Ropes, Leverett S. (Leverett Smith), 1868-1953

Leverett S. Ropes was born in Ishpeming, Michigan, on July 21, 1868, the son of Julius and Eunice Rouse Ropes. Julius Ropes was a drug store owner and chemist, who did analytical work for many of the Ishpeming region's mines. He was also the developer of the Ropes Mine, a gold property. Leverett Ropes studied mining geology under his father's tutelage and then attended Michigan College of Mining and Technology, graduating in 1893.

Leverett Ropes' early professional work was in the field of corundum mining and milling. He spent several years in North Carolina and Georgia and a year in Comberemere, Ontario, working with corundum. Using this experience he secured employment with the Montana Corundum Company to develop their mine near Gallatin Gateway. However, his real goal was to move to Montana to get into the quartz mining industry. During the next few years he worked for a number of different mining companies in Montana including the Montana Coal and Coke Company at Gardiner, the Jardine Mining Company at Jardine, the Bald Butte Gold Mining Company at Marysville, the Bullion Mine at Basin, and the Alta Mine at Wickes. In addition to his mining work Ropes worked on the construction of Mystic, Lake Dam near Bozeman and Hauser Dam near Helena. He also served briefly as a mineral inspector for the U.S. General Land Office from 1908 to 1910, and for the U.S. Forest Service in the fall of 1930.

In 1910 Ropes began doing private consulting work in partnership with Robert McIntyre. He incorporated under the name Intermountain Engineering-Development Company in 1919 to seek outside capital to finance Montana mining ventures. In July 1928 Ropes lost all of his mining records, reports, correspondence, survey notes, etc. in the fire which destroyed the Bailey Block and several other buildings in downtown Helena. Since his ability to interest investors in Montana mining properties was based on his extensive knowledge of these properties, the loss of his records crippled his work. During the 1930s and 194Os he gradually rebuilt his files, based partly on memory and partly on re-examination of many properties.

Leverett S. Ropes married Eleanor Husk Deal of Franklin, North Carolina, on December 12, 1894. The couple had four children: Dorothy, John, Judith, and Leverett. Leverett S. Ropes died on May 27, 1953.

From the guide to the Leverett S. Ropes Papers, 1888-1952, (Montana Historical Society Research Center)