 6, 1906 election for Granite County Assessor. 

Also, Henderson Gulch had a revival in 1909 when Jaspar found a five foot vein five miles up Henderson Gulch. He believed this was the source of the millions of dollars worth of gold that had been removed by placer, below his claim. The ore assayed from $4 to $18 a ton. 

Jaspar married Dora Bushman in Butte on June 1, 1907 and they were living in North Philipsburg according to the 1910 Federal Census. By 1920, Jaspar and Dora were living in California, but returned to Deer Lodge where Dora died of Uremia on August 25, 1920 and was transported to St. Louis for burial by Jaspar and brother Ad. 

The February 16, 1923, Mail stated that “the Huffman Mine at Maxville had been sold six months prior for the sum of $100,000.00. Barton Mitchell was the general manager of the new company owned by New York investors.” The Huffman family history relates the Huffman share was placed in a bank that failed right after the money was deposited. At this time research has not identified which bank it was. 

Jaspar was living in Philipsburg when Ad Huffman married his second wife Lucy Carpenter in 1924. At an unknown date, Jaspar married Ave Marie C. Golden and returned to Los Angeles, California where he died in November, 1927. His obituary stated he had been a resident of Philipsburg for thirty-five years and had interest in the Gold Reef, Gold Hill, Huffman Copper and many other smaller mining properties in Granite County. His body was accompanied by his wife to St. Louis where he was buried next to his first wife Dora in the Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum.