This mill was the largest and longest sampling mill operating in Sandy. Extracted ore from the mines was run through a series of rollers and crushers and assayed for metal content before being taken by rail to ports on the West Coast. Once loaded into the barges, this ore was shipped to Northeast Europe. Because the ore was of such high grade it was very profitable, earning more then $100 per ton. Some of the ore also was taken to the Mingo Smelter and was processed there. The profit from the smelter for the ore being in Sandy was much more lucrative then sending it to Europe.
The mill was constructed from wood with sheet metal sides. Electric lighting and heat by coal was provided in the mill. In 1887, the mill was destroyed by fire and rebuilt within a month. Every year, the Pioneer Sampling Mill was cleaned out and decorated for one of the social highlights of the year: The Annual Masked ball.
During the day, Richard Macintosh ran the plant until Arthur Cushing arrived to take over on the night shift. James Smith was engineer and William D Kuhre was the bookkeeper. Sharing a fate similar to the other Sandy sampling mills, the mill was closed in 1907. In 1914, it was finally torn down and the lumber sold.
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