This year, Hecla Mining Co is celebrating 125 years in the mining industry. Founded in 1891 in Coeur d’Alene mining district of northern Idaho, the company began mining on an overlooked silver deposit. In its first 25 years, the company weathered two banking crises, a sign of the company’s resiliency in years to come.
Today, Hecla owns 65 km2 of Silver Valley mines that have produced 340 Moz of silver. In recent years, Hecla has grown to include mines in Alaska, Quebec and Mexico, and now produces gold, silver and base metals.
“We have been in the business longer than iconic American companies such as Hershey Co., Down Chemical and General Electric,” said Hecla Mining President and CEO Phillips Baker. “We have operated through many price cycles; from recessions and depression to boom times, and it is a testament to the power of our projects and the strength of our team that we have weathered them all and are now a transformed company having recently seen the highest reserves and production of our history.”