Hecla Mining
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic American precious-metals mining company focused on silver, gold, lead, and zinc.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Hecla Mining Company is a United States-based precious-metals producer headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Established in 1891, it is one of the oldest continuously operating mining companies in the country and has deep historical ties to Idaho's Silver Valley. The company mines and processes silver, gold, lead, and zinc, with operations and development interests in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Hecla originated with the Hecla claim in the Burke area of northern Idaho. James Toner filed the claim in 1885, and ownership subsequently passed through several prospectors and mining entrepreneurs before Patrick Clark consolidated the property. Clark formed the Hecla Mining Company with Albert Gross and Charles Kipp in September 1891, and the company was incorporated in Idaho the following month. The original Hecla mine became the foundation of a broader regional mining enterprise that acquired neighboring claims, built processing capacity, and developed underground infrastructure across the Silver Valley. During the early twentieth century, Hecla expanded its mines and relationships with smelters in Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. It acquired or developed properties including the Star, Morning, Polaris, Silver Summit, and other nearby workings. The company also participated in the Sullivan Mining Company with Bunker Hill Mining, a venture associated with zinc production and the development of the Star orebody. A major fire in Burke in 1923 destroyed much of Hecla's surface plant, but the company rebuilt the facility with more durable materials and resumed production. Hecla's corporate and operating portfolio changed substantially after the Second World War. The company consolidated interests in regional lead and silver properties, acquired a significant position in Lucky Friday Silver-Lead Mines, and merged Lucky Friday into Hecla in 1964. Lucky Friday became one of the company's principal long-term assets and remains associated with deep underground silver mining in Idaho. Hecla also pursued diversification into gold, copper, aggregates, clay, and other mining-related activities, with mixed results. Its acquisition of Day Mines in the early 1980s added the Knob Hill gold mine and expanded Hecla's regional position, while the unsuccessful Lakeshore copper project demonstrated the risks of entering commodities outside its traditional precious-metals base. In the modern era, Hecla has concentrated more closely on precious metals. Its principal operating assets have included the Lucky Friday mine in Idaho, Greens Creek in Alaska, Casa Berardi in Quebec, and the San Sebastian operation in Mexico. Greens Creek is a polymetallic underground mine producing silver, gold, lead, and zinc, while Casa Berardi has been a significant Canadian gold operation. Lucky Friday is a deep underground silver-lead mine that has operated since 1942, although production has periodically been affected by labor, geological, safety, maintenance, and pandemic-related conditions. The company's history is also inseparable from the environmental legacy of the Silver Valley. In 1983, the Coeur d'Alene Basin was designated a federal Superfund site because of contamination associated with decades of mining and mineral processing. Hecla later settled a long-running environmental action brought under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The agreement committed the company to a substantial payment and cooperation on restoration and remediation in the basin. Hecla has also faced regulatory enforcement concerning waste handling at the Greens Creek mine. Hecla presents itself as a North American precious-metals producer with an emphasis on silver, long-lived mining districts, operational continuity, and responsible environmental management. Its publicly traded shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HL. The company remains particularly notable for its position as a major United States silver producer and for the unusually long operating history of its Idaho assets.
History
Hecla Mining traces its origins to the Hecla claim in the Burke area of Idaho's Silver Valley. James Toner filed the claim on May 5, 1885. After several transfers, Patrick (Patsy) Clark obtained control and organized the Hecla Mining Company with Albert Gross and Charles Kipp on September 29, 1891. The Idaho-incorporated company issued 500,000 shares and began developing the property through tunnels and underground workings. A successor Hecla Mining Company was incorporated in Washington in 1899, and the company paid its first dividend in 1900. Hecla expanded its operating and processing network during the first decades of the twentieth century. It acquired nearby claims, purchased the Milwaukee mill at Gem, and sent ore to smelters in Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. The company moved its offices from Spokane to Wallace in 1904. Discovery of the east orebody in 1912 and deeper shaft development increased the scale of the mine. Hecla stock began trading on the New York Curb Exchange in 1915, and the company later shifted from monthly to quarterly dividends. A major phase of regional integration followed the First World War. Hecla acquired claims near its original property, including the Tiger-Poorman, and entered an equal partnership with Bunker Hill Mining to develop the Star orebody and a zinc-processing operation. The resulting Sullivan Mining Company used extensive underground access and an electrolytic process to produce high-grade zinc. In 1923, a fire destroyed much of Burke's business district and Hecla's surface plant. Insurance covered the loss, allowing Hecla to rebuild with concrete and steel. The company subsequently developed additional ore bodies, connected neighboring mines, and operated tailings facilities. Hecla controlled or held important interests in Polaris, Silver Summit, Sullivan, and the Resurrection Mining Company by the late 1940s. The last tonnage was hoisted from the original Hecla mine in July 1944, although portions of the workings remained important for access to other properties. In the 1950s, Hecla reorganized its portfolio and sold its Sullivan interest to Bunker Hill in exchange for stock. It also began acquiring shares in Lucky Friday Silver-Lead Mines. Lucky Friday became a major Hecla asset, and the two companies merged in 1964. Hecla's shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in December of that year. The company continued to pursue acquisitions and diversification in the 1960s and 1970s. It bought the Morning Mine from Asarco, developed deep underground connections in the Silver Valley, acquired a substantial interest in Day Mines, and explored the Lakeshore copper mine in Arizona. The copper venture was unsuccessful amid weak copper prices. In the early 1980s, Hecla and Day Mines agreed to merge, bringing the Knob Hill gold mine near Republic, Washington, into Hecla's portfolio and consolidating ownership of Lucky Friday. Hecla reincorporated in Delaware in 1983 and merged with Ranchers Exploration and Development in 1984, acquiring the Escalante silver mine and other non-precious-metals businesses. From the late twentieth century onward, Hecla increasingly emphasized precious metals and North American operating assets. Its portfolio came to include Greens Creek in Alaska, Lucky Friday in Idaho, Casa Berardi in Quebec, and operations or development interests in Mexico. Greens Creek is a polymetallic underground mine producing silver, gold, lead, and zinc. Casa Berardi has been a major gold asset, while Lucky Friday has remained a deep underground silver-lead operation with a history extending back to 1942. Environmental issues have been a continuing part of the company's public history. The Coeur d'Alene Basin, including the Silver Valley, was designated a federal Superfund site in 1983 because of contamination associated with a century of mining and processing. In 2011, Hecla settled a long-running CERCLA action involving alleged releases from its operations. The settlement was designed to fund restoration and remediation in the basin. More recently, EPA inspections at Greens Creek identified improper disposal of lead-containing items; in 2023, Hecla agreed to a penalty and corrective action. Today, Hecla is a publicly traded precious-metals producer headquartered in Coeur d'Alene. Its identity is built around silver leadership in the United States, long-lived underground mines, polymetallic production, and operations concentrated in North America.
- 2023
Greens Creek regulatory settlement
[1]The company settled EPA violations concerning the disposal of lead-containing materials at Greens Creek and agreed to corrective action.
- 2017
2016 production reported
[1]Hecla reported full-year 2016 production of 17.2 million ounces of silver and 233,929 ounces of gold.
- 2011
Environmental settlement reached
[1]Hecla settled a CERCLA environmental action concerning releases of mining waste in the Coeur d'Alene Basin.
- 1983
Coeur d'Alene Basin designated a Superfund site
[1]The EPA designated the basin as a Superfund site because of contamination associated with historic mining and mineral processing.
- 1981
Day Mines merger agreement
[1]Hecla and Day Mines agreed to merge, a transaction that added the Knob Hill gold mine and further consolidated Hecla's Idaho and regional mining interests.
- 1964
Lucky Friday merged into Hecla
[1]Lucky Friday Silver-Lead Mines merged with Hecla, strengthening the company's long-term silver platform. Hecla shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in December.
- 1928
Sullivan zinc plant becomes operational
[1]The Hecla-Bunker Hill Sullivan partnership brought an electrolytic zinc plant into operation using ore from the Star workings.
- 1923
Burke fire destroys surface plant
[1]A major fire damaged Hecla's facilities and much of Burke's business district. The company rebuilt its plant using concrete and steel.
- 1900
First dividend paid
[1]Hecla paid its first dividend after developing its original mine and arranging ore processing through an external smelter.
- 1891
Hecla Mining Company organized and incorporated
[1]Patrick Clark organized the company with Albert Gross and Charles Kipp, and Hecla was incorporated in Idaho in October.
Products and positioning
North American precious-metals mining company with a particular emphasis on silver production and long-lived underground mining districts.
Precious metal
Silver
Silver is Hecla's defining product and the commodity most closely associated with its corporate identity. Production has historically centered on Idaho's Silver Valley and, in the modern portfolio, includes the Lucky Friday mine and the Greens Creek mine in Alaska. Silver is sold primarily through concentrates and other mine-derived products rather than consumer-facing branded goods.
Precious metal
Gold
Gold is produced as a principal or co-product at several Hecla assets. Casa Berardi in Quebec has been an important gold operation, while Greens Creek produces gold alongside silver, lead, and zinc. Gold broadens Hecla's revenue exposure beyond silver and supports the company's positioning as a North American precious-metals producer.
Base metal
Lead
Lead is recovered from polymetallic ore bodies, particularly at operations associated with the Silver Valley and Greens Creek. It is generally marketed in concentrate form and is produced together with silver, gold, and zinc. Lead has been part of Hecla's historical mining profile since its early Idaho operations.
Base metal
Zinc
Zinc has been an important by-product and historical business line for Hecla. The company participated in the Sullivan partnership and its electrolytic zinc plant in the 1920s, and modern polymetallic operations such as Greens Creek continue to recover zinc-bearing material along with precious metals.
Controversies
2023
Greens Creek waste-disposal violations
EPA inspections beginning in 2019 identified violations involving the disposal of lead-containing items at Greens Creek. Hecla later agreed to pay a penalty and implement corrective measures.
2011
Coeur d'Alene Basin environmental litigation
Hecla settled a CERCLA lawsuit concerning alleged releases of mining wastes into the Coeur d'Alene Basin. The agreement provided for payment and cooperation directed toward restoration and remediation of affected natural resources.
Brand decisions
2011
Settle Coeur d'Alene Basin environmental claimsOtherBackground
Hecla faced a long-running environmental action under CERCLA concerning releases associated with historic mining operations in the Coeur d'Alene Basin.
Action taken
The company entered a settlement requiring payment of $263.4 million plus interest and cooperation with restoration and remediation efforts.
Aftermath
The agreement resolved the lawsuit and established a framework for continued cooperation with governments involved in basin restoration.
Environmental settlement payment. $263.4 million plus interest (2011 settlement)
1981
Agree to merge with Day MinesM&ABackground
Hecla was already Day Mines' largest shareholder and sought to expand its operating and ownership position in regional gold and silver assets.
Action taken
Hecla and Day Mines agreed to merge, bringing the Knob Hill gold mine near Republic, Washington, into Hecla's portfolio.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Hecla's regional mining base and consolidated ownership of Lucky Friday.
1964
Merge Lucky Friday Silver-Lead Mines into HeclaM&ABackground
Hecla had accumulated a major ownership position in Lucky Friday during the preceding years and sought to consolidate the Idaho silver-lead asset within its own corporate structure.
Action taken
Lucky Friday Silver-Lead Mines was merged into Hecla Mining, making the operation a central part of Hecla's portfolio.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened Hecla's silver platform and was followed by Hecla's move to New York Stock Exchange trading.
Recent events
Reported
Hecla withdraws 2020 guidance[3]
Hecla Mining announced that it was withdrawing its full-year 2020 guidance to assess the impact of COVID-19 on production and costs.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Hecla temporarily suspends work at two mines[3]
Hecla reported that work at its mines in Mexico and Quebec had been temporarily suspended due to government mandates in response to the global pandemic.
Sources3 sources
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