Mother Lode Mine produced large amounts of mercury February 27 2021 A 12-ton furnace was erected to treat the cinnabar ore that was mined from the location on Lookout Mountain The Mother Lode Mine is located on the northern slope of Lookout Mountain near the head of Canyon Creek. The mine was first established as a gold and copper prospect in 1899 by H.S. Cram. It was not a productive mine for those minerals. However, quicksilver was discovered at the site in 1900, and in July 1901, the American Almaden Quicksilver & Gold Mining Co. was organized to operate the mine. A small Scott furnace was erected, and production was first recorded in 1906. The mine received its name for the abundance of cinnabar as a "mother lode" for mercury production.