PrintThe Marsac Mill
The Marsac Mill was completed in 1885 to process ore from the Flagstaff Mine. It stood at the lower end of Swede Alley. The stone wall is all that remains. This photo, taken before the fire of 1898, pictures Main Street in the foreground. The Marsac was a 20-stamp mill. Stamping is a process of concentrating ore by crushing it with huge weights until the silver is filtered out. With 20 stamps operating, the mill could turn out 60-70 tons per day. Because of the long distance the ore had to be hauled to the mill and the technical problems associated with the crude stamp machinery, the Marsac was not necessarily a steady or satisfactory producer.
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