Description

Little Jessie Camp, c. 1890's.

Handwriting on photograph says: "Little Jesse Camp, Chaparral 'gulch,' near old McCabe Mine - between Prescott and Mayer." (Alternate spellings for the mine are "L'il Jesse mine" and "Little Jesse mine.")

The Little Jessie was a gold mine was owned by the Ohio Mines Co., at Chaparral, Yavapai County, Arizona. The mine/claim was leased for a time to the Chaparral Mining Co.

Historically, the property had not produced much since its inception in 1897. Production at that time was $800,000.

Fortunes were believed to take a turn for the better; a Prescott Journal Miner article, June 9, 1914, p4, quoted an observer who stated that the Little Jessie diggings are  "attracting very much attention, and the ore bodies exposed on the 300-level, would indicate that early production as well as the grade of ore, will again in the near future bring this old time property into famed rating.” This optimistic forecast did not “pan out” however.

According to information published by the Mine Register, 1920, p 34, Chaparral management stated that lack of capital prevented development and production in the past, and that operations were to be resumed in 1917, but no activity was heard or seen at or at the mine since or after that time.

(Above information obtained from the Mine Register, 1920 edition, pg 346, and the Prescott Journal Miner, June 4, 1914, pg 4.)