J. Smith Hilaman Chrome Mine

Location: West Nottingham, between Christine and Airport Roads.

Newspaper Clippings

Daily Local News
7th November 1873

Nottingham Items

Our correspondent writes from Nottingham as follows: Mr. J. Smith Hilaman, of West Nottingham township, while recently engaged in repairing the road that passes through his property, came upon a vein of chrome, which he is now having more largely developed, by Mr. Hazel Gneist, who is an adept in the business; and I am informed by him that the quality of the mineral found is superior, being much softer and consequently more easily manufactured than that of Moro Phillip’s mine. It is thought by some that a fortune is in store for our friend Smith, who, if such good luck should befall him, will take good care not to squander the same.

Oxford Press
10th December 1873

A correspondent writes from Pine Grove, West Nottingham as follows: The panic don't seem to affect the chrome business any. J. S. Hilaman has opened a chrome mine on his premises and has good prospects of chrome. We hope Mr. Hilaman's efforts may be crowned with success.

Wood hauling and chopping is the order of the day at Moro Phillip's chrome works. Choppers are thicker than snow birds in that direction and haulers too numerous to mention. When Mr. Gordon gets his 300 cords of wood cut, Pine Grove will present quite a different appearance.

Daily Local News
31st December 1873

J. Smith Hilaman’s Chrome mine in West Nottingham twp., has already yielded several tons, and promises to be valuable.

American Republican
6th January 1874

Chrome Mine – The chrome mine lately opened on the property of Mr. Hilaman in West Nottingham township, now proves, on further development, to be quite rich in chrome. A very large vein of the ore was struck last week and the prospect of obtaining a large quantity appears quire bright. Several tons has already been taken out. Its value at the mines is $25 per ton.

Oxford Press
21st January 1874

The Chrome business is brisking up. Besides the reported activity at M. Phillips’ mine in West Nottingham township, and the finding of a valuable vein on the farm of a J.S. Hilaman, in the same township, it is reported that a large vein was recently struck in the celebrated Wood’s chrome pit in Little Britain township, Lancaster county.

The Hilaman Mine is 1½ miles southeast of Nottingham. The Electro-Metallurgical Co, acquired the mining rights on this property and the concentration rights on Northeast Stream. Chromite occurs in a disseminated ore of fair grade similar in character to the ore from the Scott and Moro Phillips mines. (Knopf, 1922)