Borax Blog 3: Sterling Borax Company 1923-1960

“Mather kept his borax interests until the end, and in fact bequeathed them to his heirs…Mather’s heirs keep it alive today [1951], as the Sterling Borax Company, but for the sake of the veteran employees.  It has not paid a dividend in twenty-five years…”

                                                            -Steve Mather of The National Parks, p. 277-78

The archives hold two leather-bound volumes that provide insight into the dedication of Stephen Mather and the succeeding directors of Sterling Borax to maintain refinery operations well past the midpoint of the 20^th century.

Sterling Borax Company was incorporated November 27, 1923.  It purchased the Thorkildsen-Mather New Brighton PA refining plant on December 22, 1923.  It initially had headquarters in Chicago, but eventually transferred all operations to the New Brighton plant.  The plant was located on 6.2 acres.  In 1945, 2.8 acres that formed a no-longer-needed dump site were sold.

A December 31, 1923 meeting confirmed Stephen Mather as President with an annual salary of $20,000; an amount he “voluntarily requested” be reduced to $6,000 in 1925.  His Vice-President, Oliver Mitchell, also requested a salary reduction in 1929 “because of the condition of the business.”

Minutes of a January 21, 1930 meeting reflect Stephen holding 6150 of the company’s 9600 shares.  Stephen Mather died a day later.  Many of his shares of Preferred Stock passed directly to Jane Mather.  By 1943 both Edward and Bertha McPherson were on the five-person board of Directors.  On joining, Bertha held 1600 shares of Common Stock. Ed became President in 1946.

In June 1960, “substantially all the assets of the Corporation” were sold to Death Valley Hotel Company Ltd., a subsidiary of U.S. Borax.