Reviewed by LeAnn Gelskey

Cobalt: The Legacy of the Blackbird Mine
Russell Steele
Nevada City, CA: The Insightworks, 2009
978-0-9729108-0-4, Paperback
98 pages, $14.95

Cobalt: The Legacy of the Blackbird Mine is an insightful booklet that offers a chronological history of the Blackbird Mine and many of the people who had a hand in the legacy of the area. It further provides a glimpse into the life of Russell Steele and his family, residents of Cobalt from 1949 to 1952, and again in 1956 and 1957.

The Blackbird Mine is located west of Salmon in a region referred to as the Idaho Cobalt Belt. The first mineral discoveries at the future mining site were made by a Lemhi Indian by the name of Little Tommy in 1892.  These discoveries included copper and gold and then cobalt, minerals that were used extensively during wartime. The history concludes by describing the cleanup of the environmental damage caused by human activities at the mine site. The author has done extensive research on mining in this area and includes many photographs. 

Steele shares personal anecdotes and life stories of the Blackbird and nearby town of Cobalt. He recounts some of the hardships the families encountered but also relates fond memories of life at the mine. One of the more humorous stories is that of a rowdy poker game that ended after a miner lit a stick of dynamite with no explosive cap. The card players were unaware that the stick would not explode and ran out into the cold night.  

This book is unique in that it does not end on the last page. Steele is continuing the story of the mine on his blog, Cobaltmemories, where he is building on the the material presented in the book by adding more photos, stories, video and audio clips, and related links.

Throughout the book the author educates his reader on mining, processing, and environmental issues without injecting his own political views or ideas. The historical and factual information regarding the early years of mining in Idaho make this book a welcome addition to any library. Readers will also want to follow the author’s blog for an interactive experiment in recording and sharing history in the twenty-first century.

LeAnn Gelskey is the Assistant Director at the Hailey Public Library in Hailey, Idaho.  LeAnn is a descendant of Idaho miners and loves to pan for gold.